Golden Leaves Festival 2017

This year's GLF was planned in parallel with a couple of other events: the SXSW in Frankfurt that ran from Thursday to Sunday, a Lasertag Saturday and a mini table tennis tournament on Sunday. As any other super multitalented multitasking parents would do, we kept to all engagements by setting priorities. That kept everyone happy as we were able to enjoy the best bits of everything!

Golden Leaves Festival 2017 - Darmstadt

As usual, GLF was meticulously planned. Every single prop was lovingly handcrafted, from the hand painted golden brown autumn animals murals to the colorful bunting that hung gently overhead on the arms of the beautiful giant oak trees.

Little music lovers

This year we noticed that there were even more children in the crowd than the years before - could the crowd be getting older? Man!  I was pretty envious when I saw that kids get pretty little customized necklace with an imprinted of a leaf on a wooden pendant. The tiny tots were freely roaming around happily with huge fluorescent ear plugs. Some were busy picking and sorting acorns, some carefully filling up watering cans creating more puddles, some were trying to swing like baby apes from the white stringers roped around branches.

Astronautalis at the GLF!!

No music indoctrination this time. We just dived into GLF without the usual expectations. Gentle ripples of impressions were made by the first few groups, but the big splash was without doubt made by Astronautalis. A single talented one man band with his techno rap not only brought the crowd on our feet but probably just made our day and marked THE music band for GLF 2017! Yea.....so did the really talented Icelandic VÖK - a dream-pop/indie-electronica band!

VÖK - with our not-so-tiny-tots in the first front row

Maifeld Derby 2017

Maifeld Derby 2017 was by far the best year yet! Are the kids older, thus allowing us to stay up longer? Is the music selection getting better thus attracting even a larger eclectic group of amazing artists? Whatever the reason, Maifeld Derby was ranked this year as the Germany’s second BEST music festival for new comers. For the very first time, the core event was transmitted live on ArteConcert. (If you do not know Arte, it’s a public French-German tv network channel dedicated to arts and culture.)

Live Streaming by Arte Concert

We belted, danced and sang the entire Friday evening with Flut, J. Bernardt, Wild Beasts, Cigarettes after Sex, Sohn and Bilderbuch. We couldn’t managed more because Baby M was already swaying on his feet. And as much as he wanted to stay on for one of his favorite DJ - Trentemøller, we decided that staying up until 2am might be pushing it bit too much if we want to come back the next day.

Dinner break between bands

On Saturday we turned up about dinner time for Metronomy, listen to the amazing Kate Tempest rapped on stage (Last year she had the relaxing Parcours d’amour with the original intention of a reading from her new novel, but that quickly morphed into an impromptu rapping in the end. This year Kate got her own outdoor Fackelbühne with her entire band.) and wrapped up with Moderat.

We left out Sunday because kids needed a day to recover before going back to school on Monday..and also the summer heat was making us extremely drowsy and sleepy. Besides, this year we could stream from the Mediathek - courtesy of Arte on the programms we have missed. 

Loved it! See you Maifeld Derby 2018...

Golden Leaves Festival 2016

Our 3rd Year Golden Leaves Festival. Are we veterans or not?

From the Darß forest to the bodden countryside

Yeyaaa...! Our summer holiday this year takes us to the coast of the Baltic Sea. While we resided in a beautifully converted century old hotel which was until 2000 a retired train station in Prerow, we spent the rest of the days outdoor. To give you an idea, Prerow lies about a 2,5 hour car drive north east of Hamburg.

The ubiquitous Strandkörbe along the beaches

We chose Prerow because we read that this Baltic seaside resort is famous for its nature, the fine sandy beaches, the picturesque landscape and the many outdoor activities we could do with kids. Being hiking buffs, that was the first item on our to do list. And my, oh my...were we in for a surprise. For the very first time, we were kind of irritated with cyclists! So much for the well promoted "the primeval Darß having more than 50 km of footpaths and cycle ways". They should consider adding a footnote that cyclists take precedent, and that hikers should only hike at their own risk when using the same "footpaths"!

After that we ditched that hiking part and adopted the if you can't-beat-them-then-join-them attitude.

There's definitely plenty to do. Kids could sign up for a couple hours of photography session at the Max Hüten Haus, go sailing, snorkeling, paddling, bird watching, wildlife spotting, hanging around on the beach, and when you run out out of ideas, there's always cycling. Ha.ha..

Max Hütten Haus - let your creativity go wild!

Footnote: Because of it's distinctive bodden countryside, be sure to pack plenty of insect repellent. There're enough body of water enclosed by the peninsula, spits and islands to provide breeding grounds to some nasty and irritating mosquitoes and other bugs of the stinging kinds.

Footnote: Eat fish

Bremen

What to do when you have less than 4 hours to cover Bremen with kids? And all the time you have is between 17:00 to bedtime? Simple, stick to the oldest trick when visiting German cities. Head straight for the Marketplace. As with the medieval times where Marketplaces were the sources of commercial transactions, they have not lost their importance in today's world. Though today it's more of tourist magnet.

If you have time, Bremen is a very charming city, home to to dozens for historical galleries and museums, so there's plenty to see and do. If you are hard pressed for time, plus with two tired kids in tow, then take a nice stroll along the River Weser. There's plenty of happenings to provide enough distractions for the kids to keep on walking. Then head straight for the Altstadt, and try to follow the signs - with luck you will end up at the renowned bronze statue of the Town Musicians of Bremen. I said luck, because the signs takes you around like a wild goose chase. Haha.. We found it hidden between scaffolding of the church where the statue is erected.

A stroll along the River Weser

A modern re-interpretation of the original bronze statue.

Maifeld Derby 2016

Having being part of Maifeld Derby 2015, we felt we could now be crowned semi-veterans. First a quick recap. What is Maifeld Derby? This is a beautifully organised Music Festival, attended by various international and national upcoming artists. This is the core difference - the word "upcoming", so making this festival even more important for musicians to use this as one of career launching platforms!

Like last year, we snatched up a couple of early horse tickets (yes, horse, it's not a typo) making us eligible for the entire 3 day long music event. Mind you, there were also a few readings and a magic show plus the annual must have Hobby Horse Dressage. Want to know what we did last year, please time jump back one year.

So how did we get the kids to participate in a three day long program? First, as early as three months ahead, as the bands were gradually named and made known, daddy will began his indirect indoctrination of his favorite bands and music. This was by way of Deezer, with repeated playing of the music over breakfast on weekends, and sometimes in the evening. Not forgeting the auto playlist on the car stereo, if not available, then there will be the Bluetooth via the mobile phone to Deezer. Get the drift? This method of "music indoctrination" is perfection in itself. Finally as Maifeld Derby drew close, our music taste became one and the same!

Semi-veterans Maifeld Derby fans.

We heard Kate Tempest read and rapped. We loved MØ, SGLewis, Sara Hartman, Destroyer, Fil Bo Riva, Boy, Neufundland, Isolation Berlin, we sang along "Käptn Peng und die Tentakel von Delphi" at 22:00, and we finally beat the storm after Dinosaurs Jr.!

"Buntes Festival" - A music festival to promote solidarity against racism and exclusion

For the first time in Weinheim, our very own home-bred "Weinheim bleibt bunt" alliance that cuts across political barriers, profit and non-profit organisation, activists and the general public has organised and successfully run a day of "Buntes Festival" - loosely translated "Coloured Festival" to symbolise tolerance and inclusion. It is our first Cultural event, featuring artists and prominent figures from Weinheim, presenting a united front against racism. 

The reason is as retaliation against the rightist NPD's party convention, held the same weekend of the 21 and the 22 of November. As a judicially non-avoidable action (in name of "free speech" and democracy), the "Weinheim bleibt bunt" alliance, created in 2014, counter attacks NPD's party convention, by organising various non-violence demonstration and cultural activities, by strategically placing the event right opposite their convention venue. 

The "Weinheim bleibt bunt", represented by the "Coloured Dog" symbol, is to counter the "Brown shirts", by promoting tolerance and anti-discrimination values. 

http://weinheim-bleibt-bunt.de/buntes-weinheim/

The "Buntes Festival" combines culture and activism in the same space, sharing common goals of countering exclusion through music. Held for the first time, it has the very intention for promoting an environment of fellowship and respect, and aims to continue visibly to challenge street level far-right extremist political movement.  

One unavoidable feature to the day is the far-left extremists. Although they are clearly here to protest against the NPS, they are also rather anarchist in nature. At the end of the first day, many of them have managed to either gotten themselves arrested, pepper-sprayed or water hosed. Last but not least, the "Buntes Festival" itself that started from 10am and lasts to 10pm. 

Our local SKA/Reggae/Rock band, the Dr Woggle and the Radio provided the ultimate grand finale curtain call to the event with this upbeat number. We went home holding a little piece of sunshine, while humming to the tune..oh yea.. "bring lo..v.e...., love to the loveless..."





Here are some highlights of the day:

Speeches from the "Weinheim bleibt bunt" alliance members

Amored police team with the far-left extremist

Police in place to prevent violence from the far-left

A riot of colours to counter browns

Of music and colours for tolerance

Golden Leaves Festival 2015

Yeaah!!! More music! Think of "T in the Park" as literally tea in the park. Because this is how this is. Two music stages set up in the middle of lush green lawn, colourful banters and when twilight comes, with fairy lights or hanging LED Jars. We love this! It's like a holding music festival right in your backyard, orchard or garden.

For the first time, we signed up at their crowd funding campaign at Startnext. This way, we were reassured of our places on their guest list and do not need to worry about getting in. Confused? Rightly so.  https://www.startnext.com/glf15

Let me explain how this works. The Golden Leaves Festival is organised by the main initiators of the Bedroomdisco - Living rooms concerts in many off locations in Darmstadt. There are NO tickets sold, the location is held top secret - no fear, it's always held around and about Darmstadt, so whoever signed up to be on the guestlist, finally shortlisted to be the chosen ones, will be allowed to in. The entire converrt and the music festival is funded on donations, sponsorship, sale of food and drink, and through Crowdfunding campaign such as Startnext. Cool, right? While we went through the suspense of signing up last year, we decided to forgo this and joined their crowd funding instead.

Oh yea, why is this called Golden Leaves Festival? Well, it's a tradition to hold this in Autumn, the most beautiful golden season of the year.

Maifeld Derby 2015

Our very first Maifeld Derby! What is this you may ask. Well, Maifeld Derby is a music festival, organised by a group of music lovers, held for the fifth time in the MVV Horse Riding Stadium/ Maimarkt in Mannheim. Over a three day period, some 80 musicians both international and national will perform on four different stages to more than 4,000 visitors.

Not knowing what to expect, with two kids in tow, we pretty much had a minature "Rock am Ring" image embedded on our brain. So we did what other parents would probably do. Which was to fix a GPS-Trax Child (or pet) tracking device on each kid. Happily, once we got to the site we found the trackers to be pretty much irrelevant. Not only is the music compound arranged snugged and tight, it was rather family friendly too. 

No music review here. Though daddy gave a raving reviews of the bands he picked out (Aurora, Roisin Murhy, Soak, Fink, Wanda, Charlie Cunningham, Only Real, Jose González, Rangleklods,...) this time I only had catering, good and quick toilet access and kids entertainment in mind. 

What the kids loved most is the Hobby Horse Dressage. Dressage, pay attention here, according to Wikipedia, is a french term, loosely translated to mean "training". It is an art of riding performed in exhibition and competition. It is an equestrian sport defned by the International Equestrian Federation as the "highest expression of horse training" where the "horse and rider are expected to perform from memory a series of predetermined movements."


Got this? Well translate this to a hobby horse, where the rider is also the horse. The kids had a laugh. Even signed up to compete. What a show! What an amazing time they had!


http://www.festivalguide.de/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/15T3250%C2%A9Florian-Trykowski.jpg
Source: 
http://www.festivalguide.de/news/2016/05/11/vier-tipps-fur-die-steckenpferd-dressur/

Maria, Wild Beast and the Golden Leaves Festival

This is the summer of concerts! Never before have I had so many opportunities to be there, live, in the best concerts of the year. Either because the kids are growing up (or sleeping later) or I am going through an awakening phase of alternative music.

Here is a run down, starting with lovely Maria Taylor with her amazing voice and her team of acoustic guitarists. Held at the Häll in Heidelberg, it is the venue for independent, alternative and rock music. Just imagine disco lights, really good music set against a dark Lord of the Rings background. We hope she's going to be back again because the next time she's here, we would like to have the kids along. We absolutely love her...

Back to Weinheim at the Café Central with the Wild Beasts on the August 19. Wow! Need I say more? Great heart pounding mix of inde and rock music made in Kendal. Probably more suitable in an open air concert, but held indoor it absolutely knock your socks off! Totally awesome!!

 

Finally,we have the Golden Leaves Festival. Held for the first time in 2012, it is fast becoming a "must" event for the locals and far alike. Organized by the same people responsible for the "Bedroom discos" and the "Living room concerts", the Golden Leaves Festival is a little golden nugget of an event held in late summer within the vicinity of Darmstadt. It is based on the principle of surprise with a good dose of mystery. There are no tickets sold. The location is held a secret until at the very end, and only those who have applied to be on the guest list and chosen by lottery will be let in. All bands will be "paid" entirely from donations of guests. So to say, this event is completely non-profit, run entirely for the love of music. 

Here are some snap shots of two wonderful days of great alternative music. Secret location: Pfungstadt. :-)

The program for the 2 day Festival

Stage 1: The green lawn...

Band: A Forest

Band: rue Royale

Artist: Jeff Beadle

Band: Parasite Single, from Hamburg

Band: Talking to Turtels

Stage 2: The Sand Beach with Talking to Turtels

Band: Honig

Honig capturing the crowd like bees to honey

Kudos to the Golden Leaves Festival of 2014! Spread Love for Great Music!!

Advent of 2013

We were simply ecstatic! In November 2013, there was a call for children to participate in a drawing competition. The winning picture will grace the front page of the December Sports Newsletter. We just couldn't resist trying it out. Nevertheless it was a wonderful surprise to find Baby A's picture greeting us one morning when the post was brought in. Hurrah!! :-)

The winning entry to the Christmas edition

A weekend in the Wildwest of the Blackforest

Early Summer this year, we were invited to a weekend of get-away. It promises a world of fun and fantasy, good food and music, marvellous company and chance to gaze upon the stars. Yup! A weekend when we were allowed to play dress-up and be kids once again, that alone makes us want to whoope for joy!

We have the options of either spending the nights like "real" Red Indians do: in Wigwams, roughly camping out in the fields, or take up lodgings like the cowboys. We picked the Buffalo Bill hut, a delight little house with a double decker bed for 4. I do admit we were a bit spoilt for modern amenities, but hey! We were here to enjoy ourselves, so no need for the usual "roughing out will build your character" kind of rubbish! :-)

Wigwams for roughing out..

..perfect to squeeze in 4 person in a go.

This surprising little piece of Wild West, simply named Tipidorf, is tucked up snuggly in the Blackforest in a town called Saudorf. Just by being here, makes you feel that you've landed on an entirely different planet!

I absolutely loved the details!

Try your luck in the Gold Rush 

The Buffalo Bill Hut

The little red indian and cowboy doing a freedom song

Bonfire to counter the chilly evening air

For any one who wants to take a horse out
for a ride

For less than 2€ you get to take a walk into
the Spiritual world of the red indians

For the macabre few..

Antlers Guard Station are like forrest cabins,
traditionally used by firemen 

We absolutely loved it! A huge cheer to our friend who have thought of this wonderful location and a most unusual way to celebrate his 40th Birthday!!

Erlenbacher Pottery

A pottery party for Baby A

April was indeed the month for parties. It's back to Baby A. Like last year, this party was again planned around "craft". However, unlike last year, we decided to partly outsource the "craft" part to a professional potter. :-)

Frau Hartwig and her husband run a charming little pottery art center, called Töpfereiwerkstatt Erlenbach in the middle of Odenwald. First, a bit of geography lesson. The Odenwald is shared by three states. This patch of beautiful woodlands and some parts even of geographical wonder lies snugly between Hesse, Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria. To be more exact, Wiki will tell you that "the northern and western Odenwald belong to southern Hesse, with the south stretching into Baden. In the northeast, a small part lies in Lower Franconia in Bavaria." And if you are even more interested in some unnecessary details, Wiki goes on to describe it as "the Odenwald lies between the Upper Rhine Rift Valley with the Bergstraße and the Hessisches Ried (the northeastern section of the Rhine rift) in the west, the Main and the Bauland (a mostly unwooded area with good soils) in the east, the Hanau-Seligenstadt Basin – a subbasin of the Upper Rhine Rift Valley in the Rhine-Main Lowlands – in the north and the Kraichgau in the south. The part south of the Neckar valley is sometimes called the Kleiner Odenwald (“Little Odenwald”)." But enough of that..

Back to the party/pottery...

Our breakfast set ready for the next phase of
baking and glazing

What a perfect way for kids to have fun when they are allowed to get up to their arms in muck... er.. I mean clay!? :-) For two hours they kneaded, rolled, pounded, cut, brushed, painted and produced beautiful works of art out of boring blocks of clay. Using their creativity, the children each produce a breakfast set comprising of a plate and a mug. Then, the breakfast set will be baked, then glazed, then baked again. All of this to be done by Frau Hartwig later. So there was a waiting time of 3 to 4 weeks, before we could actually see the finished art. It was all very exciting for the children, as the color they have used was not exactly like the end product! For their hard work (sprinkled with laughter.. occasional complain.. and songs) what was better for lunch than fresh baked pizza out of their stone ovens served with fresh crisp lettuce salad?!

Getting cleaned up and ready for lunch

Stairs leading upstairs where lunch was served

3 crows in a row...

Some finished pottery with paint in buckets

Each is individualized, fun and unique! 

In progress for baking, and glazing.

Waiting for a coat of paint.

More pieces of art in the courtyard.

More shapes and colours...

..as a guardian angel..

.. as Art deco for any gardens..

...for livening up any space... 

We ended the day back at home, as presents still needed to be unpack, birthday song still needed to be sung and cake to be eaten. All in, what a wonderful day it had been...

..as statement for any tree..

..or just for a good laugh!