Iris in Tuscany

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Hello girls and boys,

time again for some boring garden pics!

Iris is a genus of 260–300 species of flowering plants

with showy flowers. It takes its name from the Greek word 

for a rainbow, which is also the name f

or the Greek goddess of the rainbow, Iris. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iris_(plant)

End of April, beginning of May is the high season

for Iris flowers in Tuscany, Italy.

Plenty of colours.

Fascinating.

I told, you, all colour combinations. 

All locations, often just along the road.

Along the roads also these fairy tale figures.

Dearest Snowhite, who allowed you to use that black kajal?

If your navigation gadget let you down,

Snow-white will guide you further on.

And me, hello, with my lion!

What do we learn of this traffic sign?

That Italian boys carry briefcases and girls handbags,

kids are definitely no square headed Germans,

boys have short/no hair and girls have loooong hair,

and they always run hectic across the roads.

Grown ups have nothing to carry and move slowly.

Men only. What happens with women crossing the street?

Well, well, let's celebrate tonite 

VAPPU,

the Finnish carnival!

Wikipedia explains:

In Finland, Walpurgis day (Vappu) 

is one of the four biggest holidays along with Christmas Eve, 

New Year's Eve, and Midsummer (Juhannus). 

Walpurgis witnesses the biggest carnival-style festival 

held in the streets of Finland's towns and cities. 

The celebration, which begins on the evening of 30 April 

and continues to 1 May, typically centres on 

copious consumption of sima, sparkling wine 

and other alcoholic beverages. 

Student traditions, particularly those of the engineering students, 

are one of the main characteristics of Vappu.

Well, my Vappu celebrations this year will be less traditional,

as starting sculpturing course in this amazing scenery in Tuscany.

More Italian postings to follow along the week.

Like the guy swimming in the hotel pool, pic above.

Certo.

Takatalvi - cross your fingers or stitch it

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In Frankfurt we are quite lucky with the weather,

no snow in April, like in Bavaria or in Finland!

Maybe this really cold weather is good for my winery.

Finnisch für Anfänger:

TAKATALVI = Winter ist zurück / cold spell in spring

amazing, only the Finns have this fantastic word

when temperatures sink in spring

TAKA = Rück- / back

TALVI = Winter / winter

Rhododendrons try to blossom.

Forget-me-nots ... do not mind the icy wind.

Yes, they also do grow in Finland.

Today it is  MERJA's name day in Finland.

(yes, it is also the Veterans' Day ...).

Well, my middle name is: MERJA!

This fine cross stitching I made when I was really young,

and mean really, like before my 10th birthday.

And I STILL have it!

It is a sachet for underwear.

Last month I did get a bit nervous when Iberia hide my luggage

somewhere for two weeks, but lucky me,

my sentimental sachet found her way home again.

Ready for new adventures, trips, tours.

How many things do you own which are older than ... 40 years?

As you probably remember, cross stitching is

absolutely popular in Spain.

Comparable to guerilla knitting, I would say.

Look at this wall in Valencia!

Kind of crossy is the idea of IXXI.

You can fix many pics together using those crosses.

I chose to have only one big picture instead of 

a mosaic of many different pics.

Majorcan almond blossom.

Finnisch für Anfänger:

KOLLAASI = Collage / collage

finally all three words remind each other! Finnish is easy.

With this IXXI I still have to get used to those dots on

those crosses which hold the parts together.

Check for more options in here:

http://www.ixxidesign.com/de/

Serious art

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War art in MMK Frankfurt:

Kader Attia.

Kader Attia né le 30 décembre 1970 à Dugny (Seine-Saint-Denis en France) 

est un artiste français d'origine algérienne. (Wikipedia)

For the exhibition “Sacrifice and Harmony” at the MMK 1 

Kader Attia has devised a new group of works 

that further develop his ideas about repair and reappropriation. 

Here his view also encompasses religiously 

and politically motivated sacrificial rituals. 

While these were originally intended to harmonize 

the social order of communities, Kader Attia sees them 

being used in contemporary societies as one of the main 

instruments of a politics based on fear, destroying 

peaceful communal life and social harmony.

http://mmk-frankfurt.de/en/ausstellung/current-exhibitions/

Finnisch für Anfänger:

RITSA = Steinschleuder / slingshot

Some objects are quite pretty.

Finnisch für Anfänger:

SULKA = Feder / feather

There are also photos showing real faces,

I find them harder to look at.

Cool alternative for traditional picture framing.

Entrance to the exhibition. 

Kind of depressing.

 Look up when you walk through.

Check this German report of the exhibition:

http://www.daserste.de/information/wissen-kultur/ttt/videos/der-kunst-heiler-kader-attia-100.html

Always interesting shows in Frankfurt's theaters,

now running "Die Geschichte vom Franz Biberkopf" 

in Schauspiel Frankfurt.

It is the story of the ex-convict Franz Biberkopf, 

who has resolved to earn his money through honest work 

but ends up feeling humiliated and goes off the rails again.

https://www.schauspielfrankfurt.de/en/schedule/the-tale-of-franz-biberkopf/698/

I relly liked the way the actors and the Tiger Lillies Band were made up.

https://www.tigerlillies.com/band

At home had to test how easy it is to change a nice picture to something scary!

My instagram posting.

Not as many likes as for my kitschy skyline sunset over Frankfurt ...

Frankfurt seen from "our" bridge, Flösserbrücke.

Thanks iPhone, this time I am pretty happy.

Oscar-Ecke formerly known as Sudfass

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Sentimental thoughts.

This legendary corner has disappeared.

This is how the corner looked like in February 2014.

This is the view in April 2016.

FAZ 22.4.2016

Tor zu Frankfurt.

Honestly, we could live without the double tower idea.

The green bridge offers enough of tower elements.

Easily you could bomb down the ugly hospital annex

on the left side, as you did with the university tower, 

and you could have left the new Oscar complex lower,

without the ten floors tower. Honestly.

Well the views over the river definitely are fantastic,

and the top floor inhabitants probably can see the skyline, too.

But the house stands next to a very busy crossing,

there's heavy traffic almost all the time.

I think our house has better location ...

This used to be a huge housing area for city rabbits.

Nowadays no life.

Well, am not really unhappy about that,

finally everything is growing in my garden.

Local newspaper FNP also reported of "Richtfest", with interesting pics:

http://www.fnp.de/lokales/frankfurt/Wohnen-wo-einst-ein-Bordell-stand;art675,1972465

Finnisch für Anfänger:

HARJANNOSTAJAISET = Richtfest / roofing celebration

HARJA = Bürste / brush

NOSTAA = heben / lift

Uferkunst auf dem Weg zu Uferkunst

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Yesterday a total summer day surprised us in Hessen.

Blue sky, now wind.

This is the river Main just before Hanau.

This is the stone that was waiting for me.

Started last year, have to finish this year.

Uferkunst is the sculpture center in Hanau-Steinheim.

Reinhold ist the artist with funny ideas.

http://www.uferkunst.de/reinhold-mehling-bildhauer/skulpturen-fur-drausen/

Oh dear, the sculpture said,

so much wood, who's going to work on it?

Never mind, said the chestnut tree,

we'll have the whole sunny summer ahead of us.

Yes yes, screamed the tree at the river,

we only started blossoming,

the summer has not yet startet, this is the late spring!

So true it is, it is only still spring time.

But such calm waters in spring are very rare.

Uferkunst at Main, in Hanau-Steinheim.

http://www.uferkunst.de

Those early green colours, such a joy!

No worries, it's just a sculpture!

For my Finnish fans:

yes, voikukkaa pukkaa just nyt.

Those thingies against the sun, such a joy, too.

Field mustard blossoming, 

this is actually late spring in central Europe.

Sunset somewhere close Offenbach.

On the way home I have to ride throug Offenbach.

This new housing area is very impressive.

Almost at home!

This must be summer:

the Brazilian bar is open!

They only come when the weather is warm.

People chilling at the river, even after the sunset.

This must be summer!

Photographers hanging on the Flösserbrücke.

Summer or winter, this is the place to shoot the best sky line shots.

This afternoon's boring garden pics.

Bohnenkraut starts blossoming.

And look at the apple tree, it really gets going with the sun!

I wanna become an apple.

Others still thinking g of growing some leaves.

Late blooming hibiscus.

My beloved tulips, still going on strong.

Hajuherne, from last year.

Let's wait and sea what happens here.

Last yer hardly any flowers ... pots were too dry.

Finnisch für Anfänger:

HAJUHERNE = sweet pea / Wicke

HAJU = scent / Duft

HERNE = Erbse / pea