Villa Hügel, Essen

Goldenen Oktober, indeed. We headed to Villa Hügel, Essen. The train journey was marvellous, in the middle of the woods golden and copper hues. Chestnut, birch, linden, oaks…marvellous.

Krupp and down

Today we did a full immersion in yet another German manufacturing legend of the Ruhr: Krupp.

The Villa Hügel exhibition illustrates how Essen was shaped by the Dutch-German family and its diversified steel empire, and how soon the Krupps discovered the enormous potential of a new media, photography.

Olio di gomito

A word much needed in Europe in this era, the New Anormal. It’s time for scratching hard. But not scratch-and-win.

Dal Dizionario dei modi di dire della lingua italiana di Carlo Lapucci: «Dare olio di gomito. Metterci della fatica, del lavoro; soprattutto per pulire e lustrare, l’olio di gomito è il mezzo migliore per ottenere un buon risultato. Si dice: “Qui ci vuole olio di gomito”, per dire: “Qui bisogna strofinare forte”.»

 

Sun-day morning

 

K2 = Kanzler Kandidat?

Helmut Schmidt, faiseur de roi? Peer Steinbrück, canditat idéal? More chez Guenther Jauch or here.

EuroCinderella

Europe needs a pumpkin morphing into a fairy coach to get away from this mess! In the meantime, the US debt is not getting any better….and closer to Halloween. Trick or treat!

Letter to Santa

Tomorrow the Italian government has to deliver its letter.

PS

http://www.repubblica.it/economia/2011/10/26/news/il_testo_della_lettera_alla_ue-23930250/?ref=HREA-1

Tirer des plans sur la comète

Manufacta Est is always attentive to the theme of craftsmanship – check out her fab pictures! She highlighted the Handwerk campaign in Germany. Incredible website and fun video…have a look.

Talkshow in Schoeneberg

Tonight on ARD the Guenther Jauch talkshow with Peer Steinbrueck, former SPD Finanzminister under the Grosse Koalition, and Helmut Schmidt – the theme is the financial crisis, of course. An interesting demographic line of leadership, past and – maybe – future.

Chemical brothers

Geez! One week, two big chemical plants! Even for an Industriekultur junkie* like me this is really a record week!

Well, the first visit was to the plants owned by the company where I am working now, so that will be my bread and butter from last Monday onwards! The second visit wasn’t business but leisure. Yesterday the IOL events took us to Chemiepark Marl, not far from Dortmund.