„Der Wonnemonat Mai!“ No other month excites Germans more than this one, and the expression „Wonnemonat“ means roughly translated „May! Month of Delight!“. It is the perfect time to get out. Germans are in good spirit although they do not yet lay around naked in the sun on their beloved „free body culture“ (i. e. nudist) beaches. So it will be a piece of cake for you to get to know people in coffee shops, bars & streets. Yes, in May you will actually get to see smiling Germans in free range.
Darmstadt invites you to see it in the very best light. For example „Orangerie“ in the heart of Bessungen offers a stunning sunny Sunday afternoon walk with its structured greens, blooming flowers and 18th century architecture. If you are more of the urban gardening type, sunny days at the Oberfeld farm on your way out to Roßdorf are really great.
Sport? But not too much? While our beloved football team tries to survive in 2. Bundesliga, we also support the local Boule scene on Mathildenhöhe, anytime, every day of the weekend.
Food? And drinks? All the restaurants with the „Biergarten“ sign will now service their open air areas again. An „After-Work“ meet up of a very special kind is organised by wineries from around Mainz on Darmstadt’s Carree-Piazza, on May 10th starting around 5 p.m. There is nothing like actually getting to know the people that make your drinks while you drink those drinks with them. Don’t fear the language barrier, most of the young wine making generation are used to tourists from abroad, so they speak at least English, but probably they also went to a French wine university and maybe even to a lot of other places. Those farm boys and girls are not what they used to be.
In general, local producers are really worth a little research, some have been around in Darmstadt for some time, many new are popping up. Check for instance producer markets on Riegerplatz, Johannesplatz and Orangerie (Did we mention that place earlier? Great place.). Get your locally roasted coffee on Ballon Platz and dip into special flavours of „Coccola“ ice cream in Schustergasse next to Goldene Krone. With more on handmade foods and naked Germans join us again in July for a special double edition of this Urban Culture Magazine.
Yours, P.
