Once we lived in Bielefeld.
And I loved Bielefeld so much I even got the castle above tattoed on my back.
I loved it because of the perfect cafés there.
I loved it because of the splendid parks, and the open hearted and open spirited students sunbathing, doing Capoeira and snogging on blankets. I loved it because of the university and the person it made me. I loved it because we got married there, and because both of my daughters were born there, and because it made me grow up. But in a way that I liked. I loved it because we lived in a house together with the coolest people on the planet - a group of punks, a family with two mothers and no father, a gay couple, and lots of kurdish families down the road. And on mild summer evenings, we´d sit in our graffiti decorated backyard between the drying sheets and have barbecue together, while all the kids ran around naked. Oh, yes, I loved our time in Bielefeld.
And I loved it because it is a town that doesn´t seem to know how beautiful it is. But it is. And when we left it, it teared me up, and I was homesick - or lovesick? for more than a year. Until I found that home can be everywhere, but that´s another story.
So last weekend, we took the train...
...and traveled for a lot longer than necessary, because trains in Germany don´t work like they are supposed to...
and arrived home. (Because, the older we get, the more places we can call home).
We met with Ronja´s godfather, who took this picture, and whose wife is expecting their first child in a few weeks. And you know, seven years ago, we went to this same place with them, right after Ronja´s christening. Only then, she couldn´t do this:
or this...
So this last weekend, we walked on the paths of our past, just for a little while,
or, you know, drove on them...
and hang around in the trees.
and met more friends.
Enjoyed the playgrounds...
...and the picture perfect backgrounds, and the light, in the zoo that is actually free (another awesome thing about Bielefeld!)
If you look closely (and actually made it until this point of the longest post ever), you can see the owl in the pic. Left upper corner, it is.
But well, what I intended to say is
a) we had a damn awesome weekend, and I´m quite tired, but again, happy.
b) I like poshing around with my kids, and the weather over here, and the cool things we do - but I guess you figured that yourselves until now? ;) and
c) If you ever happen to come to Germany, forget about Heidelberg. Forget about Schloss Neuschwanstein. I´ve been there. I can guarantee you, it´s not half as cool as Bielefeld. Though, you could also come over too us. :)
So, here´s my music for today:
John Mayer - In Your Atmosphere - MyVideo Österreich
And I really hope it works on the other side of the world, as well, because it wasn´t on youtube anymore, so I can´t be sure. But it´s one of the most beautiful songs I can think of, and I sang it quite a lot while moving. I´m not sure if I ever experienced what this song is about. But I could always vividly imagine it would feel like this.
Home is a very complex concept, and I believe this song is, in a way, exactly about this.
And man, the line about "I watch your pretty life play out in pictures from afar"? That´s poetry.
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