There are pockets of great food in Spain but there are also pockets of very mediocre food in Spain and the same in Morocco and the same in Croatia and the same in Germany and the same in Austria.

I've published one book before and now I'm writing a book of essays and stories about life in Tokyo. And I have one book coming out in May in Germany about fitness.

In the long term Germany didn't need a finance minister who was absent during important negotiations in the European Council. But the chancellor strongly encouraged me to stay. And everything did work out for the best in the end.

In Germany I am not so famous.

I think that in a year I may retire. I cannot take my money with me when I die and I wish to enjoy it with my family while I live. I should prefer living in Germany to any other country though I am an American and am loyal to my country.

Our failure to properly deal with Germany and Japan early cost the world dearly later on. We dare not make the same mistake with China.

The rise of China as a new power is another great challenge for the US. Our failure to properly handle Germany and Japan earlier in the 20th century cost us and the world dearly. We must not make this same mistake with China.

But as environment minister I am very interested in a thriving German automobile industry because I can only pay for the rising costs of environmental protection at home and abroad if there are people in Germany with jobs and who pay taxes.

That's something I learned in art school. I studied graphic design in Germany and my professor emphasized the responsibility that designers and illustrators have towards the people they create things for.

I just went off for two months traveling around Europe on a motorcycle and pretty much turned my phone off. I did 5 000 miles with my dad. We went through Holland Germany Austria Slovenia Croatia Bosnia Montenegro Italy... and then I did Spain and France by myself.