Wiesbaden Photo Blog

Crèche at the Christmas Market

2006-12-22T23:59:00.000+01:00

Wishing you and your loved ones a Merry Christmas!

Christmas Market - Star Lamps

2006-12-21T23:59:00.000+01:00

More ideas for the Christmas decoration. These star lamps reminded me of the patio decoration I showed you in July. They really add a special atmosphere.

Christmas Market Carousel

2006-12-20T23:59:00.000+01:00

Of course there are also carousels at the Christmas markets for the kids. I especially like this one which is a bit more nostalgic with the old wooden horses. In the background you see the market church which is partly under renovation at the moment.

Christmas Market Impression

2006-12-19T23:59:00.000+01:00

Part of the Christmas market around the city hall with the civil registry office on the left and you might recognize the "red bubble house" (as I call it) in the background from earlier pictures.

Winter Wedding

2006-12-18T23:59:00.000+01:00

Some people don't only "dream of a white Christmas" but also of a "white winter wedding" as I noticed in front of the civil registry office here. Well, unfortunately we won't have a white christmas this year (at least that's what the weather forecast keeps telling us) but here is a nice solution for still going on a sleigh ride...

Christmas Market - Wooden Decoration

2006-12-15T23:59:00.000+01:00

It's Christmas season again and with that comes the Christmas market around the city hall in Wiesbaden. The most popular stands are the ones where they sell Glühwein but there are some other nice ones as well - great to find small gifts for Christmas and to get new items for this years' Christmas decoration like on this photo.

Pumpkins, Grapes and "Federweißer"

2006-09-27T23:59:00.000+02:00

Typical fruits and vegetables for Fall, together with "Federweißer". Federweißer is some kind of really young wine - just a few weeks old - the fermentation had started but was stopped in order to have this young, sweet and fresh beverage; it nearly tastes like juice but it's hard to describe - I'm afraid you'll have to try it for yourself ;) . Photo taken at the market in downtown Wiesbaden.

Oasis in the Book Store

2006-09-26T23:59:00.000+02:00

A wonderful place to sit down, browse through some books and relax from the "shopping stress" ;).

Public Restrooms

2006-09-25T23:59:00.000+02:00

This is one kind of public restrooms in Wiesbaden. Unfortunately, I forgot to check how much it costs, but it cleans itself and sometimes you even get to hear some music as well. Only thing - you shouldn't take longer than 20 minutes - the doors open automatically after that...

Flowers next to Sidewalk

2006-09-22T23:59:00.000+02:00

Just some flowers next to the sidewalk. Although it's September, it's still quite warm over here.

Institute for Artificial Eyes

2006-09-21T23:59:00.000+02:00

Walkin around with my camera I noticed this sign above me. I had no idea that there was an institute like this in Wiesbaden. And they even seem internationally oriented since below they have their signs in English and French as well. I like it that they kept the original sign!

Light Installations

2006-09-20T11:16:00.000+02:00

This is the display of a shop on Taunusstrasse which I pass by from time to time. They always have creative light installations - which never would fit into my living room but are inspiring nevertheless :). Here is one I showed you before.

International Festival in Wiesbaden

2006-09-19T09:18:00.000+02:00

Another event last weekend was a festival at the market place in front of the city hall. People from different countries and cultures who live in Wiesbaden organized this festival - there were groups dressed up in traditional costumes of their country, performing on the stage, dancing and singing songs in their native language, and you could try different kinds of food from all the nations. I had a Korean dish which was delicious!

Piano concert for a good cause

2006-09-18T07:35:00.000+02:00

Last weekend we went to a piano concert organized by Round Table 18 Wiesbaden (Round Table is a service club organizing service projects for good causes). With the money from this concert they will support Round Table Deutschland's National Service Project "Children's Wish" which helps fulfilling wishes of children with terminal illness.

Check out Round Table Children's Wish Website (in German).

Chestnut

2006-09-15T23:59:00.000+02:00

Another sign of Fall - a chestnut I found in the park.

In the Park again

2006-09-14T23:59:00.000+02:00

You've seen this fountain before - it's the one next to the theater and opera house. I just like coming back to this place. :)

In the background on the left you can see the towers of the Marktkirche.

Walking Shopping Bag

2006-09-13T23:59:00.000+02:00

Remember the walking pink soccer balls I posted in May? At the moment you can see walking shopping bags due to the anniversary celebrations of a large department store downtown (celebrating its 125th anniversary).

Smart dogs in Wiesbaden

2006-09-12T23:59:00.000+02:00

As you can see, dogs in Wiesbaden need to be able to read at least "No" as a no, otherwise they would understand this sign as an invitiation to leave a souvenir ;). Found this sign on Taunusstrasse.

For another sign like this one, click here.

Sitting outside

2006-09-11T23:59:00.000+02:00

Although we're in September, it's still quite warm (even at night), so people can sit outside like here at the Kranzplatz and enjoy the great weather.

New soup place

2006-09-08T23:59:00.000+02:00

Testing a new soup place in downtown Wiesbaden. It's located in the Neugasse and, since it's a small place, easy to walk by without noticing it (so keep your eyes open :) ). They have a variety of soups but also offer salads, sandwiches, coffee and fresh fruit juices. Especially now that the cold season of the year is about to start soon, this should be a perfect place to warm up and relax.

P.S. I had already eaten but my husband had a coco-chicken-soup (thai style) which was definitely yummy!

First pumpkins in stores

2006-09-07T23:59:00.000+02:00

I can't believe we're already heading towards Fall. It still feels like summer to me over here (it's quite warm at the moment considering it's September). But nevertheless, seeing the first pumpkins in stores reminds me that it's gonna get cooler soon... I'm looking forward to pumkin pies, pumpkin soups, Halloween... :)

Entrance detail - a Greenman

2006-09-06T23:59:00.000+02:00

Looking up in front of an entrance I noticed one of these faces again I've been wondering about before. Luckily, one of my visitors - Thomas - explained them to me. Here is his explanation:

"It is a figure known as the Greenman ("Blattmaske" in German). Foliate head sculpture motifs are ancient but were particularly popular in medieval European cathedral construction though the figures are often located in obscure locations.

What the Greenman symbolizes is, of course, subject to a variety of interpretations: the author William Anderson suggests it symbolizes human beings' connection to nature; others say it indicates that nature has consciousness. Many consider it a Pagan "god/goddess" (there are Greenwomen, too, though not as frequent) related to Bacchus."

Thanks a lot for this information, Thomas! I hope it's alright that I quote you here.

If you're curious to see more greenmen, check out my photoblog archive and you'll find more. :)

Colorful sidewalk

2006-09-05T23:59:00.000+02:00

Walking along the Saalgasse in Wiesbaden, you can find some nice small shops there. This one (called "Windworks") certainly stands out the most with its colorful displays on the sidewalk.

Wiesbaden Hauptbahnhof

2006-09-04T21:28:00.000+02:00

For a lot of people arriving in Wiesbaden, this is the first thing they'll see when they arrive by train. The Haupbahnhof is a termin station (Kopfbahnhof) meaning the train come in from this side and also leave here again (sort of backwards).

Since I walked all the way out of the station there are no people to see (they usually don't have to walk that far and can stay under the roof).

For another view from inside the station, check out this earlier photo from March.

Another wrought-iron balcony

2006-09-03T21:33:00.000+02:00

Another one of these balconies I quite like with the wrought-iron style. It's also located at a street corner, so a good place to do some people watching while having breakfast ;).

Pedestrian Area on a Saturday

2006-09-02T21:27:00.000+02:00

A part of the pedestrian and shopping area on a Saturday afternoon. Something I'm not very happy about at the moment is that there are many construction areas - on buildings, like the one you see in this photo, and also the pavement in some parts. Hopefully, they're done soon.

Doors No. 7

2006-09-01T08:07:00.000+02:00

Wow, I can't believe it's already September and I'm back from my vacation month. Thank you all so much for stopping by at my blog in the meantime and leaving comments or sending emails (I'll try to answer them as soon as possible, hopefully this weekend)!!

Today, "doorways" is the theme of the City Daily Photo Bloggers and since I have a growing door photo collection, I'm happy to join in. Please also visit the other blogs to see their doorway photos.

Also check out my previous door posts: No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, No. 4, No. 5, and No. 6.

Sunflowers anyone?

2006-08-03T11:29:00.000+02:00

Along the road driving towards Wiesbaden-Frauenstein you can see several fields where you can pick sunflowers yourself and leave 1 Euro per 3 flowers in a small box provided there.

Refreshing Rain

2006-08-02T10:23:00.000+02:00

Coming from a meeting in Frankfurt and on my way home the other day, we suddenly had heavy rain and afterwards a beautiful sunset. So I took out my camera (as you can see I was nearly just by myself on that lane) and took a photo. It was so refreshing having this rain cool down the air a bit!

Wiesbaden Photo Blog

2006-08-01T09:29:00.000+02:00

You probably already noticed that I'm having a hard time fulfilling the daily aspect of this photo blog at the moment. Therefore I decided to rename the blog to Wiesbaden Photo Blog for the time being since I know already that it won't get better during August (I'll be on vacation). Hopefully, I'll be back daily in September and in the meantime I'll try to post photos as "daily" as possible. Thanks for your understanding!

Nicola

Wedding Decorations

2006-07-20T23:18:00.000+02:00

This is a photo of the shop display of a downtown decoration store. Since it's the wedding season, they have all kinds of wedding couples to put on the big cake here. On first sight they all look kind of the same but if you look closer they are quite different. There are even some for gay couples.

Happy Wednesday

2006-07-19T15:52:00.000+02:00

Just a photo of a facade with the flower pots outside and some very durable flowers as decoration :). Happy Wednesday, everyone!

Theater by night

2006-07-18T11:52:00.000+02:00

The Hessische Staatstheater (theater and opera house) is quite an impressive building. This photo has been taken from its back from the park side. Currently, they have a special event going on called "New Plays from Europe" presenting theatre productions from all over Europe.

Floor Tiles

2006-07-17T14:32:00.000+02:00

I know this is more of an abstract shot but I couldn't help it. Taking photos for this photo blog just makes me pay more attention to details like this one :). Some of the older houses in Wiesbaden still have the original floor tiling like this one, which I think are quite interesting.

Street Artist

2006-07-16T23:32:00.000+02:00

The pedestrian area is usually a place where you can watch all kinds of street artists, especially during the weekends. Painters like this one are not seen very often so I was happy to take a photo right away. He was taking a rest when I stopped by (you can see his feet in the photo though ;) ), which was a pitty since I love watching painters doing their artistic work. But I guess it was well deserved since he was doing good progress :).

Like going to the pool...

2006-07-15T23:59:00.000+02:00

This is the interior decoration of a bar downtown. Everytime I go there, I feel like at a swimming pool (because of the tiles, I think) which is a desired effect since the bar's name is "Aqua". :)

Sculpture next to Congress Center

2006-07-14T23:59:00.000+02:00

When I took the photo of the fountain in front of the Congress Center, I noticed this sculpture next to it, a bit hidden behind bushes though. Unfortunately, I cannot provide any background information since I couldn't find any so far. But I thought it looks a bit ghostly, being hidden like that with the green patina and the dark eyes... Don't you agree?

Doors No. 6

2006-07-13T23:59:00.000+02:00

Thought this yellow facade with the brown door make a great color combination and contrast. Also look at the details of the fence!

Also check out my previous door posts: No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, No. 4, and No. 5.

Flower Greeting from Wiesbaden

2006-07-12T23:59:00.000+02:00

Today, I'm sending you this flower greeting from Wiesbaden. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to post daily the past few days due to a full schedule and a lot of work but I'm trying to catch up now. Thank you so much for visiting my blog!

Summer night at the Kurpark

2006-07-11T23:59:00.000+02:00

This shot is taken from the back of the Kurhaus, from the Kurpark. There were quite a few people out there in the Biergarten, trying to cool down from the summer heat.

Walking in the shade

2006-07-10T22:13:00.000+02:00

Remember the trees I showed you in April, that were cut back and looked like hands pointing up to the sky? This how they look like when they're green and have leaves. They make enough shade on this pedestrian walkway so people can cool down a bit from the summer heat.

Photoshoot with Goleo

2006-07-09T23:52:00.000+02:00

This giant Goleo maskot was standing downtown waiting to be photographed with everyone who was willing to pay for it. I sneeked into one of the photosessions ;). Unfortunately, mum was so excited that she got all blurry in my photo, but I'm sure the little lady turned out very well. :)

Cheering for Germany

2006-07-08T23:59:00.000+02:00

Today was the last chance for us to cheer for Germany. It's been a exciting game - Portugal did great! Congratulations to the German team for winning the "small final" as people called it here!

Patio Decoration

2006-07-07T23:06:00.000+02:00

On my way home the other night I noticed this cool patio decoration. Made a U-turn with my car right away, went back, took the photo and then went home. I think it was worth it :).

Wiesbaden Hauptbahnhof and Reisinger Anlagen

2006-07-06T23:37:00.000+02:00

There is a nice park in front of Wiesbaden's main train station (Hauptbahnhof) called Reisinger Anlagen. From time to time, there's a circus stationed on the meadow or it's used for other events. In the meantime, the park is occupied with sunbathers (at least in the summer months), although it's so hot at the moment that even they are looking for shade...

Cooling down

2006-07-05T23:59:00.000+02:00

Since it's quite hot over here right now, I'm showing you a photo of the fountain next to the Wiesbaden Congress Center. It's not really sophisticated but just sitting next to it was already totally refreshing.

Dedicated Soccer Fan

2006-07-04T19:57:00.000+02:00

This dedicated soccer fan passed by me in the pedestrian area. I just have a feeling that he couldn't really decide what team he's cheering for - England hat, Italian flag around waist, and did you notice his socks in the colors of the German flag!?! I think he's really enjoying the whole World Cup!!

Flags for cars

2006-07-03T23:58:00.000+02:00

Flags for cars are very popular over here right now, like on this car parked in front of the hessian ministery of science and art. Especially the German flags :). I read in the newspaper that somewhere in Germany the police had pulled over a car that had a 3 meter high (!) flagpole coming out of the roof... Can you imagine that??

Picnic surrounded by birds

2006-07-02T23:08:00.000+02:00

This family wanted to have their Sunday picnic in the park, but I think their mistake was to start feeding the birds. All of a sudden they were surrounded by geese, ducks and all kinds of other birds.

Tegut - Bio-Supermarket

2006-07-01T20:15:00.000+02:00

Today's City Daily Photo Blogger theme is "Supermarkets". Since my friend Maya is always interested in "green" developments, I decided to post a photo of a Bio-Supermarket for her. Tegut is nearly like a "regular" supermarket - only with bio products though. They have a very good fresh vegetable and fruit section and I especially like their meat and fish section! By now they've opened 310 supermarkets, last year they made 1.03 billion Euros revenue and continue with their success. :) I didn't have time to take photos inside, but next time I go, I'll show you some photos, promised.

Related links:
www.tegut.de (German only)

Screen in Kurpark

2006-06-30T23:59:00.000+02:00

By now, everyone has been infected by the World Cup fever here in Germany - especially when Germany is playing. Today was the match against Argentina at 5pm our time zone. Most people left work early to get home, or to one of the World Cup parties, or to watch the game on one of the big public screens like here in the Kurpark. Today it was packed with people. Sorry, Argentina! Berlin, we're coming!!! ;)

This photo has been taken during the game France - Spain on Tuesday. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a bit fuzzy so I added some radial blur to it - how do you like the effect?

Cherries from Wiesbaden-Frauenstein

2006-06-29T22:46:00.000+02:00

Cherries from Wiesbaden-Frauenstein are quite well known in the area. There are several fields with cherry trees and you can buy them freshly picked from the field as in this photo. The cherries themselves are sweet and dark - my favorite!

Boats Club

2006-06-28T20:20:00.000+02:00

Today I watched these guys practice in the Schiersteiner Hafen. They weren't the only ones in the water, as you can see. There were several other teams on the water, kayakers as well as oarsmen. If you like kayaking, check out Nicholas' Honolulu DP blog!

Kurhaus by night

2006-06-27T23:10:00.000+02:00

This is the view across the nearly finished bowling green, which has been under construction for a while now, over to the Kurhaus.

There had been a nice bowling green before but the city decided that they need more parking spaces. The trees were torn down, the two fountains "stored away" and in a few months they had built an underground parking garage here.

As you can see in the photo, new trees have been planted already and at the moment they are rebuilding the fountains and rearrange the park area again. Once it's all done, I'll check back and take photos for you.

Funny balcony decoration

2006-06-26T22:02:00.000+02:00

I hope you don't ask me what this is about since I don't have an idea myself. I just noticed it when I was walking by and decided to take a photo. Maybe this is "modern art balcony decoration"?

Doors No. 5

2006-06-25T22:15:00.000+02:00

Today, I'm showing you some red doors from my "doors collection". The one on the left is my favorite of the two - if you look at the larger version (by clicking on the image), you'll see that there is a bird right on top of the door. Also the glass work must be great to look at from the inside (didn't get a chance though).

Also check out my previous door posts: No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, and No. 4.

World Cup Decorated Balcony

2006-06-24T23:59:00.000+02:00

Germany won against Sweden today!!! Getting closer and closer... :)

Graffiti No. 7

2006-06-23T10:03:00.000+02:00

Found this graffiti next to the pedestrian tunnel at the "Platz der deutschen Einheit". Not sure what it is about - maybe another love story?

Also check out graffiti No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, No. 4, No. 5, and No. 6.

Hot Wing Tag

2006-06-22T12:00:00.000+02:00

It might be just my feeling but I think there are more and more English words used in German language. The outcomes are sometimes funny when combined, like here "hot wing tag" (in this case "tag" being German for "day").

Camp Lindsay

2006-06-21T12:36:00.000+02:00

I received several emails from people who had been stationed in Wiesbaden, so today I'm showing you the area of former Camp Lindsay which had been closed in the 90s. It's now called Europaviertel (European Quarter) and all the buildings in that area got renovated. Some of them are appartment buildings now, others host the community college, offices from the city council, and the police department.

2nd hand shop window II

2006-06-20T17:15:00.000+02:00

Does this remind you of something? It looks similar but still is a bit different from last time. Here is a little reminder... Looks like they have all kinds of outfits for Cinderellas ;).

I had taken this shot a while ago in April when Sam from Montchauvet was visiting Wiesbaden and I had totally forgotten about it.

Balcony No. 3

2006-06-19T14:02:00.000+02:00

Very typical for some areas of Wiesbaden are these kinds of balconies with wrought-iron decorations. I really like that style!

Balcony No. 1 and No. 2.

Beauty Salon for Cars

2006-06-18T15:20:00.000+02:00

Last week I had my car parked underneath a bush. Next day when I got back to it, it was completely covered with some sticky stuff - not sure what it was, but is it possible that bushes sweat, too??

Anyways, I had to get the car cleaned and decided to use the occasion and treat it with a special beautification. There is one place in Wiesbaden (well, I only know of this one, there might be more) where you get your car washed from the outside but also cleaned from the inside. It costs a bit more (of course) but it's really quick and the car also smells nicely afterwards.

This is a photo of the "inside cleaning area". There are several teams, one doing the mats and opening all doors, the next wiping the screens, mirrors and the dashboard, and another one does the vacuum cleaning. Very efficient! :)

Flags everywhere

2006-06-17T11:03:00.000+02:00

This is an area with lots of bars and restaurants to go out at night. Since I took this photo in the morning, there's wasn't really much going on, just some people having breakfast.

The building straight ahead (the former hotel "Goldener Brunnen") has nearly all the flags of participating teams of the World Cup displayed, I'd say. So what's your guess - who'll make it to the finals??? (needless to say that over here everyone puts their money on Germany) :)

P.S. I almost forgot - by now we're more than 100 City Daily Photo bloggers!!! That's an occasion to celebrate!!!

Space for Bikes

2006-06-16T18:28:00.000+02:00

Aren't these bicycle stands stylish? Noticed them next to the city hall but apparently they are used in other places in Wiesbaden as well.

Boutique for Cat Lovers

2006-06-15T23:59:00.000+02:00

Are you a cat lover? Then I'm sure you'll like this boutique full of things with and for cats. It looks like the lady checking out the display in the window also got her bag there as well.

Update 16.06.: Sorry for the late post, I've been without Internet connection for the past 48 hours (*suffer*) due to a technical problem of my provider. It seems like it's solved but now I have to catch up on everything...

Summer in the City

2006-06-14T13:31:00.000+02:00

Are you up to some beach feelings right in the middle of the city? Just walk around the City Hall and the Marktkirche. The bar located there has set up a beach with beach chairs, sand, palm trees and everything you need for some holiday feelings. I took this shot in the morning so noone was there, but trust me, in the evenings it's packed! There are several others in the city as well, which I'm gonna check out over the summer for you :).

Market Place in 2006

2006-06-13T14:06:00.000+02:00

And here is how it looks nowadays. There might be some buildings you recognize from earlier posts... The castle on the right hosts the parliament of the state Hesse now (Hessischer Landtag), the clock tower doesn't exist anymore and you will find the civil registry office in the former city hall today. What do you think - has it changed much since 1845?

Market Place in 1845

2006-06-12T10:26:00.000+02:00

The Landesbibliothek (state library) has an exhibition with old paintings from Wiesbaden in its foyer at the moment. This photo is taken from a painting by G. Barnard from 1845. It shows the market place, the former city hall (on the left; it hosts the civil registry office nowadays), a clock tower (that doesn't exist anymore) and the castle on the right.

Tomorrow, I'll show the market place how it looks like nowadays.

All set up for World Cup

2006-06-11T17:49:00.000+02:00

I actually took this photo because I thought it was funny to see this little neighborhood competition going on with the Spanish flag, then the smaller German flag downstairs and on the building on the right a rolled up flag which could be French or maybe Netherlands...

But then looking at the photo at home I was surprised how many satellite dishes they also have - how many do you count?

FIFA World Cup Fan Shop

2006-06-10T16:44:00.000+02:00

As you all probably know - the World Cup 2006 has started yesterday and here in Germany nearly everyone is crazy about it! This is a World Cup fan shop in one of the department stores downtown with everything soccer related that you can think of. In the front you see the FIFA World Cup mascot "Goleo" taking a nap in the bed with World Cup sheets.

FIFA World Cup Germany 2006 Website

Renault Torpedo K29

2006-06-09T10:07:00.000+02:00

This is a photo from last weekend - the Automobile Club Wiesbaden had brought some of their beauties downtown to display them and collect money for a good cause ("Ihnen leuchtet kein Licht" - children in need). The TÜV (the German Technical Inspection Authority) also used that occasion to have an info booth there.

The Renault Torpedo K29 (I had to write down that name) stirred quite a lot of interest as you can see. It looked to me like there were a lot of experts around since they talked in a lingo that I didn't understand a word...

P.S. I'm back from Paris again! Thanks so much for visiting and commenting while I was gone and big thanks to my dear hubby for posting my photos during these days!!! I'll have some photos of my Paris visit on my other blog soon.

Graffiti No. 6

2006-06-08T08:42:00.000+02:00

This is an archive photo from a graffiti from Wiesbaden's most colorful house. To be honest, I'm not quite sure if it's really a graffiti since it appears more like a painting/mural to me. But I learned in the past that sometimes it's hard to tell... To me it looks like a mixture of a "holy image" and a scene from the tale "The Frog King". What do you think?

Also check out graffiti No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, No. 4, and No. 5.

Pfingstturnier II

2006-06-07T20:04:00.000+02:00

These are the transporters for the horses to bring them to the horse show. The horses also stayed in there overnight which I thought is quite handy (they're probably used to them by now). It's like a camping buses for horses, don't you think? ;)

Pfingstturnier

2006-06-06T20:07:00.000+02:00

Every year on Pfingsten we have the Pfingstturnier (a horseshow always on Pentecost) in Wiesbaden Biebrich. It is held in the beautiful park of Biebrich's castle. I didn't get tickets but since I got there early they allowed me to take some photos.

Doors No. 4

2006-06-05T09:59:00.000+02:00

Some more doors from my growing collection :). When I took the photo of the right door, I thought it was too bad that they had stuck one of the mailboxes right in the middle of the door's decoration (even worse in my eyes, since they used one of these cheap, ugly, standard mailboxes).

Someone asked were I took these photos: Most of the photos of doors I've shown you so far are taken in the same area around the "Rheingau-Viertel".

Also check out my previous door posts: No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3.

Display of St. Bonifatius Church

2006-06-04T10:18:00.000+02:00

This is the info display of the St. Bonifatius church downtown at the Luisenplatz, announcing the hours of the services, special events and social activities. What I really liked was the large painting of the church as a poster (you've already seen a reflection of one of the side windows of the church here) and the style of it.

Food Fusion

2006-06-03T10:38:00.000+02:00

In Wiesbaden there are several places where you can get some really good middle eastern food. Some are restaurants, some are more like bistros. They usually offer great tea or coffee and the one I went to and took the photos also had a great variety of fresh juices (I had orange strawberry). You can also have great soups like this lentil soup. Also typical are kebap places which I will show you in another post.

I almost forgot:

This has been Wiesbaden Daily Photo Blog's 100th post!!!
And there are a lot more to come! :)

Colorful Necklaces

2006-06-02T20:09:00.000+02:00

I've been checking out these colorful necklaces in the pedestrian area. Don't some of them look like candy on a string? ;)

Parking

2006-06-01T08:23:00.000+02:00

Today's theme of the City Daily Photo Bloggers is "Parking" - please stop by at the other CDP blogs to see what they posted for this theme.

Parking downtown Wiesbaden is not very easy if you don't want to pay for it. There are just a few no charge parking spots that are usually taken, then there is residential parking and of course spots with a parking ticket automat (in designated areas on the streets or in a garage). From my experience, prices can vary between from 50 Cents per hour to 1 Euro per half an hour, always depending on the time of the day.

A lot of residents have rented a parking spot so they don't have to deal with parking issues. This photo has been taken in a residential parking garage. Prices for this kind of parking spots can vary between 45 up to 80 Euros per month (sometimes even more if the spot is used by a company).

Some storks like it dangerous...

2006-05-31T20:12:00.000+02:00

The storks really seem to like power poles to build their nests on like here in Wiesbaden Schierstein. Every year the people from the electric power company take down the nests but the stroks keep coming back and build new ones (although they usually "re-use" the old ones).

Old Birdcage

2006-05-30T07:07:00.000+02:00

Spotted this in a window of one of the numerous antique stores (this one being on Taunusstrasse). I guess it's for decoration purposes only, though.

Cuckoo

2006-05-29T09:33:00.000+02:00

Since you all had been curious about the cuckoo, I went back and checked what happens at the full hour:

First the right door opens and the cuckoo comes out - you really need good eyes to spot it since it's quite small considering that the clock is so big (but if you don't see it, you definitely hear it!). Then afterwards there's some music playing and little puppets start to "dance" after the door on the left opens.

Click here for a photo of the large Cuckoo Clock.

Non-smoking Areas

2006-05-28T10:32:00.000+02:00

Unlike other European countries, Germany doesn't really have a smoking ban yet. But it's definitely discussed! A lot of public places are non-smoking areas several companies don't allow smoking in their offices and some restaurants offer non-smoking tables, indicated with signs like this one ("Nichtraucher").

If you're up to a Photo Quiz today, check out my Rheingau Daily Photo blog.

Graffiti No. 5

2006-05-27T18:01:00.000+02:00

A graffiti next to a playground. I don't know why the artist left out the head but someone else took care of it... ;) (not me, though)

Also check out graffiti No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, and No. 4.

Doors No. 3

2006-05-26T21:06:00.000+02:00

Some more doors from my archive. Everytime I see an interesting door now I think of you and take a picture of it. And there are some nice ones out there... !

Also check out my previous door posts: No. 1, No. 2.

Decorated Car

2006-05-25T13:22:00.000+02:00

Decorated car waiting for another freshly married couple to come out of the Civil Registry Office. Behind it is the entrance to Wiesbaden's City Hall.

Happy Father's Day to all the dads visiting my blog today!

I'm gonna get you...

2006-05-24T11:18:00.000+02:00

This little guy was having so much fun at the fountain, trying to get everything and everyone around him wet, that he didn't want to leave. So funny to watch him...

This is a newly installed fountain by the way (you have already see it in this photo). The place where it is - Mauritiusplatz has been "redecorated" last Fall/Winter and it looks a lot nicer now. The fountain's water comes from one of Wiesbaden's hot springs and has a temperature around 65°C!

Details of a facade

2006-05-23T14:30:00.000+02:00

This house was built 1900 (it's written below the window when you click on the image to enlarge it) and the decorations you see are all from that time. Also included in this facade decoration is Wiesbaden's coat-of-arms: yellow/golden "fleurs-de-lys" (stylized lilies) on blue background.

Walking Soccer Balls

2006-05-22T09:47:00.000+02:00

Some people don't have an easy job and these guys are part of that group I'd say. I've been walking behind them for a while since we had the same direction and I noticed people started to smile when they saw them (which I guess can be a good sign as well).

It's funny to watch the different kinds of advertising "walking around" in the pedestrian area especially during the weekend. We had clowns of course but also walking sandwiches, teddy bears or other kinds of animals, different kinds of vegetables, cell phones, you name it...

Geese

2006-05-21T16:43:00.000+02:00

Geese at the lake in the park. While trying to find out what kind these are I came accross some interesting mythological information about geese.

The old Greeks admired geese for their beauty and it was common to keep them as some kind of "decoration" or give them as a present to a beloved one. The Romans held them as guards because of their distinctive senses.

Apparently, in China geese are the symbol for marital truth and fidelity, whereas in India they are a symbol for wisdom and clarity.

Landeshaus

2006-05-20T10:43:00.000+02:00

The building called Landeshaus in Wiesbaden is from 1907. It hosts the Ministry of Economics, Transportation, and Development of the state Hesse (Hessisches Ministerium für Wirtschaft, Verkehr und Landesentwicklung).

It's built with the typical kind of sandstone you've seen in some of my other photos already. I like how you can see the texture of the stone in these columns.

Civil Registry Office

2006-05-19T07:54:00.000+02:00

Passing by Wiesbaden's Civil Registry Office, I noticed these guys waiting outside for the bridal couple to come out. It had started raining (as this lady who walked into my photo can prove) and they lined up at the wall to stay as dry as possible.

A lot of couples have two ceremonies here in Germany. First the mandatory civil ceremony and then a church ceremony which is optional but usually a lot more festive. That's also where the bride dresses up with the white wedding dress, whereas the civil ceremony is usually a bit more casual.

Motorcycle Combination

2006-05-18T08:56:00.000+02:00

Unfortunately, I don't know a lot about motorcycles, but I thought the turquoise one was quite cool! The one on the right is probably a bit easier to navigate, though, no?

"Shopping Dome"

2006-05-17T08:47:00.000+02:00

Doesn't this reflection make this shop look like a "shopping dome"? I guess, for some people it is...

This is the backdoor of a large clothing store downtown (doesn't open, that's why no people are around) and the reflection shows part of the St. Bonifatius church.

P.S. If you have a yummy receipe for left-over Easter chocolates, please share on my other blog!!!

Garden Gnome Buddha

2006-05-16T09:04:00.000+02:00

This is the outside display of a shop that actually sells flowers and plants mainly, but part of their concept is to provide possible gifts or everything else you could need for your house and garden as well.

The little guy on the chair immediately caught my attention - looks like even garden gnomes are doing yoga nowadays. :)

Dancing to the music of the organ

2006-05-15T08:02:00.000+02:00

Just behind the organ I spotted this scene - a dad dancing with his daughter to the music of it. They had so much fun, especially the daughter. It's so nice to see what parents sometimes do just to make their kids happy. I'm sure my parents went through a lot as well of which some of it I don't even remember anymore ;).

"Altobella Furiosa"

2006-05-14T07:43:00.000+02:00

Wiesbaden had a guest yesterday - the organ "Altobella Furiosa" from Waldkirch. In 1999 Waldkirch celebrated its 200 year anniversary of organ manufacturers and for that special occasion they ordered a special organ to represent it. It's more like a full orchestra (like the mechanical orchestras I've shown you on my Rheingau Daily Photo blog). Later on, unfortunately not when I took the photo, I saw lots of kids gathered around it - they loved it!

By the way, if you look up from the organ you'll see that there are still soccer balls in the trees...

... almost forgot:

HAPPY MOTHER's DAY to all the moms visiting my blog today!!!

Cuckoo Clock (Kuckucksuhr)

2006-05-13T10:25:00.000+02:00

May I present: one of the largest cuckoo clocks of the world. I'm only saying that it's one of them because I know of at least two other ones claiming the same title. ;)

Cuckoo Clocks are originally from the black forest but this store sells them together with other souvenirs from all over Germany.

Wilhelm I von Oranien-Nassau

2006-05-12T08:38:00.000+02:00

In Wiesbaden we have two statues of a Wilhelm I. I've already shown you Kaiser Wilhelm I. (1797-1888) a while ago, but this one is Wilhelm I. von Oranien-Nassau (1533-1584). He was also called William the Silent, was born in the House of Nassau and became Prince of Orange (Oranien) in 1544. In the Netherlands, he is also known as the "Vader des vaderlands" (Father of the fatherland) and the Dutch national anthem, the Wilhelmus, was written in his honour.

The reason, why we have his statue here, is that Wiesbaden is part of the former dukedom Nassau. Also, it is said that Wilhelm died for his Lutheran beliefs and the church behind the statue is the Marktkirche (right next to the city hall) which is Lutheran, so to honor him his statue has been set up in front of the church.

To find out more about William the Silent, check out the article at Wikipedia.