Heiko Mülfarth Photography

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[heterotopian]

And there I was thinking I'd gotten my evening nicely planned. A little innocent art theft followed by hot cocoa and steamy chick-lit.

—- Felicia Hardy (Earth-616)

[heterotopian]

The Tale of Two Cities according to Stephi and Heiko – Part 578

It’s almost summer and time for some vacation, road trips or city trips. Hence, we are not reporting from Munich or Cologne today but will introduce you to two other fine cities form Germany, namely Heidelberg and Göttingen.

Stephi visited Heidelberg las week, which is where the first picture was taken. The river you see is the Neckar and the building to the right is the Palace of Heidelberg built during the Renaissance. According to Stephi, Heidelberg is a beautiful city in which she fell a little bit in love with. When I think about Heidelberg, I mostly think about the 60ies song by Peggy March “Memories of Heidelberg”.

The second picture shows you university of Göttingen, for which the city is known for and which you can see in the second picture. I visited the city twice, once about 15 years ago and the other time maybe seven years ago. Both were short stops on road trips, and I just saw the university and a little bit of the inner city.

Are you planning any road trips, or have you visited any cities recently?

[stephiramona]

The tale of two cities according to Heiko and Stephi - Part 576

In a world that seems to get faster by the minute, street musicians invite us to slow down. They bridge cultures, languages, and generations with sometimes just a few chords and melodies. Every performance is a unique, fleeting moment shared between the artist and the crowd.

By bringing music to the street, these artists enrich our city culture and keep public spaces vibrant. Let’s make sure to show them some love and appreciation next time we pass by. I once had a colleague who had a passion for playing guitar, and he often visited street musician festivals.

Since I started to learn an instrument six months ago, I enjoy music even more.

[heterotopian]

The Tale of Two Cities according to Stephi and Heiko - Part 576

Last Sunday it was Mother’s Day and it is rather a coincidence that Father’s Day was last Thursday. In Germany it is on the same day as Ascension of Christ, a religious holiday.

While Mother’s Day is more or less a holiday for the industry, especially flower shops, Father’s Day has some kind of weird tradition, when you think about it. When I was young, there have been gatherings of fathers, who simply met to have as much alcohol as possible. That was a time when fathers still did what they wanted to do while their wives took care of work at home. As if they needed another excuse to go out drinking.

Some people still live in that fantasy bubble and I even saw some of them on Thursday. Nowadays and in the past, fathers took a pull wagon, loaded it up with beer and went on a walk. It most often ended at a pub or a home of the fathers where they had a barbecue and more beer. It was basically all about drinking.

You can see some of them fathers in the second picture from Cologne. The first picture from Stephi simply shows one bootleg beer that can be found on one of these pull wagons all over Germany. (I am wondering why Stephi has that kind of beer at home.)

I spend Father’s Day with my family, went on a walk without a beer and had a great meal, with beer.

Do you celebrate Father’s Day and how?

[stephiramona]

The tale of two cities, according to Heiko and Stephi - Part 574

Happy Mother's Day to all mothers!

Today is Mother's Day in Germany, as in many other countries.

I think Mother's Day in Germany is not very different from other countries. Usually, we make something special for our mothers, and of course, most people buy flowers for theirs.

My mother likes flowers, and so I often bring her flowers, but yesterday the flower shop was soooooo full.

In my family, we don't have a special tradition for this day. Last year, I spent a nice day with my mother, her partner, and my husband, and this year, the whole crazy family met, and we celebrated together. We were lucky with the weather, according to the forecast, it will be the last warm day for some time, because next week the "Eisheiligen" begin, and it will be cold again. The "Ice Saints" are a "traditional" European weather phenomenon occurring every year in mid-May. According to folklore, these days represent the last possible time for night frost before summer truly begins.

Do you have any special traditions for Mother's Day?

[heterotopian]

The Tale of Two Cities according to Stephi and Heiko - Part 574

We are now entering a phase where we will present you post with seasonal content. This week will start with the beginning of May, that sees several customs in Germany. Politically May 1st is a worker’s day with protests for worker and social rights. But there are also a lot of festivities around the beginning of May.

Today we will show you maypoles that are put up in villages and cities. Most often there are May societies with long traditions. These put up quite different maypoles as you can see in the pictures.

The first shows a maypole from Munich that is actually a real pole. The second picture shows a maypole from Cologne that consists of a birch branch colorful ribbons. (To be honest, that is a rather poor tree we put up at work. Usually they are much bigger when May society puts one up.)

At least in Cologne you also see a lot of birch branches with ribbons and hearts with names put upon them at the houses. These are put up by the men for their loved ones. That is a tradition for a very long time. By looking at the names this year, it looks like young women have rather strange names. Or the boys only know the ticktock of their “loved ones”.

Do you have maypoles in your area, the poles being big ones or at the houses for the women?

[stephiramona]

The tale of two cities according to Heiko and Stephi - Part 572

We have beautiful weather here this weekend, and everyone seems to want to go outside to enjoy the sun. The parks and beer gardens are full and you can see cyclists everywhere. Which leads to our theme for today, because spring is the high season for bicycle repair shops (like in the first picture from Cologne) and bicycle shops (like in the second photo from Munich).

And while I wrote this text I think I need to take out my bicycle and make it ready for driving it again after the winter. I'm late this year but the sunshine let me want to cycle, which is something I really enjoy and what I have missed over the last months. I have a normal bike, but in Munich you can also see a lot of e-bikes.

Do you have a bicycle and do you enjoy cycling?

[heterotopian]

The Tale of Two Cities according to Stephi & Heiko - Part 572

I am at a point in our series where I have no idea what we have posted or what we haven’t. I am aware that we are repetitive when it comes to the seasons, stuff like carnival, Christmas and stuff. But now I am no longer sure what other topics we wrote about.

For example, I took a picture of a skate park a couple of weeks ago, put it into our Dropbox folder and was happy to find something new. Then, for some reason, I checked what we posted over the last couple of months. And yes, about two years ago we posted about skate parks and I put in the exact same half pipe.

This week, I am at a similar dilemma. I looked into our Dropbox folder and found a picture of a painted junction box/ electricity box/ power box (there are so many nice words for those usually ugly boxes) and I remembered that I have a nice picture of a power box as well. Then I thought about it and I am sure that we posted the exact same pictures in the past.

But since it is Saturday evening (I am writing right now) and have to work on Sunday, I will posted the pictures anyway.

The first picture shows a painted power box from Munich with faces, while the second picture shows a power box from Cologne, painted with the logo of a local beer.

Two questions this week: Have you creatively decorated power boxes in your area? And more importantly, how many repetitive posts of the Tales have you encountered (besides the before mentioned seasonal posts)?

[stephiramona]

The tale of two cities, according to Heiko and Stephi - Part 570

Yay, it's springtime! I love all four seasons, but I always enjoy the beginning of a new season the most. Especially in spring. After months of cold and grey days, it's so beautiful when nature awakes, when the birds are singing, and when everything is getting green again.

In Germany, we have the saying "der April macht was er will," which means you can have weather and temperatures from all four seasons in just a few days. And after a few rainy days, nature is getting greener, and flowers are blooming even more than before.

The first photo shows some flowers in Cologne, and the second one in Munich.

And not only does nature awaken, but people try to get outside as much as possible. They try to enjoy every minute of this beautiful season. It's no wonder that spring is the favorite season of many people.

I think autumn is my favourite season, but spring follows closely. What is your favourite season?

[heterotopian]

The Tale of Two Cities according to Stephi and Heiko - Part 570

Happy Easter everyone! I hope you are having a good time, if you celebrate or not. One upon a time Eastern was about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. But in a secular world, a lot of people have no idea what Easter is actually about. Maybe they read in the news about the pope doing “urbi et orbi”, but that might only be the case in a Christian society. For Christians it is still the biggest holiday of the year.

Our pictures are also not about the Christ Ian aspect of the holiday but rather about what it has become. I grew up in a Christian community but also lived with the secular customs.

One custom was coloring eggs, I always did with my mom. The first picture from Stephi shows an Easter basket with colored eggs. The eggs, sweets and maybe even presents were hidden in the garden and the kids had to search for them. That was always fun and it’s still a tradition where I live.

The second picture shows the commercial aspect of Easter with huge decorative bunnies surrounded by all kinds of chocolaty sweets. Of course you will also find lots of these chocolate bunnies, just smaller. The prices of these bunnies and chocolates have risen significantly in the last two years. Three years ago you got at least two bunnies for the price you pay for one today.

Do you celebrate Easter and how do you celebrate?

[stephiramona]

The Tale of Two Cities According to Heiko and Stephi - Part 568

So, last night at 2 a.m. we in Germany and the whole EU basically got robbed of an hour. It jumped straight to 3 a.m. If you feel a bit groggy or your morning coffee isn't kicking in quite right, congrats, you've got "DST Jet Lag" like me. I always struggle for a few days after the time change.

The bad news: We lost an hour of sleep. RIP to those 60 minutes of sweet dreams.

The good news: Starting today, the sun stays out way longer in the evening. Say goodbye to finishing work in pitch-black darkness!

And if you forget if you have to turn the clock forward or backward, here's a memory hook: "spring forward, fall back." Or you do it just like me and don't think about it, because my smartphone changes automatically, and in the weeks after the change, I turn all the other clocks at home. But not before I get confused or shocked a few times when I look at the clock in my bathroom and think I'm one hour too late or too early (depending on whether it turned to wintertime or summertime).

Do you also struggle with time changes? Is there a time change at all in the area where you live?

[heterotopian]

The Tale of Two Cities according to Stephi and Heiko - Part 568

This week I will combine old (more or less) industrial places/buildings and food. How that will work you can read next.

The first picture from Munich shows the Schrannenhalle, which is actually not that old. It stands at a place where once was a storage hall for corn until the beginning of the 20th century. It was the first steel building in Munich of its kind. Then there has been a parking lot for a long time until the new hall was build in 2005. After some initial turmoil it is the place of an Italian food store, where they not only sell food and Italian bikes but you can also sit down and have some fine Italian food.

The second picture shows the inside of an old industrial building in Cologne. The company Thyssen had a huge complex in the part of the town but has moved on years ago. The hall is now used for different events. One event is one of the best Food Festivals you can visit in Cologne. It takes place a couple of times a year and it’s always packed. There are great food trucks and you can have food from all over the world.

Both pictures shows how old places/ buildings can be used these days. If you like food, these places are for you. Obviously the variety is bigger in Cologne but in Munich you get great Italian cuisine all year long.

[stephiramona]

The tale of two cities according to Heiko and Stephi - Part 566

Today I want to write about theatres and also a little bit about another hobby of mine.

In our hometowns you find several small theatres like the two in the photos above. The first photo shows a theatre in Cologne and the second one a theatre in Munich. Of course there are also big theatres but today its about the smaller ones which bring so much variety in the cultural life.

Magic shows, musical shows, burlesque, comedy and improvisational theatre are often part of their program. The last show I went to, was a fantastic improvisational music show, and today I will watch an improv comedy show.

Three years ago, I found my love for improv theatre, when I attended an improv workshop. The workshop was a birthday present for my husband, and I never would have thought that I would enjoy it very much. But it gripped me. It is so much fun and I learned a lot, not only about improv on stage, but also about improvisation in life, and I learned a lot about myself. On Tuesday we played on the very stage in the second picture and it was so much fun.

What are your hobbies?

[heterotopian]

The Tale of Two Cities according to Stephi and Heiko - Part 566

For those who need public transportation, the last couple of weeks have been a trying time. There have been some strikes as the workers are negotiating for more money and better working conditions.

These negotiations are rarely smooth and often lead to strikes, sometimes for a day or two, sometimes even longer. Since the economy is not that well these days, workers and employers are very divided about the outcome of these negotiations.

Strikes are often only take place in certain cities or areas. Cologne and Munich as big cities are most often part of these strikes. That’s when you see pictures like today’s. The first picture shows an empty underground station. A sight you usually only see during a strike day. The second picture was take this Friday in Cologne and shows a depot, where the strikers put sup a stand.

On these days, life is kinda different. There might be some more cars on the streets

But you see less people and life feels to slow down. This usually happens every other year around march. I am pretty lucky as I usually go by bike.

Are there sometimes strikes in your country/ area? Do you see or feel the consequences of them?

[stephiramona]

The tale of two cities according to Heiko and Stephi - Part 564

Last week, Heiko wrote about the Christian fasting time between Ash Wednesday and Easter. But right now, it's also Ramadan, the Islamic fasting time. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. The Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar, so Ramadan is 10 or 11 days earlier each year.

One of my team members is fasting at the moment, and from her, I learned a lot about Ramadan. So far, I wasn't aware that the fasting not only prohibits eating and drinking between sunrise and sunset, but also sexual intercourse, smoking, and bad behavior. I have a feeling the "bad behavior" part is much harder for her than the food and drink part.

What I find interesting is that she thinks the Christian fast time is harder than Ramadan, while for me, Ramadan sounds harder. Okay, I don't fast at all, so both sound hard for me, and I have respect for everyone who fasts for such a long time.

The first photo shows a mosque in Cologne and the second one in Munich.

[heterotopian]

The Tale of Two Cities according to Stephi and Heiko – Part 564

After the carnival days it’s time to do without certain things, at least when it comes to Christian beliefs and tradition. Christianity calls it lent and means that you abstain from certain things, which you usually chose yourself.

Carnival is meant to be ecstasy and you can live outside the norm. To get back to a normal life, you have to abstain from certain things to get back to normality. At a younger age, kids or teenagers used to abstain from sweets, grown-ups can forgo meat, often alcohol or whatever they chose. Nowadays people often (try to) abstain from social media. You see, there is a wide variety of possibilities.

Lent starts on Ash Wednesday and lasts for 40 days until easter. Since it has a religious background, we decided to show you churches from our hometowns. The first picture shows a church from Munich and I want to quote Stephi “It’s not beautiful” and she is right. That isn’t a beautiful church. The second picture shows a church from Cologne near my home and it looks way better. But bragging is beside the point of lent.

Do you people abstain from things during lent? I did as a kid but stopped ages ago.

P.S.: For everyone who is interested in a British comedy about lent, watch Father Ted - Cigarettes, Alcohol and Rollerblading

[stephiramona]

The Tale Of Two Cities, according to Heiko and Stephi - Part 562

Hello and welcome to part II of our carnival tales.

"Karneval" as it's called in Cologne, is a big thing in Heiko's hometown, and it's famous - at least here in Germany. People travel to Cologne to celebrate the carnival there. And as Heiko mentioned last week, you can find signs of these festivities everywhere, and you see people in costumes everywhere. Like in the first photo, taken by Heiko.

In Munich, carnival is called "Fasching", but that's not the biggest difference. In Munich, you have to look for signs of carnival and go to special places where it is celebrated. I've seen only one costumed person this season so far. Though I don't care much about carnival, I'd love to see more people in costumes. I love the creativity of some costumes. And because it's hard to find carnival subjects to shoot for the tales, I can only take a photo of the costume I bought for the party of a friend.

Do you like carnival? What was your last outfit?