We arrived, unbeknown to us, on the eve of the "Schlagermove" festival or "love" festival as we were told by the lady at the Tourist Office. Always held on the last weekend of June, it is a parade of 45 party trucks, all decorated with balloons and all blaring out schlager (German pop songs of the 70's). The parade of trucks make their way through the streets of St. Pauli and around the Reeperbahn (famed red-light district and also where Beatles performed in the famous Star Club in the early 60's). Typically, about half a million schlager fans descend by train to the festival, all dressed in bright and bold patterned bell-bottomed trousers, bright afro wigs and Gary Glitter boots - I'm sure you can imagine! Well, along with that image, add singing, drinking, shouting and
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