#berlin-cologne-hamburg (maybe?)

[mitamicah]

I know I just made a post about it already but I am not sure what gigs to go for on the Käärijä EU tour so I'd like to hear if you will:

What - if any - gigs are you planning to go to? 🤔🤗

[ellenchain]

Ohhhh love it! ❤️ it looks amazing! You've put a lot of effort into this!

And it's exactly how I always imagined a Lucas flat to be - a bit industrial, a bit spartanly furnished and you'd better not look in any corner (although he probably does clean, but the overall picture is rather… untidy)

I love the details with the worn fridge and the pipes in the shower, for maximum industrial feeling

Greys safehouse in Berlin

We've known what 47's safehouse looks like since Freelander. But we know very little about what the safehouse or Grey's flat in Berlin looks like. I took a closer look and tried to recreate his flat in The Sims 4 with the little information we have 😁

Here are a few things you should know before this post starts:

I'm just taking my cue from what his safehouse looks like in Hitman 2. In Hitman 3 some things were changed, for whatever reason, so I'm ignoring the Hitman 3 cutscenes for this post.

I play The Sims 4 without furniture mods, I only use mods for my Sims. So I only have a limited number of objects available, but I tried to recreate my vision of his flat as best I could with what I have.

Let's go!

If you look at the very blurred images of the cutscenes, you can see a lot of brick in the background. That's why I think Grey's flat might be in an old factory or something similar. Definitely something industrial. Right at the beginning we see the dining table in the centre, where Grey, Olivia and Diana are sitting, with one of three (?) windows in the background.

We see pipes on the left and there seems to be a small shelf. We don't really know what is there on that shelf, but looking at another angle, we see something behind Diana, that reminds me of spice shacks.

That's why I thought, maybe the kitchen is right there, when entering the flat.

What's interesting is that the flat has brick pillars in some places, while the rest of the walls are plastered. One of these pillars is behind Grey. It looks like there is a small shelf attached to this pillar with a plant on it. I think there are two pictures hanging elsewhere.

Behind Grey we see the area that we see again in another cutscene, namely the area with the projector. So we know that there are two tables and a clothes rail on this side of the flat, which can easily be overlooked in the cutscene (on the left). From another angle behind Grey, it also looks like there are some notes on the wall, probably similar to Colorado.

Behind Diana, on the other hand, we see the sofa and the armchair on which Diana, Grey and 47 later sit. There is also a kind of shelf there, which we see again later in the second cutscene at the very back (right behind Diana and Olivia). Unfortunately, we can't see what kind of shelf it is, but I assume it's some kind of living room cupboard or bookshelf.

At the place where 47 is standing in the second cutscene, there is also a shelf between two pillars. So it is probably on the side where the two desks are.

What we don't see is anything that suggests a bedroom or bathroom. When rebuilding the flat, it somehow turned out that there is another area behind the living room, which I have now added as a bedroom and bathroom. It just fitted really well. I can't say whether this is really the case. In this case, I let my imagination run wild.

Here you can see the result of how I put the whole thing together in The Sims 4. As I said, I didn't build the furniture 1 to 1 and I had to improvise with some things, like the kitchen or the bedroom (or the posters on the wall. Instead of any investigative notes, Grey has posters of cat and dog breeds on the wall). But I think Grey's flat could look something like this. What do you think?

By the way, @ellenchain recreated the safehouse from 47 in The Sims 4. You can see her amazing post here 💕

And here's a bit of shameless advertising: If you'd like to see more of my Sims 4 buildings, feel free to follow me on my Sims 4 account on Instagram. I'll be uploading buildings and rooms there regularly ☺️

[dancinginmydressinthesun]

MY ERAS TOUR CONCERTS - GELSENKIRCHEN N1 AND N2 (chaotic version)

Gelsenkirchen (or should I say Swiftkirchen) put so so much effort in those three days that Taylor was there, it was insane!! Renaming the city, creating "Taylor Town" and parties and fun stuff everywhere, it was really great. Since it is the most unknown city on the whole Eras Tour (and believe me, I live nearby, it's pretty ugly usually), it needed to shine a light on the city, especially given that everyone would want to come to Hamburg or Munich (or Berlin or Cologne if she had included those), but no one ever wants to come here. I was so amazed by all of it and I cannot fathom that all of my dreams just came true, it was all a fever dream, it felt like heaven and I didnt think I would ever be able to experience something like that.

N1: I was so so excited, all was perfect (almost)!! The atmosphere was really wonderful in front and inside the stadium, I traded my bracelets, people were there from all over the world. I went with a friend and a friend of a friend and I loved it. I cried when my tickets were scanned and they let me in and when I saw the Stadium from the inside (i didnt cry when I saw Taylor although I was convinced before I would, I think I had nothing left inside me anymore because of all the adrenaline before haha) Paramore was really really good!!! The seats were okay, I was a little irritated that there was a pole (idk what its called) that was a little bit blocking my view of the middle stage, you can see it in the video. It was so so good tho, I lvoed when Kam said "Kannste knicken" i died!! I also loved that Taylor acknowledged the paper hearts but I am so so mad bc i forgot them!!!! I had them all printed out and it feels so bad that I was not one of those people holding them up even tho I could have... It really still makes me so mad, I dont wanna think about it anymore.... anyway..... I was so happy being the first one to listen to Superstar on the Eras Tour, a few people around me definitely didnt know the song and it made me jump and scream even more, everything hurted that day, my feet hurt my lower back but I stood and jumped during the entire thing except for the transitions!!1 I was also dancing so dramatically and it must have looked so embarrassing but idc, it was all worth it!! I loved the face she made on Midnight rain btw

N2: Boy N2 was so much more relaxed, I wasnt that scared that anything could go wrong anymore, I could sleep better, my feet and back didnt hurt nearly as much anymore (but they still did haha). I once again had the best time (although I didnt like the girl sitting next to me AT ALL but anyway), the seat was so much better this time yay, I LOVED THE 22 HAT GIRL, MAYBE MY FAVOURITE THING OVERALL, I cried for this little baby :'). I loved the face she made on midnight rain again so much, SHE SANG THIS IS ME TRYING!!!!! I COULDNT STAND ANYMORE WHEN SHE STARTED SINGING IT, I HAD TO BE ON MY KNEES FOR A QUICK MOMENT, I loved Hey Stephen sm as well, expecially because people once again were not happy about it around me and I was so so furious, i mean BUT WOULD THEY WRITE A SONG FOR YOU !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I jumped, one time I almost jumped so high that I thought I would fall over the seat right in front of me and crash the girl before me, thankfully I didnt hahahha

N3 in Taylor Town, Swiftkirchen: It was so so nice being there, I got merch, I ate Swiftcream, we danced to her songs (the dj even played Crazier!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!), took pictures with all of her albums, and then I went to one of my friends houses and we watched the livestream and BOY I was devastated when she played Better Man and I WAS NOT THERE. I really got a little sad but I dont think I would have even survived another concert right the next day, idk if I am old but I was definitely feeling the toll those 2 days took on my body but it was so so worth it tho!!!

Today I am just happy about the Gelsenkirchen post on her Insta and tomorrow I will pack my suitcase for Hamburg N1 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[officialkendallroy]

these prices for love on tour ... insanity luv !

[michelangelinden]

Okay, @joynershats made a post about what city-vibe the characters give off if they came from Italy so I'm gonna do that with German cities (because being German has to be good for one thing at least)

Julie: I want to say an eastern city, maybe like Dresden or something, just because it has some really pretty architecture

Luke: I don't think he'd be from a big city, probably a cute town where everyone knows each other, somewhere near France or Belgium

Reggie: somewhere north, I'd say, close to the border to Denmark, I don't know, he just gives me like Kiel vibes or something

Alex: Münster or Cologne because the people here dress just like him (and it disgusts me). He also gives me Ruhrpott vibes but I don't want to talk about that

Flynn: maybe Hamburg, she has that 'we both know that I'm better than you'-vibe and I mean this in the nicest way possible

Willie: definite Berlin vibes, this man gives no fucks about style but it looks good anyways which is something only Berlin people can achieve, it's also gay as fuck

Nick: somewhere in Lower Saxony, a town the size of a football field, they have enough of those.

Carrie: she is from somewhere sophisticated so maybe like Oldenburg or Trier or something, just somewhere with a history and cool buildings. Or Düsseldorf, because it's rich as fuck lol

Bobby: I'm thinking Bochum and he'd definitely have a hard dialect and he wouldn't be ashamed to use it

Caleb: also Hamburg, but like Reeperbahn

Bonus:

Trevor: Mallorca lol

[buckylokistark]

Paintings ~ Part II

Summary: Loki fled his home, too tired of being the cause of his father’s constant disappointment. With help from Heimdall, he escapes to Midgard, the last place his father would look for him. In dire need of a job, he meets Y/N, a struggling artist trying to be recognised for her work. Can they help each other or are they holding one another back?

Masterlist

previously on Paintings: “Depends, are you Y/N?” You opened and closed your mouth a few times. Having recognised his face, you realise you were standing right in front of none other than Tony Stark, former CEO of Stark Industries and billionaire.

__________

“Uhm, huh- yes, yes I am. Pleased to meet you, sir.” You held out your hand for him to shake, trying to stop stumbling over your own words. Seriously, it’s English, what’s so hard about that?!

Tony Stark then took your hand, shaking it with a firm grip before releasing it and sitting back down. Wait, when did he get up?

“So, you’re making the new artwork?”

“Yup, that’s me, I’m the one.” God, you’re still acting like a fool. Get it together!

“So modern art is your niche?” You nodded. "And you’ll do any modern style?"

“Well, I focus on expressionism, although I am not bad when it comes to surrealism, for example Salvador Dali and his melting clocks. Kubism, abstract expressionism, acrylic, watercolour, I can do almost all expressionistic art forms with most materials.” You take on a proud tone, happy to talk art. This is where your comfort zone lies, your escape route, your go-to topic for a safe conversation. 

“You’re in luck, I want something expressionistic, never been one for surrealism. You had anything in mind?” He was completely down to let you handle anything, as long as he knew what 'anything' contains.

“Not really, I need to make a painting suitable for a person but also make it suitable for their home and perhaps other occupants of the room. Would you rather we schedule a time for me to come take a look or do you want to email me some photos?” You got out your agenda, having always preffered writing things down instead of typing. It might have something to do with forgetting typed things, only remembering them when on paper.

“I think a visit would be better, right? Makes you get a feel of the room, the space, a more in-depth experience for a better result.” He was just grasping at ideas now, sipping his coffee calmly and leaning back in his chair.

“Hmm, yeah, you’re right, but some people are too busy or aren’t comfortable in letting me in their house so they email me.” It was indeed more difficult, but they weren't comfortable so you just had to work with what you had.

"Not to sound like an absolute douchebag, but my team did a background check and everything, they wouldn't let me just choose someone, they had to check them thoroughly. You're very lucky, by the way. I had to persuade them to let you do your thing. I believe you know what part made them doubt you?" You did know what he was talking about, and shame filled you to the brim.

About twelve years ago, you had an enormous fall-out with your family, resulting in them sabotaging your income by spreading awful rumours about you. Your income did decline drastically, making you nearly bankrupt. In the desperate need of money, you ended up working for Strak Industries, a company solely focused on copying and faking Stark Industrie products. From securitysystems and phones to merchandise, everything was copied. You got a job of replicating the stuffed animals as close as you could get with cheaper materials. The pay wasn't great but it got you back on your feet, ready to continue painting. Stark Industries and Strak Industries got in a huge fight, legal authorities getting involved. Because you had workes your way up to manager of the production of all the stuffed animals, you were put in a bad spot.

"yeah, sorry, I was on the brink of losing everything," you ended up saying, cursing yourself as soon as the words left your mouth. "losing everything?!" You could've said anything and you chose that?

Stark gave you a look, but thankfully didn't comment on the words.

"So, when do you want me to come by? I would prefer as soon as possible, but it's up to you." He opened his phone, looking on his agenda for a possible date. Scratching his goatee lightly, he pursed his lips before sighing and saying, "Would coming thursday work? Two days away?"

"Yes, absolutely. Any time in mind? Perhaps early morning or afternoon?"

Stark tought for a moment, excusing himself to look more thoroughly on his phone to see when he'd have time.

“How about 5 o’clock in the afternoon? would that work for you?" He tilted his head, eyes so intense it seemed as if they were looking right through you.

After finetuning the details, you finished talking and drove back to the shop, cursing yourself for taking so long.

Soon you arrived at your atelier, seeing Loki through the glass window reading a book.

You smiled to yourself. Loki was the kindest soul you've met in your life, gentle and soft like nobody else could ever be. It made you wonder if there was a possibility for something more. something intimate.

a crow, as black as the night, flew past, snapping you out of your thoughts. Your eyes followed the black bird before wandering back to the shop. Finally you moved, slowly walking towards the entrance.

the bell above the door jingled softly, letting Loki know someone entered. He looked up and smiled, slowly closing his book and moving towards you with so much grace it was impossible to look away. 

“Hi Loki, I got to go, still need to finish that two window piece for Mrs. Barton and the final sketch for the mural that one woman, what’s-her-name, wanted. The blue, winter, ice-y vibe?” You rushed to the back of your shop, throwing your bags in a corner and running up the stairs to put on your older clothes, the ones that were allowed to get a bit of paint on them.

“The woman’s called Idina Menzel, the one who voices the lead character in that new movie, Frozen?” Loki has listened to you praise the trailers with such emotion, he took it up himself and researched the main characters, discovering that the woman who ordered a mural two weeks ago from your shop. The mural made more sense now, as well. 

The words Loki spoke made you halt. Lead character in Frozen? She asked you, a small, unexperienced artist, to paint a mural for her? A smile began to grow on your face. Spinning around, you ran back to Loki. 

“Oh my- she- she ‘s famous and bought something from me? This is huge! I will be known by a few circles of famous people now that Tony Stark and Idina Menzel ordered from me! Do you understand what this means? I can finally get recognised for my work, I can finally earn enough to buy my own place!” You barrelled full force into Loki, hugging him close. Loki himself slowly hugged back, unsure of what exactly to do. 

Loki smiled. You were happier than you’ve veer been all year, even with the stress of performing good for famous people. Lost in his thoughts, Loki looked out the window. A black raven sat on the little bench across the street, looking right at him. No, he thought with a shock as his eyes grew large, not an ordinary black raven. This little bird was Diaval, loyal assistant to Maleficent, Loki’s distant relative. What is he doing here? 

“Loki? Is something wrong?” His eyes flew back to yours when your words registered in his head. 

“No, love, nothing’s wrong. I just realised I forgot to do something, could I be excused for a bit so I can go home and finish it?” He glanced outside, seeing Diaval still sitting there, quietly waiting. You let go of him, nodding your head.

“Of course you can, no problem. I got nothing planned for the rest of the day so the shop won’t be empty, you’re free to go.” With that, you hugged him one ast time, saying a quick goodbye before turning around and walking to your current project. One last look and wave, and Loki was out the door. 

“Where is she, Diaval?” The raven flew to the right, landing in a small alley and morphing back to human. 

“This way, she’s bought a new place down in Queens when she heard you were staying here.” Loki groaned. Ever since they found out about each other, Maleficent started acting as his big sister, watching all his moves like a hawk.

He followed Diaval into the alleyway, preparing for the inevitable Apparition he had to make. 

“Alright, name the address, I’ll take us there,” Loki said, making his disdain clear in his voice. Diaval rattled the location, and off they were.

“Where are we?”

“The back of the diner a block away from your house, she put anti-Apparition-wards up, didn’t she?” At the last part, Diaval sheepishly nodded his head.

"Hello Loki."

"Maleficent." As was expected, Maleficent looked as stunning as the gods themselves, flaunting her body with a black. Maybe it was a family thing?

"I have come here to talk to you about important matters." As the words left Maleficent’s mouth, Loki's eyes flicked to hers. Important matters? With her resources it must be life-threatening to come to him for assistance.

"There have been... unusual sightings in Europe. It appears to be a form of magic, more powerful than I have ever seen in my entire life."

"You have any leads on the exact location?" 

"It seems to be traveling. I have people running tabs on it. It started in England, then went off the radar for a while before reappearing in France, where it travelled through Belgium, into Holland. They're travelling east, getting closer to Germany as we speak."

What could there be in Germany, the northern part of it, that would be attractive to someone who possesses magic? You got the big cities, Dusseldorf, Berlin, maybe Hamburg? Or perhaps...

"Cologne. They're heading for Cologne." Maleficent looked at him weirdly. 

"Why would they go to Cologne?"

"I visited this woman, truly magnificent, who took care of all mutants from Holland, Belgium and Germany. The school of Xavier was too expensive and small for mainland Europeans, so I helped set it up just outside the city," Loki admitted with a sigh. He had hoped to never see her again, one time was more than enough and he doesn’t know how she’ll react to him suddenly appearing out of nowhere after leaving her alone for eighty years.

__________

Taglist: @birdgirl90 @lunawitch19 @bird-with-pencils @shesakillerkween

[hrrycore]

what shows are you going to?

berlin, cologne and amsterdam (and maybe hamburg)

[heilewelt]

His voice gives me goosebumps. Over and over again. At the moment I’m probably not emotionally stable enough to listen to “Lust And Learn” as I would dissolve into tears. I’m just a little scared here. But there is nothing bad coming from this band, so go and listen to The Slow Show’s new album, see them in concert, maybe catch me when I fall when we happen to be on the same concert. 

08 October: King Tut's, Glasgow, UK  10 October: Islington Assembly Hall, London, UK  12 October: Pop Up, Paris, France  15 October: TivoliVredenburg, Utrecht, Netherlands  16 October: Muziekgieterij, Maastricht, Netherlands  17 October: Gloria Theater, Cologne, Germany  18 October: Zeche Carl, Essen, Germany  20 October: Uebel & Gerahrlich, Hamburg, Germany  21 October: Columbia Theatre, Berlin, Germany  22 October: Freiheiz, Munich, Germany  23 October: Mascotte, Zurich, Switzerland  25 October: Fri-Son, Fribourg, Switzerland  26 October: Frank K., Reutlingen, Switzerland  27 October: KUZ, Mainz, Germany  28 October: Botanique Orangerie, Brussels, Belgium  07 November: Gorilla, Manchester, UK 

All will be fine,

Dörte

[morningfears]

germany is pretty to visit (i don’t like living here, there are more exciting places) but it’s amazing to visit, especially Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne also cities like Munich or like villages in the german Alpes

Berlin is my number one stop. Like, that’s set in stone, already planned. I’ve always heard nice things about Hamburg so maybe that would be nice. And I do want to visit Bavaria while I’m there! Munich looks really nice so maybe? I know that I’m going to spend a bulk of my time in Germany because that’s kind of the point of my trip/that was the initial idea. So I’ll definitely look into these! Thank you!!

[ibreakforthewickedhorse]

Which Midnight EU show are you going to?

I thought it could be nice to make a list of who’s going to which date of the European leg of the Midnight World Tour? Reblog and add your name to the date you’re going to, maybe we can make friends! Also, add if you have VIP.

If y’all want I’ll make one for the US leg too.

April 10: Dublin

April 12: Glasgow

April 13: Leeds

April 14: Newcastle

April 16: Manchester

April 17: Birmingham

April 18: London

April 20: Paris

April 21: Antwerp

Nienke / @ibreakforthewickedhorse VIP

April 23: Amsterdam

Nienke / @ibreakforthewickedhorse VIP

April 25: Cologne

April 26: Hamburg

April 27: Berlin

[the-light-of-stars]

What places do you want to visit? And do you have any recommendation? I really wanna visit lots of places including your country cause I want to visit the Auschwitz concentration camp since it's a very important place for world history

Ohh well I want to visit the big US cities actually, and also Australia (well I won’t be able to handle the bugs but ok) and Canada, maybe? Anything that has pretty nature and cool museums or culture :)

And oh..well, then you should actually go to Poland because it’s there not in Germany.

However, if you want to visit Germany I’d recommend you go to one of the big cities, which would be Berlin, Hamburg or Munich. (Or also Cologne or another one of the Ruhrpott cities because you can easily visit many different cities in a short time there) . It would depend on what you wanna see, though, because every region in the country is very different from each other!

For example if you want to see modern german “hipster” culture and a generally more hip or even punk side, as well as a lot of important political and historical monuments, but also wanna go to clubs you should go to Berlin. If you like it modern but more in the relaxed , kinda British-ish way, and want to go to the sea or go to musicals you should go to Hamburg. And if you prefer more quiet, artistic aesthetic over modernism, (especially if you like art nouveau) and want to visit many museums and see pretty landscapes and castles, sit and read in cafés and feel like a member of the Boheme in the 19th century, then go to Munich.

As for other European cities, I really liked Barcelona (it’s hella pretty and looks very unique) and I also liked Paris a lot (but maybe stay away from the outer parts, because we almost got our car stolen there.). Rome is interesting, too, although very very hot in summer and very dusty and also generally very full of people and loud (and we also almost got our car stolen there. That however was in the middle of the city) . Venice… well Venice is pretty and has a really unique and interesting atmosphere as if you were transported back to the days of the doges and the Black Plague, but it is also REALLY full of people, honestly you won’t be able to enjoy it much in summer so definitely go when there’s less tourists. Fair warning, though: be careful and avoid the raining season because the city will literally be underwater.Firenze is pretty, too! And Milano as well .If you want to see the Cote d’Azure and feel like a movie star go to Cannes and Monaco - if you’re taking a car you could consider staying in Nice because damn if that city doesn’t have amazing beaches (and a really pretty pedestrian passage (is that the word?) .If you have a lot of money to spare you could also go to St Tropez, although that city is very small and might get boring fast (Monaco is very small, too, but at least it’s closer to the other cities).Maybe visit the Provence, oh and definitely visit Grasse if you’re at the cote d’Azure. The Camargue would also be a good place to visit if you love wide beaches, horses - and flamingoes.Prague is something you should consider if you’re interested in history, pretty buildings and writing because that city seems to be very inspirational!Similar things go for Salzburg and Wien, although these ones are even more for fans of classical music because a lot of its history happened there (other than that these two cities are basically very similar to Munich) Southern Spain should be interesting if you’re interested in medieval history, especially the one of medieval Islam (so many pretty buildings there, too) - and if you don’t mind heat and feeling like you’re in some sort of desert.Lastly (because this reply is hella long already) if you prefer colder climates and very big and green landscapes try Norway or Sweden :)

And Greece! But rather visit a smaller city or even better, an island (Crete is very interesting and also the starting point of the Ancient Greek culture as we know it so it’s historically important as well) , because Athens is..not especially safe.(Oh and if you decide to actually visit one of the well, the camps (it’s uncomfortable to talk about those for me tbh because that was a very dark time in history) is recommend you take something for mental support with you (not to the visit but on your vacation) and wear shoes that you don’t like, because speaking out of personal experience you might not want to wear them after anymore after visiting, because they *will* feel like you walked through blood and bones and dark memories. Also: going there in winter actually makes it more …heart wrenching? (beklemmend) because it shows even more how horrible it must’ve been for the people there and will make you understand even more why we should never let something like this happen again)

[ask me literally anything on anon and I’ll answer]

[stephiramona]

The tale of two cities according to Heiko and Stephi - Part 124

I guess when Isaac Tigrett and Peter Morton opened the first Hard Rock Cafe in London in 1971, they never thought how big this company will grow one day. Now there are 170 cafes in 50 countries. In Germany, there are four Hard Rock Cafés: in Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne (first photo), and Munich (second photo). If you’ve never been to a Hard Rock Cafe, the name tells it all. It’s a cafe and restaurant, and it’s about rock music, not only hard rock also rock n’ roll. With more than 70.000 exhibits this company has the biggest music-exhibit collection worldwide. To be honest I never was in a Hard Rock Cafe, even though this is my kind of music. But who knows, maybe soon I know how it looks from the inside. This week’s praise to all rock musicians and all other musicians in the world who brighten our days and nights with their art.

[paramedic-girl]

Emergency Vehicles

Yeah... work is so unpredictable. I really tried to post sooner, but either my horse or work came in between. (Mostly work...)

So today I’ll tell you about the emergency vehicles. Basically, there’s not much difference to most of the ambulances you know. Buuuut, as Germany is very complicated already, why shouldn’t there be a difference in ambulances too?

So I know for example that in the US ambulances are usually provided by the Fire Departments or the Hospital, right? In England, I think it’s private companies? (not sure about that). My friend from Italy told me they also have private companies.

We’ve actually got a few of them. The Red Cross (I’ll tell you about them later), Johaniter, Malteser, ASB, Falk. They are the most common ones. But then the army, police and Fire Departments also provide some.

Especially in big cities like Munich, Hamburg, Berlin, Cologne, ... they are the main party. And then all the other organisations come. Maybe. In some cities (like Hamburg....) there are always arguments because the Fire Departments wants to take care of all the patients and don’t leave anything to the other companies in the city (which got an order from the state to provide personal and ambulances to help the Fire departments) Well... it’s all about money, right?

I started my training in a quite big city where the FD didn’t have ambulances. Malteser, Johaniter and the Bavarian Red Cross share the city and surrounding areas. And it worked.

Now I moved to Lower Saxony, where 98% of the ambulances are provided by the German Red Cross.                                                                                                                                       

So, who can find the difference? Yes! Like I already stated above. We have a Bavarian Red Cross ( Bayerisches Rotes Kreuz, BRK) and the  German Red Cross (Deutsches Rotes Kreuz, DRK).

The difference is basically the name and the leaders. The rest is the same. We don’t have to different names (for kind of the same company) because in Bavaria we think, we are cooler (even though we are ;) )  This has to do something with the second world war. 

Before the war we already had the International Commitee of the Red Cross. They were very active during both world wars and always helped the injured (enemy or not, that was written in their main statement). After WW2 everything in Germany was destroyed. We didn’ have money, healthcare, name it. 

So Germany was devided in “Zonen” were different countries reigned. France and Great Britain got the western part of Germany sans Bavaria, which was taked by the Americans. East Germany was taked by the UDSSR (Russia).

So while the French and British were out to oppress the people to show them how wrong the war was and the Russians created the DDR the Americans wanted to let us build our infrastructure again. One of their first Orders to the mayor of Munich was, to found the Bavarian Red Cross to guarantee good health provision in all of Bavaria.

The other states of Germany “founded” their German Red Cross later on (1950). Even though both work together, they’re now two “different” organisations.

So this was our history lesson for today :D

Here now a picture of the inside. We already have newer ones which look differently, but I couldn’t find a picture. So yeah. That’s it basically. We also have ambulances for people over 200 kg. Not many. I think the next one from me is like 1 h away but I’m just happy we don’t need it that often (yet). 

So that’s it for today. Next time, I’ll tell you about the NEF’s (Emergency Doctor’s Vehicle)

[pinkislouder]

Hey Leonie, I wanna try for Niall tickets on Friday but I have no experience with German sales. Which of the four dates would you say would be the easiest/hardest to get tickets for? Thanks!

hmm okay so we’ve got Cologne, Berlin, Munich and Hamburg. I know that the Cologne dates will probably be ones that people from Belgium, the Netherlands, and France are going to be trying for, so maybe those are ones that will be harder to get. I’ve never tried to get tickets in Munich or Hamburg but I usually had good experiences with Berlin. (plus Berlin is pretty fucking beautiful). Since the Munich date is on the 1st of May, which is a national holiday in Germany, I think you should probably avoid that one, bc the onstorm will be bigger. I’d say try for Berlin or Hamburg, but also ask @pattern-pals, I know she’s trying for Hamburg tickets! I hope this was helpful, rip. 

[whereintheworldisclairerans-blog]

Heyyyyyyyy

WOW Sorry it’s been so long you guys! I’m currently sitting in my now 100% furnished and decorated apartment in Madrid, listening to the numerous buses and people talking to each other in the street in Spanish and I couldn’t be happier. I’ve been here a little more than a week now and it’s starting to feel like I’m here to stay. Just in time for me to leave again! Ha. We’ll get there though. So very much catching up to do, I don’t even know where to begin. Probably where I left off would be good, would’t it? That would be... Hamburg? I think so. 

Our direct train did, in fact, end up being a direct train *hooray*. Jordan and I were both extremely productive and sketched a plan for my apartment (which ended up being pretty accurate) and wrote out goals, aspirations, etc. After waiting outside of our AirBnb for a while because we didn’t know which doorbell to ring, we found ourselves living in the land of luxury with a.... wait for it.... KING SIZE BED. After sharing full size beds (and/or mattress on the floor or just straight up floor) for the month, it was pretty exciting to starfish out and each have plenty of room. We made our typical dinner of pasta and wine and each hung out on our respective social medias, got caught up on emails, etc. We woke up around noon the next day and decided to treat ourselves to brunch. Jordan, being the TripAdvisor master of the trip, found us the perfect little place that was a brunch BUFFET. I honestly don’t know why more brunch places at home aren’t like that. You pay for the plate and a drink and then you just pick whatever you want. You can eat and eat and eat and ITS AMAZING. After stuffing ourselves to the brim, we decided to walk it off and spent the day rambling through the city center. It was lovely because Hamburg reminded us both remarkably of Denver, just with a lot more water. There was very similar architecture and the general vibe just felt like home. It was simultaneously comforting and a little bit heartbreaking, given that I don’t know when I will be home next. *cries a little* We decided to go shopping for some warmer layers, and I mooned over a backpack in an outdoors store. Which, despite the best efforts of the salesman, I did not end up buying. We ended the afternoon in yet another gorgeous park with warm chocolate and banana crepes before walking the three miles back to our AirBnb. That night, we decided to double check the check-in time of our reservation for Berlin, hoping that we could go into the city earlier to make the most out of our time there. And it was then that we had our first and only issue with any booking or accommodation. The AirBnb host in Berlin had canceled our reservation the day after we booked it (several weeks earlier) and we were never notified. So in a scramble, we had to book another one, that ended up being way farther outside of the city and nearly twice the cost. (AirBnb has compensated me a little, but to say it was inconvenient would be an understatement). We couldn’t check into Berlin until 4pm, so we decided to hit the brunch place again the next morning and properly stuffed ourselves before getting on the train. 

And what a train ride it was. German trains are such a joke. We had become quite the pros at arriving on time, finding seats together and getting settled before departure. This time, however, the train just continued to sit there and sit there. We didn’t care, we had music and seats and that was all that mattered. Until everyone started to leave the train. We rolled our eyes, cringed and prepared for another travel day like the one from Zurich to Cologne. Luckily though, we asked the people next to us what was going on. They explained that the train route had been changed and that it was no longer going to the Berlin Central Station, but to the West Station. If we wanted to, we could run with the other 500000 people to catch a train leaving in 5 minutes, or we could stay on this one and arrive slightly later. SURPRISE we stayed on the nearly empty train, which ended up going to the central station anyways. Suckers. We did, however, get in much later than we had anticipated and we had booked tickets to this film festival that one of Jordan’s favorite bands did the score for. So we hustled to the AirBnb, dropped all of our stuff and then immediately left again to the complete opposite side of town. We followed the hipsters from the train, to the bus, to this cool set of warehouses, where we arrived half an hour late but nothing had started yet. Beers and popcorn in hand, we chatted with a super nice Spanish girl for a while before taking our seats to watch the movies. The theme for the night was on politics, with a specific focus on the nuclear bomb, so the first movie was Dr. Strangelove and the second was a documentary called The Bomb. 10/10 would recommend seeing both. It was very powerful and a cool experience. The next day was the day we had been waiting for the whole trip, the only thing that we had booked before we left, the Moderat concert! It ended up being Jordan’s big hipster day out, that started with her getting a tattoo, then some kombucha (and a coffee for me) and then we walked around the East Side Gallery (art that was done along the wall in the 90s), before heading home to get ready for the show. We had originally planned to get there early, but you all know how that goes... So we ended up arriving with the massive hoards of people getting off the train, then casually walking through a forest to get to the venue, where we promptly stood in line for two hours waiting to get in. We completely missed the opening band, and the first few songs of Moderat’s set, but it was worth it once we were in. We were able to make our way down to the front of the massive venue and danced our asses off. And then we got a snack before the looooooong trek home, where we literally squeezed into the metro with thousands of other people (where I met a very nice Spanish woman) and then onto a bus, and then a long walk back to the apartment. It didn’t matter though because we were both in incredibly good moods and it felt like we were in 7th grade again, dancing in the street and obsessing over how good the show was. 

The next day was our “historical Berlin” day, where we saw more of the wall, learned about the failed and successful escape attempts, and what life was like on the East side. From there we went to a museum called “Topography of Terror” which was quite frankly the most depressing and terrifying thing we did our whole trip and maybe in my whole life. Without getting too into it, it was a museum about how Hitler came into power, and a very thorough documentation of what he did with it. The scary part, though, was in how many parallels there were in 1930s-40s Germany and 2017 in America. Food for thought. To get ourselves even more depressed, we went to the Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe, which was hauntingly beautiful. Our spirits were lifted though hearing the peals of laughter coming from the small children to whom the giants stones were nothing more than a playground, something for them to play “hide and go seek” behind. We decided to treat ourselves to Asian food for dinner, and went to this beautiful restaurant, that was full of upper middle class couples and playing rather explicit rap. It was an interesting evening. Our last day in Berlin was a pretty mellow one, traveling for a month was catching up to us and we spent the day chilling in a park and in a cute little coffee shop. That night we made ourselves our last plates of pasta and wine and binged Grace and Frankie. 

AND THEN WE WERE OFF TO MADRID! A 4 hour flight and 3 metro trains later we arrived at MY APARTMENT! I cannot even begin to describe the relief that I felt at realizing that it was a real place, I hadn’t been scammed and that I really did have a place to live for the next few months. Jordan really didn’t feel well, so I left her sleeping and spent the day getting the immediate things we needed (AKA sheets and my credit card) and signing my lease. We ordered pizza to properly break in the apartment, and though it was rather loud that night in the apartment, definitely a wake up call to the fact that I voluntarily chose to live in international student housing, it has since gotten much better. The next day was the second day that we had been waiting for the entire trip - IKEA DAY! We took a half an hour long metro ride and then a 15 minute walk and loaded me up with (almost) everything I needed. It was a hilariously exhausting trip back, but we managed to carry everything that we bought in our hands, trekked back to the metro and then to my apartment. I am the kind of mover that likes to get everything done in one day, so I dragged Jordan out again and we had the BEST TIME. All that we had left to buy were hardware (screwdriver, fan, etc) and home goods (laundry detergent, trash bags), so we did some google mapping until we found what we thought was the perfect place. And then it was closed. Dejected, exhausted and done for the day, we started to make our way back home. We had passed this little store selling coffee makers and specialty coffee, and Jordan recommended that we stop in, knowing how much I need my morning fix. The guy who helped us was unbelievably friendly, and pointed us in the direction of a store two blocks away that would have everything else we needed. We went there next, to be helped by two more incredibly nice guys and got EVERYTHING. Arms full of shopping bags, we went to pick up some takeout for dinner and I realized that I had forgotten the one thing that I actually really needed, trash bags. I left Jordan with all the stuff, ran back into the shop to grab some and realized I didn’t have any cash. The machine could only do credit card transactions over $5, so the guy just let me take them and told me to just pay him tomorrow. Can you believe that?? I love this place. 

The next day, after a few more shopping adventures, we decided to tourist around a little. First stopping at Atocha (the train station) to pick up our train tickets for Barcelona the next day, then going to el Retiro (park) and around downtown to get back home. We tried to get to bed early that night because our train left at 8am the next day, but naturally only slept for about 4 hours. We dragged ourselves out of bed, managed to make it to the train station on time, and 2.5 hours later we were in Barcelona! It was incredible to be back in the city that originally made me fall in love with Spain and we headed directly for the beach, where we spent the whole day listening to the familiar anthem of “Cervezaaaaaa beer agua waaaaaater cervezaaaaa sangriaaaa.” Jordan was not a fan, but I felt completely at home. It alternated between being sunny and cloudy all day, which made it the perfect temperature for swimming and laying. I was thrilled. It was dinnertime before I knew it, and we treated ourselves to a Menu del Dia, where Jordan had her first paella, patatas bravas and crema catalana. We were so relaxed that we nearly missed our last train, but we did in fact make it back to the apartment nearly 18 hours after left. We slept hard that night, and then it was Jordan’s last day. We spent our last few hours together relaxing, packed up her things, went to the store, and then had one last dinner and gelato. I went with her to the airport, and we sat together and looked at photos to kill time before we parted ways. I fought back tears the entire way home and then was greeted by all the roommates heading up to the terrace for a free drink. I decided to join them to try to be social, but wasn’t really in the mood and after a polite amount of time went back to bed. 

I’ve spent the past couple days on my own running errands and getting settled in. I went for my first run around el Retiro, caught a gorgeous sunset along Gran Via, opened a bank account, joined a gym and am basically 100% settled in. I have a few more things to get done today, and then tomorrow I’m to Sweden for the weekend to visit Hanna! I can’t believe it, I got to see her just a few months ago in Colorado and now again! WOOO Europe is the best. 

I’ll be there until Sunday, and then will spend next week doing more exploring of Madrid and maybe taking an overnight trip somewhere (since I have two travel days left on the Eurail pass whooo whooo). I’ll try to do better keeping you all posted! 

xx

[travelworldnetwork]

By Eliza Apperly

29 March 2019

At the end of a quiet, suburban cul-de-sac in north-eastern Berlin, Michael Friedrichs-Friedländer quickly ushers me into his garage. He casts a watchful glance down the road, as if to check I’ve come here alone.

“I’d ask you not to mention the precise location,” he said. “The neighbours all know what I do, but I don’t want any outside trouble.”

Inside, the garage smells of fresh cement, with lingering wafts of strong coffee and cigarettes. There’s a back door open onto a garden, letting in a wash of late-afternoon sun. A large-scale map of Germany is pinned to the far wall. In the corner, there’s a simple workbench, where Friedrichs-Friedländer has left a hammer, a set of metal stamps, and a sheet of paper bearing a series of names, dates and the word ‘Auschwitz’.

For the last 14 years, Friedrichs-Friedländer has hand-engraved individual Holocaust fates onto small commemorative plaques called Stolpersteine, or ‘stumbling stones’. Each plaque is a 10cm brass square affixed on top of a cuboid concrete block that’s installed into the pavement directly before a Holocaust victim’s last known, voluntary residence.

View image of Stolpersteine, or ‘stumbling stones’, are commemorative plaques honouring victims of the Holocaust (Credit: Credit: Zoonar GmbH/Alamy)

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There are now more than 70,000 of these stones around the world, spanning 20 different languages. They can be found in 2,000-plus towns and cities across 24 countries, including Argentina, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands, Russia, Slovenia and Ukraine. Together, they constitute the world’s largest decentralised memorial.

For all this international reach, the Stolpersteine are highly individual in form. The project’s motto is ‘one victim, one stone’, referencing a teaching in the Talmud, the book of Jewish law, that ‘a person is only forgotten when his or her name is forgotten’.

Each plaque’s inscription begins ‘HERE LIVED’ in the local language, followed by the individual’s name, date of birth and fate. For some, this is exile to another country. For others, it is suicide. For a few, it is liberation from a concentration camp. But for the vast majority, it is deportation and murder.

You won’t fall, but if you stumble and look, you must bow down with your head and your heart

The project began in 1992, when Cologne-based artist Gunter Demnig first laid plaques in this format for Sinti and Roma victims of the Holocaust, who during that time were commonly referred to as ‘Gypsies’. He called the plaques ‘stumbling stones’ as a metaphor. “You won’t fall,” he recently told CNN. “But if you stumble and look, you must bow down with your head and your heart.”

For Demnig, the immediacy of each location – directly in front of a victim’s last known home – is critical to the memorial’s impact. “When people see the terror started in their city, their neighbourhood, maybe even in the house they are living in, it all becomes quite concrete,” he said in a recent interview with Deutsche Welle.

By 2005, the Stolpersteine project had expanded so much that Demnig could no longer both make and install each plaque. That’s when he asked Friedrichs-Friedländer to take on the production.

“I knew within five minutes we could work together,” Friedrichs-Friedländer said. “For me it is the strongest form of Holocaust memorial you can have. You bring the names back.”

View image of Each plaque is highly individual, featuring the person’s name, date of birth and fate (Credit: Credit: Adam Berry/Alamy)

Friedrichs-Friedländer is a burly, softly spoken man who moves with quiet, methodical purpose around his garage, which is not open to the public. He works alone, in silence, six days and at least 50 hours a week. As he sits down for a quick coffee break, he rubs bloodshot eyes. It is nearing 16:00, and he does not eat lunch.

“I need the blood in my brain,” he said, “not in my stomach.”

Friedrichs-Friedländer engraves each plaque by hand – stamp by stamp, letter by letter, fate after fate. Although there’s now a minimum nine-month waiting list for a Stolpersteine, he vehemently rejects mechanising the process.

“As soon as you bring in a mechanised element, it becomes anonymous,” he said.

View image of Michael Friedrichs-Friedländer engraves each plaque by hand (Credit: Credit: Aleksandra Koneva)

To date, Friedrichs-Friedländer has engraved more than 63,000 Stolpersteine in more than 20 languages. The work is regularly traumatic. His eyes water as he describes a set of 34 stones for a former Jewish orphanage in Hamburg. The children were all between one and six years old.

“With the youngsters it always hits particularly hard,” he said.

As much as the plaques serve to commemorate individual lives, the Stolpersteine also trace the malign mechanics of deportation. Multiple stones in front of the same building show how the Gestapo returned to the same house again and again, splintering neighbours and family members along the routes to Treblinka, Theresienstadt, the Riga ghetto and Kaiserwald, and Auschwitz.

“I’ve done stones for families of 20 members,” said Friedrichs-Friedländer, “all sent in different directions, deported on different days.”

But when the Stolpersteine are laid before a building, “families are reunited,” he explained, brought back together in front of the home they once shared.

View image of Since 1992, more than 70,000 Stolpersteine have been installed in 24 countries around the world (Credit: Credit: Sean O’Connor)

The Stolpersteine also foster relationships between present-day residents of a building or street. The majority of stumbling stones are researched and funded by local neighbourhood initiatives.

Dietmar Schewe, a retired school principal in Berlin, recently coordinated a set of stumbling stones with his neighbours. “It was really the first time our apartment building felt like a community” he said.

Likewise, the stumbling stones can reunite a victim’s surviving family members. Those who undertake the research required to produce a Stolpersteine must make contact with as many of the victim’s relatives as they can find – both to secure their approval and to invite them to the stone-laying ceremony.

For me it is the strongest form of Holocaust memorial you can have

Schewe welcomed 25 visitors from Israel to the Stolpersteine ceremony in front of his building.

“It was very harmonious, as well as very emotional,” he said. “We were able to show our visitors exactly which apartment their family members had lived in. It felt like a small but important encounter with the lived environment of their relatives.”

Friedrichs-Friedländer tells me of another installation ceremony in Cologne, where 34 relatives gathered from different countries around the world. “People have discovered relatives they never knew they had,” he said.

Such is the power of the Stolpersteine that a number of schools in the German-speaking world have now integrated the project into their curriculum, with students grouping together to research local Holocaust victims. It’s another important motivation for Friedrichs-Friedländer, who describes his own youth in Germany as a series of unanswered questions. “Teachers, parents… nobody wanted to tell you anything. It was as if the Third Reich never happened.”

View image of The majority of Stolpersteine are researched and funded by local neighbourhood initiatives (Credit: Credit: dpa picture alliance/Alamy)

As dusk settles outside, Friedrichs-Friedländer turns on the garage light, casting a soft glow over a pallet of finished stones ready to be delivered to districts across Berlin. Their freshly stamped inscriptions are like pristine telegrams, each bearing details of a life stolen or undone.

Soon, Friedrichs-Friedländer will lock up the garage for the night, take a walk, buy some groceries and have dinner with his family. He tries hard not to bring his work home with him, but it can be a struggle.

One must be present – one must suffer

“There are awful days when all I can do is cry,” he said. But the whole point of the Stolpersteine is their humanity – the emotional connection they require with the life and fate of each victim.

“One must be present. One must suffer,” Friedrichs-Friedländer continued. “If I ever get used to the work, if it ever becomes routine, I’ll stop.”

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