Berlin. Today Esther took me to a fashionable swimming pool that floats out in the middle of the Spree. The place was packed. We managed to wiggle into one of the few empty spaces on the wooden deck and Esther immediately left to dive into the pool.

With Esther gone, I was unable to understand a question directed to me by the boy to my right, presumably “Would you like my chair? I’m about to leave.” When I asked for clarification in English, he said he didn’t speak English.”Français?” Nice dice. And so I tried  “Español?” Jackpot. I laughed inwardly at the fact that I was having a conversation in Spanish while sitting by a pool in the middle of the river Spree.

After putting our wallets into a locker and buying a drink, Esther and I giddily jumped into the pool together and joyfully swam around, grinning uncontrollably. We climbed up onto the edge of the pool and watched as a small raft with three grungy teenagers paddled up. One guy was wearing a pirate’s hat. Another had a cross and skull bones flag. The one with the flag was yelling “Wir sind piraten! Wir sind piraten!” or “We are pirates!” The girl on the boat climbed onto the ledge of the pool. With everyone’s eyes on her, she gracefully dove into the clear water.  When she resurfaced, her twisted tank-top revealed her left nipple. She smiled, readjusted her shirt and had deftly climbed back into their boat before the surly lifeguard had gotten to the other side of the pool to throw her out. The three pirates paddled off, loudly singing songs in German.