Kiel Week

The wonderful figure head of the sea cloud II

Ahoy me old ship mates, gather round, pull up a bollard and Old Spotted Dick will spin you a yarn !

This weekend it was up to the Baltic to see the end of the Kiel week, this is a massive gathering of sail in Kiel Harbour, this week, always the last full week in June, is 10 days of fun for everyone. There are the regattas, sailing and water sports for all, Music on 20+ stages, fringe events, eating, drinking and making merry. It is the largest event of its kind in Northern Europe and it is an event larger, more spectacular and though more is drunk, it does not degrade into drunkeness unlike the Münchener Bier Fest. It is more about enjoying life for everyone, young, old, families and this year St Peter was smiling as the weather was fantastic.

Friday evening started off with me arriving and Linda having a large Gin and Bitter Lemon ready for me, then we had a bit of Terri Yaki from the grill then off to the Rathaus platz and the international market to sample the beers, wines and foods. The theme on stage was "Rock meets classic", this was the Holstein Symphony Orchestra with various "Pop, rock stars" A world champion Harmonica player, playing classical and film music, a wonderful singer and "Karat" an old DDR rock/pop group from long ago "Über Sieben Brücken will wier gehen". They done very well, but I don't suppose anyone outside of Germany has ever heard of them. WE met up with a friends, we drank Latvian beer, Argentinian wine, Tschech beer and a bit of this and a bit of that. Linda had been every night in the week so she knew her way around.
At sometime after midnight we sauntered home ready for a new day dawning.

Up early and off to the market as the Windjammer parade started at 11:00 and you have to get there early if you want to get a good bollard.

Saturday was the large local market to get some fish and veg for Sunday lunch.

Was it to be salmon or a Jack Pike

or a nice trout or a piece of Ling filet

May be a piece of Redfish, a Baltic eel, Cat fish or Haddock

wow what about a Zander

In the end we settled on Gilt head Bream, though both the monk fish and Alpine Chaar did look nice 

Had a chat at the Matjes stand, had a laugh about the Scottish Matjes.

With the madchen doing the madchen (Matjes means virgin herring)

After that, we done our vegetable shopping at our favourit veg stall

and the fresh freeland Strawberries

Next it was off to the Windjammer Parade and a bit of banter with the Taxi driver about the protracted match result. He was such a kind chap, we asked to be taken to the inner harbour folding bridge area, but he suggested another area with a far better view. He was right, not only was the view better but I had cool bier. I do like a nice taxi driver.

We took up out position on the Seebar brücke (sea bar pier) got a front table and settled down, Linda with a coffee and I, well it was nearing 11:00, a bier.

The first sailing ships had appeared along with the coast guard cutter (a massive twin hulled boat)

Then along came the first of the sail

and then another hoisting the main

Next came the pride of the sailing world, three masters and the last of the four masters, along with sailing barges, Baltic traders, werries and all manner of craft for sailing about on the Förder.

 

The Navy takes up position just in case there are a few pirates about

And there are those that will do it the hard way

The last of the sails are set and off we jolly well go for a trip around the Kieler Förder

As they disapear into the distance

There has to be a bloody spoil sport, why did it have to leave at this time in the day, Bleeding Nora, Stena where is your common??????

The rest will follow later so go and watch the footy or Wombledoon or even have a Barbie, I shall see you all later.

So now that that is out of the way, we can get on with living!

The start of the junketing

We set off down the festive, eating and drinking miles.

We stopped off for a bite to eat for lunch, this is no normal lighthouse (bet you guessed that)

 

They fry the fish up in the top

Whatever are they waiting for?

Bell rings and down the shute comes fresh fried fish in a beer batter

And two portions of nice crispy beer batter fried cod

Another load just down the shute so as to speak

I had a real Berliner Currywurst, this done my heart glad, because you cannot normally get one of these outside of Berlin (bit obvious you would think, but you can get things like Nuremburgers and Lyonaisers from Aldi and Lidl now a days)

The never ending Bratwurst story

Now that looks like a cook that enjoys his grub, he is selling massive turkey kababs

The nice crispy crackling of the sucking pig, Spanferkel (not that it realised it)

We wandered through the streets of the older part of Kiel (not a lot left, Bomber harris took most of that out) and stopped to watch , street musicians, jugglers and mummers.

And an old salt earning a copper or two on the old harmonica

We eventually arrived at one of the main stages in front of the Rathaus. A young Cossack folk dance group was in full swing

This stage is surrounded with food and drink from all around the world, this is but a small sample of what was on offer

This is Finnish Fire Salmon (yes there is more to Finnland than Vodka and Reindeer Meat)

Next was the Pakastani and Nepalise stalls doing a brisk trade selling pakoras, vegetable, chicken and lamb curries

And a smile for the camera by the Nepalise cook very proud of his offering

We even had the land of Oz! alas only Forsters and not a lot else

A large Que had formed in front of the Rwander stall to have a taste of Croc and Kudu and also the ever favorite Indian

The French of course had their Flammküchen, wine, cheese and the oysters (when I was in France last year I had them from the same place only difference we got a half a doz for the price that they charged for one

Next we visited the Tschechish stand for real Budweiser (Budvar), they also had Germ Knödeln and Prager ham to sample.

Notice Linda grabbing the one with the most in

Then it was off home to watch the footy, passing the Irish stand parked below the Opera house

We had intended to go out to watch the hot air balloons lighting up the night sky (not flying but tethered) but we where shattered so opened a bottle of wine instead and watched the footy and some recorded Saturday kitchen, I do not know who makes me the maddest, Baby James or the England football team. I also watched the wonderful Rick Steins Italian Opera/Food programme, this was wonderful.

Now Sunday morning, we got up bright and early not a cloud in the sky, I shall tell you about that tomorrow! or is it today already?

Cheers

Dick

Sunday morning dawned, nah, it just appeared, woosh, it was there bright sunshine, a perfect day for a stroll along the prom, prom, prom, with, a tiddly om, pom, pom. Ahem! sorry ship mates forgot myself there!!!

The town was still asleep, only the last stragglers returning and the orange brigade, these are the hundreds of street cleaners, dafted in each year to keep the streets, parks and "public viewing" (new German word) areas free of the normal flotsam and jetsam that accrues after such events. They (the public authorities) have tried to stop the taking of glass bottles into the main events, this has been a success to a greater degree, but there are still those that cannot or will not be educated.

The main injuries over the 10 days are: 1. alcoholic poisoning, 2. glass wounds caused by stepping on broken bottles, 3. this year heat exhaustion and sunburn.

Linda had been out earlier to see if she could get any bread rolls but she was up before the bakers, for once!

It was great as we had clear views and could take photos until our hearts content, this we did and dare I say it, not a tourist in sight (well Linda does live in Kiel and I am more a frequent visitor than a tourist).

I shall be posting some more photos tonight so be warned.

Cheers

Dick

The mighty Russian four master

The pride of Kiel the Thor Heyerdahl

Some of the smaller craft many still as good as the day they left the slips

Look at the timber skiff, wonderful

And the timber decking

And the Orange gang  in the back ground hard at work de-junking the streets

A modern boat, but using the suns energy to power the motors

It had a deck full of Photo-voltiac panels

The folding bride raised to let a Baltic trader through into the outer harbour along with one of the tugs

A few paying guest disembarking from one of the sailing ships

And I had the pleasure to go on board this 113 year old twin steam expansion engined tug

I last worked on one of these when i was a young apprentice back in the 60s, wonderful machines and this one still going strong and long may she chuff and puff her way around the baltic

And last but not least a couple of lads sleeping off the excesses of Saturday night Shhhh please don't disturb them, it will soon be time to get up and start again.

Cheers I hope you have enjoyed it as much as I have, why don't you put it in your diary for next year, but book up soon as the bed spaces are like rocking horse poo on the moon.

Cheers and thanks

Dick