That was the headline in the paper earlier this week, and news it is. The last 5 weeks have NOT been very summery - we've had the heat on at least twice - so a return to seasonable temperatures was more than welcome and just in time for yet another festival here in Vegesack.
This event is one of our favorites - Festival Maritim - though we haven't been able to go the last few years because we've been visiting in the U.S. when it was being held. Performing groups come from all over the world to sing and play and of course there are the usual beer, Bratwurst, fish, pretzel and other stands to cater to the public. And only steps from our door! This is the old harbor and one of the posters that hung on the railing there, done by Kindergarten groups in the area. Cute!
The music is all related to the sea and sailors, but that's not just "a pirate's life for me" but some great Cajun music, Scottish ditties, Dutch dancing tunes. It's better every time we go.
And this time Werner got to meet Capt'n Säblezahn (Capt'n Sabertooth) who's always around at these events to entertain us oldsters - little kids, too. Wouldn't Hunter have liked to meet him! And don't you think Werner could make a good pirate, too ?? (That's Fisch Meyer just behind them.)
And if you were here, we could have all had a Brat - here's mine with decorative mustard.
All around the park area there are decorations in the trees, lit with color, and at night they are a little magical.
Saturday we (should I say "I" ?) wanted to go to Oldenburg, a town nearby, where there was the annual Töpfermarkt - Ceramic Market.
Over 200 stands, artists from all over Europe, and - again - the weather made it even nicer. I thought it was a great excuse to get out and bike. Werner didn't disagree, so after the weekend marketing we boarded the train with our bikes and headed into Bremen to get the train to Oldenburg. Dumb. We didn't consider the fact that our football team was playing a preseason game and it was Saturday and holiday for the schools --- it was PACKED and we couldn't even get on the train we planned to take!
Not a disaster. The next train we could take was just 20 minutes later.
It was definitely worth the wait. There were lovely things to look at and covet and wish to have - and we did get a couple of small things for gifts, but of course they had to be small because we were biking back the 40+ kilometers to Bremen.
On the way back, we had to go under the Autobahn - a much higher overpass than the one we have in Bremen that we went under going to our picnic with Hunter and Hannah. In Bremen we could whistle and whoop because it was like a tunnel - not here!
It's awfully flat here and the landscape isn't always that varied, but there were some lovely allees we biked through and, since the weather was so nice, we just meandered and enjoyed.
But one does get hungry, biking so ... hard. So at Kaffee und Kuchen time we just happened onto a little place that had tables outside and a wonderful selection of cakes -- Werner had already eaten the tip of his wild berry cream cheese cake before I could get the camera out - my piece of raspberry cake was even bigger! The dear server asked Wasn't the cake good ? when she came to take our unfinished plates!!! It was delisch - simply too much.
The added attraction was in the side yard - talking mules. What a hee-haw.
And then on Sunday one more visit to the music festival and a look at the fireworks over the Weser. What a great weekend. Hope you all had a great one, too.
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