This week’s small pleasures: 486

With daffodils and tulips popping up all around, frilly blossom gracing the trees and birds chirruping loudly every morning, spring has sprung. I may have mentioned before, but I had forgotten that joy of seeing the first spring flowers which you feel living in northern Europe. However, the highlight of the week though was going to Lübeck which you can read about here and here. It was an excellent day in so many ways, and a place I highly recommend you visit should you be in this part of the world.

Not a small pleasure at all, but interesting to see this local news hit the BBC news website. A wolf was spotted here in Hamburg…not just Hamburg but Altona…and not just Altona but 5 minutes from where we are staying! Read about it here. That sighting did not put off one of our local robins, spotted on the way to the station on Wednesday.

Altonaer Museum

On Good Friday, we strolled over to our local museum, which covers the history of the area. There is a free area with temporary exhibitions (including one about the different language variations in the north of Germany which we found fun) and where I also learned that at the end of the 19th century, Altona was not only the largest fishing port in Germany, but also a key place for processing herring. So much so that Altona was called ‘city of kippers’ and Ottensen ‘little herring village’. Not sure the translation of ‘kippers’ is quite right but we get the picture!

Anyway, the museum is home to a large collection of ships’ figureheads, some of which you can see below. The picture on the right is of various buildings that would have been around in the area in the past – I love the little white stools in place to let children climb up and have a look.

One section was also set up with examples of workshops and housing, such as those you can see below. I always love things like this and could spend ages trying to imagine what it must have been like.

Eating

We haven’t ventured further than our local Italian in terms of eating out in the evening. I think we have been here once a week since we got here, and they even know Karl’s order now (a salami pizza). This week I had pasta with fish (think mostly monkfish) which was very good.

There have been a couple of lunches too – some excellent vegetable soup for me and quiche for Karl at the Altona museum cafe, and a burger with fantastic pickles when we were in Lübeck which set us up for the afternoon.

In the shopping basket there was this tub of rather strong but good sauerkraut that I hope I can get through before we leave (hmm….), some lachscreme or salmon in a tube from Sweden (I am holding out for Kalles Kaviar…) and other odd bits like good sausages and mustard. I made a lamb stew on Sunday, with meat bought at the market, and picked up this ‘stew pack’ for my veggies with leek, carrots, celeriac and parsley to go in it.

We treated ourselves to pastries on Saturday – a rare treat for us – Karl had half the apple one, and I the rhubarb and marzipan, and we had the other halves on Sunday afternoon when we got home. I also spotted this whole row of tofu flavours….what one would you try? My husband won’t eat it but am so tempted to try the smoked tofu Black Forest.

Easter Sunday

On Sunday, we headed out to the Hamburger Kunsthalle, the main art gallery. Below you can see the modern extension and part of the original building. Our goal was to see the Maria Lassnig and Edvard Munch exhibition which was in the new building, along with wonderful collection of miniatures from the early 19th century. Some of these were so lifelike, you could see exactly what the person was like, others were quite romantic (eg a woman whose heart had been pierced by Cupid’s arrow, sending the likeness to, no doubt, the person who had had that effect on her). The Lassnig/Munch exhibition was a bit mixed, or rather, I was drawn in every room to Munch’s works and found I did not like Lassnig’s pieces. It sort of meant for a disjointed exhibit, but still of course extremely interesting, and made me realise how starved we are in New Zealand of such exhibitions.

We found a bakery for a quick sandwich lunch, then walked back to the station, taking in more buildings as we went.

Simple things

• Finding I am reading a lot – though should really take a break from Antipodean crime!
• Seeing that a friend completed her 50th park run.
• Enjoying several warm, sunny moments.
• Walking around the market on Saturday morning.
• Having a four day weekend.
• Wishing you all a slightly belated Happy Easter if you celebrate!

What were your small pleasures this week? Here are some other blog posts from a few fellow bloggers looking at the good things in life. 

• Carol Ann shares her wonderful delights of the week.
• Meanwhile Travels Through My Lens takes us on a No Kings march.
• Neal shares his weekly Five Friday Happy Bringers.
• And Natalie also shares five good things.
• Anne shares six rather different garden surprises.
• And Debbie has some grateful Easter moments.
• The Travel Sketcher as always shares so many special things in The Pearl this week.
• And Mr Tootlepedal escapes the worst of Storm Dave and finds a tadpole.
• The snow is slowly going for Laurie
• Anabel of The Glasgow Gallivanter takes us to Easby Abbey.
• Interesting to see how an experiment with a new growing medium is going for Maria’s indoor plants.
• Jo’s walk takes us to Angra do Heroismo – looks amazing!
• The Eternal Traveller shows us the best view in Athens.
• And Jo fills us in on recent happenings.
• Finally….Mr Platypus goes to a cat cafe.
• ..…and all the other lovely bloggers out there. Sorry if I have missed anyone…..

Thistles and Kiwis is a Wellington, New Zealand based blog written by Barbara, who likes cats, summer and good food. Thistles and Kiwis can be found on Facebook and Instagram @thistlesandkiwis