Simon is almost fully recovered from his brush with the Rona, but he crawls from his sick bed to join Nic for a discussion on surprise beard compliments and why the Germans aren’t as thirsty as the British for a pat on the back. After a week off, we collect our thoughts on the current crisis in Ukraine and we take some time to discuss the numerous changes occurring in German politics and society at large. Finally, Nic’s experience in the mountains has led him to wonder if German ski culture is the worst of all the sub-cultures.