On a plane after a particularly rough landing, the flight attendent came over the loadspeakers to welcome everyone to the capital city. She made an attempt to smooth over the rough ride and said in German: “Wilkommen in Berlin. Die Landung war, wie die Stadt selbst - hart aber herzlich.”

True! Very true.  Most Berliners are brutally honest and don’t shy away from asking you questions that would curl your ears. But once they take you into their heart, you can expect to be welcomed there for a long time to come. A toast to the Berliners.