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Tim and Bettina and I were in Hamburg last weekend, visiting a friend who recently moved there, Kodi. He found a nice appartment which is only five minutes from his new job. First thing when we arrived, we had a good cup of coffee and a nap on his balcony. The sun shone bright onto his balcony and I almost had a sunburn.
The early afternoon we made our way through the Schanzenviertel which is between alternative, rotten and 'cool design', had some indian food and marched on to the Landungsbrücken, where all the tourist boats are. We hopped on one of them where they have a dance club called Club Hedi. Friends of us from London were there with a big box of vinyl. They were a little bit disappointed because they thought they were gonna play records the whole day or at least a couple of hours, but they only had a half hour time slot. Later that afternoon they played a really good set. It was a lot of fun, you could watch the industrial harbor scenery or the mixed party people on the boat. The boat goes round the harbor all the time and stops once every hour. You can hop on and off whenever you want. Well, only once the hour of course.
Later we had some pizza on the Reeperbahn which is really a bit strange. It is the red light district, yet at the same time very red neckish touristy. So you have touristst actually sightseeing the whores. Whoa, creepy! As if they didn't have a fuckin' hard job to do anyway. Hmmm... but I guess it is a kind of lure and prey thing.

The next day Bettina and I had our share of culture when we roamed the Kunsthalle, a large museum right in the center of the city. There was an exibition of surrealistic photography from the Paris' 30ies. Man Ray and stuff. Nice. And the modern part of the permanent exibition is also quite good. I met a colleague from BP and her friend which was very cool but we lost them later.
After chilling a little at Kodis place we started off the evening and picked up another friend. His girlfriend gave a concert that evening, but Tim, Bettina and I we moved on to another place. The music they played was punkish and I sort of didn't care. We went to another concert of three bands and that one was really really good. Had a hell lot of fun. The music was something in the direction of Mercury Rev or the Flaming Lips, but without the tackyness. Guitar distortion wall of sound stuff.

After the concert Tim went to join Kodi on a party, but Bettina and I lived up to our reputation and went home. We suck. ;-D Tim and Kodi came back home at six on the morning. *yawn*.
The next day after breakfast we headed home and I barely made it in time to be in Duisburg.

Check the pictures.

Zwei Wochen ist es her, dass wir versucht haben meine liebe Tante Doris vom Amsterdam Schipol Flughafen abzuholen. Zwei Wochen Zeit eine bizarre Nacht im Auto und den tief hängenden Mond zu verdauen.

In Holland ist einmal im Jahr Blumenschau. Dann kommen Busse aus fernen Ländern, aus Schweden und aus Bayern und bringen Reisende, professionelle Blumenbetrachter und geübte Hotel-Beleger. Unmöglich noch ein Bett zu ergattern, auch hinter dem Flughafen im einsamen vier Sterne Hotel in der weitläfigen Cargo-Area im Industriegebiet von Schipol gibt es keinen Platz für dich.
Schipol wird zu dem Planeten mit endlosen, einsamen, beleuchteten Strassen auf denen dich LKWs mit langen Gansehälsen überholen, während du versuchst, die auf der Strasse schlafenden Haubentaucher zu umfahren. Dort also schläfst du, auf einem Parkplatz, bei 4 Grad, im Auto und bist so dankbar, als dich um halb fünf morgens deine Cousine aus Amerika anruft, um dir zu sagen, dass du nach Hause darfst, dass deine Tante einen Tag später ankommt.

Gestern also, zwei Wochen später, stehen wir um vier auf, um unsere Tante zurück nach Schipol zu bringen. Bis zum Flughafen klappt alles prima, incl. einem perfekten Regen-hellwerd ohne Sonne. Die Tante ist weg, wir fahren ans Meer, keine Fischbude, alles noch zu früh. Kaffen und Toast in der Strandbar und Sand in den Augen und steif in den Knochen. Regen draussen. Finden den Bahnhof von Zandfort nicht, fahren nach Haarlem, wollen von dort los, immer noch Regen, keine Lust also ab nach Hause.

Opa geht es nicht gut, werde Montags da sein.