Let's kick things off with a bang, eh? I went to the Elb Jazz festival for the first time this year, which, as it's brilliantly descriptive name implies, is a jazz festival on the Elbe river. There are performance spaces all over the harbor on both sides of the water, the main grounds of which are in an industrial area located a quick ferry ride or a less-quick bus ride away from the city. The weather was grand grand grand until the apocalypse showed up wanting first-row tickets. We were able to squeeze in under the only tent before buckets of rain started adding extra percussion to the music. Rainstick? Hah! The "unweather" (what the Germans like to call storms sometimes) caused an hour delay before the main act took the stage, being Mr. G. Porter of the Smooth Vocals and Jazz Hat Gear. The rain apparently didn't feel like waiting around and left just before he started, thankfully. The very wet crowd was very appreciative and then the majority went home to drier places before the last act came out. The Brooklyn-based musicians that are Snarky Puppy didn't get to play until after midnight, but they made it worth while for all those brave and stubborn souls that stuck around.
Next, remember that time when Germany won the World Cup? Most recently, I mean. That was a crazy ridiculous and very, very, very loud experience, but the fact that everyone was just so happy made most mischief forgivable. Everyone was very tired the next day, of course, and all colleagues were greeted with some version of, "ääääääWeltmeisterääääääääääää!" But then? It was over and kindof entered the collective memory of a nation as some happy dream that everyone had back in the day. But before the hype died down, there was Deutschland Deko eeeeverywhere, including in my kitchen. (For the record, that balcony is not mine, but the cookies are.)
Moving along, let's just go for a stroll. Parks, places, grilling, chilling.
(Note the two guys playing chess next to the giant chess board here:)
An S-Bahn station near the Stadtpark recently acquired the first Wurstkiste I'd ever seen. In case you run out of Wurst to grill, this handy sausage dispenser has you covered! (Oh yes, do let us reinforce those stereotypes to the max.)
Bunnies. Everywhere. At least in my neighborhood. Lately there's been a little baby bunny breakfasting on the grass in front of my apartment that I say hello to when I leave for work. (However, this is not the bunny pictured here.) There was an advertising campaign around Easter from some company that had a special deal where the purchase of a certain product would secure 10 square meters of bunny sanctuary somewhere. I couldn't help but scoff at this. Bunny sanctuary? Puh-leez. These bunnies be doin' just fine.
But on to more important issues, like how the Germans are excellent at making ice cream look like spaghetti.
My U-Bahn stop is getting a sparkly new elevator and the makeshift walls around the construction site have quickly fallen to the whims of wall-scribblers, or in this case, stampers.
Here, I don't know whether the word "tank" (Panzer) or the drawing of the tank came first, but the tank picture definitely started shooting hearts at a later time (which I was very happy to see), and the Star of David was a new addition when I came to take the picture. Let's say this is a symbol for peace in less than peaceful parts of the world.
One July weekend was spent visiting friends in Düsseldorf, which is located a several-hour train ride southwest of Hamburg. I'd never been and was happy to check out another well-known German location.
Here are a few sighted sights:
Back to Hamburg, I present: Classic Hamburg. An ice creamed stroll around the lake downtown. Lots of people sitting by the water, swans scanning for likely feeders, golden ducklings all in a row, the fountain all a-glow, and the sun catching windows across the way, setting whole buildings alight in eye-piercing golden rays.
Hamburg is also doing some hardcore festivalling this time of year. Lots of buildings got decked out for Christopher Street Day/Hamburg pride:
A Stuttgart-based wine festival staked its claim on the Rathausmarkt.
And Hamburg Cruise Nights bathed the harbor in blue for over a week.
Headed back from Salsaland that weekend, I was surprised to see a very powerful light rainbow taking flight behind the Hauptbahnhof, each ray wiggling as it was adjusted. I wasn't sure whether it was part of Cruise Nights or Hamburg Pride, both of which were happening that weekend.
I was also surprised to come home shortly thereafter to see the rainbow still doing its thing out my window.
And since we're in my room already, check out this wonderful, sunny afternoon reading sofa I've got. I still miss the balconies of my last apartment, but having giant windows that swing open completely is pretty much the next best thing.
And for the last stroll of the day, to market, to market! Most Saturdays I go with a friend to a farmer's market nearby. It's not my favorite market in the city, but it's certainly at a convenient time for those of us who work during the week, and it is also quite lovely and colorful.
Heh, heh. "Pink laydi" apples.
An hour ago it was storming ferociously. Now I am sitting in a pool of sunshine on my couch, window open and only blue sky in sight (no, wait, there are definitely more storm clouds on the way). I'm sure we'll have a few more summer-summer days before it's time to break out the woolies, but really, all is well regardless of what the weather is doing. I guess that's the main point. Cheers!
