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Published: July 16th 2013
Poster of the festival
There was nothing we could find on the internet about this festival - think we may have been the only non-Germans here!Arrived on a Saturday morning and upon strolling down to the historic harbor pleasantly discovered that we had, once again, walked into another summer festival!
The harbor was lined with sailing ships, steam ships and other historic water craft. Most of the ships are privately owned by individuals or syndicates of enthusiasts who, lovingly, restore and maintain them. Rides were being booked on these crafts and every now and then a blast from a steam ship's horn would cause billowing black smoke to swirl out of its chimney. This would then be followed by other horns and soon a chorus of horns would sound much to the delight of the passing crowds.
Because of the history of commercial maritime trading of the town, there are many festivals held around the ships in the harbor. This one concentrated on steam-driven ships, thus the name "Dampf Rundum" which literally means "Around Steam". A steam train running alongside the harbour also was offering rides.
Stalls in which old crafts associated with ships, like rope making and wood turning had been set up. We walked along, enjoying the atmosphere and partaking of some of the food offered including wood smoked wursts and
a delicious sweet called a Quarkballchen - a moist doughy ball the size of a sailor's fist, deep fried and rolled in powdered sugar. Delicious! There were also lots of crab brotchen (bread rolls) and the matjes (herring) rolls.
Opposite the harbor area is a large brewery called Henson's Brauerie. We visited this establishment and sat at the end of the bar, watching the expert beer pourer at work. The bar was doing a roaring trade and the barman was keeping us entertained after he poured a couple for us! All the beer is brewed on the premises running to the taps through exposed shiny copper pipes.
Unlike, France, Italy and Greece, food is available anytime in Germany. We were in a restaurant around 3.30pm and commented on this fact when we looked across at a couple eating currywurst and chips with their beer - only to discover that they were French! Ok, it's not haute cuisine but people really like their meat and potatoes here.
Being a weekend there were also groups and solo musicians busking in the main pedestrianised thoroughfare - some very good and some pretty lousy. We were way off the beaten track
for tourists, other than German, here!
Flensburg was a pleasant stay and I had my fill of the 'hunds' being taken for their weekend walk along the harbor!
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