We were blessed with more sunny skies and warm temperatures today.  I thought maybe we’d hit that castle I was thinking about yesterday, but Bill wanted to go to Wiesbaden.  Originally, his plan was just to get some ice cream and maybe have a look at where Elton John had his concert last night.  I bet it was a great time.  The weather was perfect for it.

We could see the work crew starting to break down the stands and stage set up for Elton as we wandered past.  It wasn’t long before we found ourselves in an area that looked like maybe they were concessions stands set up for the concert.  Upon closer examination, we discovered that we’d stumbled upon the Kranzplatzfest.  It started on Wednesday and today is the last day of what appeared to be a music and beverage festival.  We also saw lots of people selling stuff.

Lots of stands were selling stuff… mostly drinks, but a few had some handmade crafts and clothes for sale.

The Kranzplatzfest has been going on for 38 years, but we had no idea about it.  In fact, we would have completely missed it if we hadn’t ventured into the city today.  That would have been a pity, because I got some great footage of people dancing to Cuban music.  We happened to get there just before Los 4 Del Son started their 2:00 show.

It was warm today… and it looked like steam was coming off of this fountain.  I don’t know if the water was really that hot or if it was a special effect.  Edited to add: My German friend says this is no special effect.  We stumbled across the Kochbrunnespringer.  Indeed, we saw steam, as the temperature was about 67 degrees Celsius/152.6 degrees Fahrenheit.

I was attracted to these paintings.  I wouldn’t have minded bringing one home with me.  But I wasn’t sure what the price range was and Mr. Bill has already spent a fortune this summer.  And summer hasn’t even started…

Before the Los 4 Del Son show started, we were entertained by watching a crotchety clown yell at some guy who was messing with his bubble blower.  The clown– who wore a festive clown patterned vest, a matching newsboy cap with pom pom, denim capri pants, and a sour expression on his face, noticed the guy adjusting the blower with the wind.  There he was, holding a balloon he’d been turning into an animal for a small child, bitching out the man who dared to touch his bubble blower.  It was a really funny scene, though maybe you had to be there.

Cool sculpture.  This was where the cranky clown had put his bubble blower.

Setting up for the show…

This guy was not amused when some random dude started messing with his bubble blower.  He told him off, which didn’t seem very clown like to me.  The guy responded by laughing at him, which seemed to piss off the clown even more.

See the blower?  It was delighting kids and adults alike.

Bill and I tried apple wine for the first time.  It’s a specialty up here near Frankfurt.

One was sweet and the other was sour.  The sweet version had lemonade in it.  I like it better than the sour, which really was very sour.

We had cold chicken shwarma for lunch.  It was cheap and filling, but really messy.  I was glad I saved Wet Naps from our last fest.

And some German craft beers to wash it down.  Bill’s was an IPA.

Lots of people were dancing.  I got some video, which I may be able to share here.

There was another young man who appeared to have been drinking quite a lot.  He was really showing off his moves in a dramatic way.  I bet he’s a hit at dance clubs because he obviously has confidence to show off his stuff.  We saw him approach a young woman with two small children with her, as if he’d asked her to dance.  She turned him down.  He turned and walked away, dejected.

After about an hour of watching people dance and listening to festive Cuban music that made me wish we were in the Caribbean, Bill and I decided to get some ice cream.  We stopped by Eis Cafe Rialto for the first time.  This is supposedly one of the best ice cream joints in Wiesbaden.  The ice cream is made locally and there are many flavors.

And passed this cool vintage car on the way there… lots of money is up here in Wiesbaden…

It was hot and sunny, but we managed to find some shade.

I had a Black Forest cup and Bill had a Wild Berry cup.  Germans love their ice cream creations.  They are very fancy and can cost as much as an entree in a restaurant.  I was amused by the cherries in my ice cream, which tasted like they were carbonated.  I love a cheap thrill whenever I can find one.

I’m glad we went to Wiesbaden today, even though we always end up there somehow.  I wouldn’t have wanted to miss today’s fest, especially since I hadn’t known about it.  If we’re still here in a year, we’ll have to make a point of coming to a couple of days.  I’m sure yesterday, it was a zoo thanks to Elton John’s concert.  On the other hand, I’m sure the lucky concertgoers had a lovely time.  The weather was absolutely gorgeous for a show.  It was probably nicer than the Stuttgart show, anyway… I sat downwind of some guy with halitosis.  I don’t know how Elton was last night, but I did read he had to cancel his show in Verona due to a cold.  Hope he’s better now!