I prowl through the streets of my city, and wherever I go, I meet people everywhere in vast quantities. Expectant my anticipation I recognize their faces, the children are excited and not everybody wears a costume or a musical instrument, often both. Just a few years of this sight to me reason would have been enough to leave the city fled, because these are the unmistakable signs that the festival of festivals in the Palatinate to his absolute peak approaches: The procession of the German harvest festival. THE Neustadter spectacle par excellence.
Just a few years ago I lived on Hetzel place, overlooking the train station. And you should know to understand why I am on the day of the move earlier 've always sold to Speyer
or the idyllic Rhodt under Rietburg. At the station forecourt weeks before the actual festival, the "Haiselscher" built up. These are small houses in optical lattice, in which the people sit on hard wooden benches, and "new wine" or (fill the glass with wine and a splash of water to) and Riesling juice cups of half-liter glasses. This "Schopp glasses" are passed around here as the burning joint in the student apartment. "The circle must pint" they say here, why he was even "
Troll pint " calls, but to explain it now would take too long. There are swaying and sing-along music on stage Palatine and hearty dishes. It's sociable and it makes us happy and drunk. Class for the celebrating, silly if you live next to it.
In the course of several weeks of festivities will eventually also have built up a big fuss, with a Ferris wheel and chain carousel, and no later then the one just described noise mixes with the opening lines of the showman and a native of canned Top Ten out of the speakers. On the last weekend of the festival is always even put a: on the Hetzel place be small tents made - for any German wine-growing region of a. There are then In addition to the different wines from all over Germany and Mediterranean specialties for the Toscana Group, and of course to light jazz music. Here is drunk with class!
once I try to describe the acoustic scenario in my former work on the morning of the parade, "you still Woooollt 'Rrrundeee ne?" and to some boy band from the speakers of the Ferris wheel. "This is the Anton aus Tirol" rings out from the Haiselscher over, and just below my window's for breakfast Dixieland. If it is then insured by the Haiselscher for the fifteenth time that the old wooden Michel still does not Temporal blessed begins next to the Dixieland-band to a ruthless Indian group in felted alpaca ponchos, patch up the noise floor with pan flutes, drums and chants. Who now work with portable, battery-powered amplifiers, and thus the small even against a drum corps can anstinken.
Where you say grade Tabourcorps ": this is usually the time when a BIG, who traveled by train drum corps through the concrete underpass from the station to Hetzel space marching. And of course they use their reflective through the tunnel walls generated acoustic advantage over the Indians of shameless and still play in the tube their instruments warm. Loud is an understatement! In any case after the Dixilandkombo. And the irritated local residents. As I said: Well, for the celebrating, it was granted to him with all my heart. But watch out if you live next to it.
So far, so good. Reassuring that I now no longer at the place I live Hetzel. Today I see the party much more relaxed and serene. I go to my favorite coffee shop, its history
I have already told, and have breakfast on a beautiful, sun-drenched table. And I am pleased with vorbeimarschierende, colorfully costumed fanfare as well as on the Indians, because of my Café is not played, it is too far away from the hustle and bustle of the main axis. The batteries of my camera, I've recharged fresh overnight, and while I eat my breakfast I look at the display again at the photos I have in recent weeks by the Haiselscher by the commotion and the corkscrew monument made on the Hetzel place. Beautiful pictures! I have long since she transferred to the hard drive of my computer, so I can erase the memory card now safely. For today I will join the fray, and I watch the whole parade for the first time from beginning to end. And images I want to do it. Many pictures. Would be ridiculous if I did not get behind it would find what the Palatinate in this tradition. I feel like an anthropologist on a field trip to a foreign country, where he studied under life-threatening, the mysterious rituals of the natives.
after breakfast I do on myself to find a nice spot overlooking the parade. Not so easy, because that's what thousands of people before me have already done. On all road sides, they are crowded together, waiting for the big event. As the parade has not started yet, but I can take in search of a grandstand court time, and run almost the entire route.
First, I equip the site of the Open Channel a visit. The transfer for years the parade live on the cable network and always from the same point. Since they can install namely relations with many tricks and a cable, which is the direct transfer in the first place. I know from a friend who is involved with the open channel very much. I speculate it would meet him there, and then use the elevated platform of the television camera for my photos. That would be a great place to take pictures. Unfortunately, I meet him not. In addition, the platform is already far too small for unannounced visit. So, I am looking for.
right next to the OB of the Southwest Radio interviewed an Asian-looking woman in elegant dress, a passerby. The logo on the belonging to the lady television camera is unknown to me. I discover in the entourage of this television station also used a photographer of a very impressive Canon telephoto lens. I take a picture of the photographer, he noticed me, and so we get talking. I learn that his delegation is a special trip from the city of Neustadt's Chinese partner, to report on the festival. So that you can stand in Quanzhou in China interested in the distant Haiselscher, I had not expected. Probably there are also more likely the picturesque wine princesses the Chinese for the station to be filmed.
I find a good spot on the edge of a parking lot. This is something increasing and has a good view over the heads of other spectators away. And there're off. I take pictures like mad. Only after the second or third car, I notice that the green house with the neon sign "Eros Center" is not such a nice background for my pictures. Also appear in the vicinity of the parking lot of dog owners live, because the smell is here ... I will not even say so drastically severe. This also explains why a in such a spectacular vantage point still places were free. Since I know the route of the parade, but I need just a few minutes to find a different site, added to the spectacle is not even started the addition. Here's my view of the floats is not quite as good, but I can reproduce it and the Fußgruppen now in a little less sleazy atmosphere.
And what is this move for a show! I see in people who have only just learned to walk and those that can run just yet. Adults, children, old men and even worthy young people take part in a completely natural. I watch Day laborers, fags, Transylvanian vampires and Teutonic chickens. I see people of all skin colors, from every continent and people who are dressed in the fashions of the past 15 centuries. Unbelievable! When I was in the age of a water-filled tub herumplanschenden young producers, I was already at the mention of the word "Customs Care" run away screaming. And here is the easy living. In a magazine I read recently that one can understand the proverbial local ties of the Palatinate best if you go to one of the many traditional festivals. Only now do I understand this statement.
What I do not see the way, are comatose drunks as they are found in hundreds in the Rhineland carnival rides of my home. If I remember it exactly, I only ever see a man who at least has a rudimentary drunk, and can at least still go unicycle. Strange. Actually I had expected corresponding excesses, because everywhere is carousing merrily. Many bring their own even with glasses and the winemakers present of a hard-working. Perhaps the Palatine tolerate more easily because he is better trained - including a liver grows with their duties. Maybe, but can the people in this ancient wine-growing region better with the consumption of grape juice around to know more, when to stop. Maybe even the Red Cross organized and transported to reveler babbling from faster and more discreet than in the Rhineland. I really need this evidence to explore. But I move to the next year. Then I'm going down again. Maybe I'll bring me even with a glass Schopp. Why not?
