passing the time in a Dublin A+E

 A twelve hour stint waiting in accident and emergency was not what I had in mind for the weekend. When I arrived at reception I was told that it was very busy and there were 17 ahead of me in the queue.

 As the evening wore on the guy seen sitting in the wheel chair here who had registered at reception at around 10pm was informed there were 36 people ahead of him. He was helping a nephew by refereeing a saturday morning match when his back went. He couldn't walk with the pain, he called an ambulance which he reckons may cost him €700.

Having arrived at 7.30pm Saturday evening and seeing the nurse at 8.15 I was admitted to see the Doctor at 3.00am. I got results of blood tests and an x-ray at 7am Sunday morning. Mean while beside me Jennifer and Gary were on concussion watch and oliver was being resuscitated next door after burning his face and throat with poppers. There but for the grace of god, a debt of gratitude and admiration for all staff of Dublin's A+E services   

Umberella meeting of Urban Sketchers Berlin

'Urban Sketchers Berlin' Met up yesterday in the Market hall on Bergmann Strasse (I've always known it as this only to discover recently it's called 'Marheinekhalle'. We were a healthy sized group and it was great to met, in person, a few people whom I know only as three centimeter photos on the Internet. The weather was not at all conducive to drawing or painting of any form luckily the Markthalle has a roof and we all remained in doors.

Fruchthaus Lorenzen

 They were all very busy at the fruit stand but the boss gave me the luxury of a three minute pose

Some familiar and some not so familiar faces of 'Berlin Urban Sketchers'. While we are not quite Honk Kong's Umbrella movement we are moving with Umbrella's.

After a strenuous round of afternoon sketching there was a little trouble finding a restaurant that was both big enough for a group of our size, and interesting enough inside to give us all something to draw. In the end Cafe Josephine won our custom I ignored the decor and drew Werner, Annette and Christian. It was great to have the opportunity to met up with the group again and thanks top Katrin for organising it  

Organ grinders alive and well

Organ Grinders, (or "Leierkasten", "Lyre cabinet" men as they are referred to in German) are alive and well on the streets of Berlin but their monkeys have been stuffed. Here's one spotted recently on the train looking absolutely spiffing old chap.

taking a well deserved reading break

 Perhaps it is all in a name. I used to see organ grinders in Dublin when I was growing up but they are now a thing of the distant past, no longer to be seen. The name "Organ grinder" has negative connotations, and has had for quite some time. Where as It wouldn't necessarily bother if me if I heard the 'Lyre cabinet' man was coming around the corner... even if he was dressed very similar to Otto von Bismark...

'Lyre cabinet' man in front of Alexanderplatz station with a stuffed monkey

Proper Nouns

 People in  Places

Just People

People in Places with some Things

People in Places

could be Lassie

A look at people from place to place

Pencils at dawn,  10 minute sketches in diary

 On the Ubahn with the dog and the news paper

 Night and day train montage

two ladies on the train

Two ladies on the train.

A look at Benny, Boats, and a beer in Breege

 

This is Benny, he is the three wheel van that carries the same name as his owner who also owns the smart little fish takeaway in Breege harbour, Benny is used daily to deliver and pick up the fish for the takeaway when not doing this he generally hangs around the harbour car park. 

 

Behind Benny are the Breege harbour public toilets and shower facilities. These facilities are used by the docked sailors, fishermen and yacht owners. they are cleverly disguised as a quaint little thatched cottage. 

 

 Turning to the Harbour itself and looking out across the Jasmunder bodden, moored on the pier are all types and sizes of boats including here depicted the "Phoenix".

 

 A thatched theme is in evidence all over Breege. Here made to look like a herons nest to attract the attention of passing tourists to a local bicycle hire shop. (The Heron is plastic)

another view over the Jasmunder bodden the one that cost me twelve mosquito bites on the sketchpad holding left hand, still not sure if it was worth the preceding three days of pain.  

 

 Finally time for a beer.

We`re travelling to the east sea again. Wir fahren noch mal an die ostsee.

The initial waiting in Friedrich Strasse was made a good bit less tedious with these colorful cake buying characters. 

 Once on the Island of Rügen it`s into the car with us and on to further exotic destinations

  

 To Binz and the "Haus des Gastes" where everyone gets married

 

And again in the car and the open road,

 

 To Sassnitz the fishing port where only the best herring Fish bread rolls are sold  

then onward yet again to god only knows where ...

.... oh home again,  with the idyllic viewof farm yard

(Not finish will scan in finshed version l8r)

"Huxley's Neue Welt", "John Butler Trio"

 

It was great to see "The John Butler Trio" play here in Berlin a couple of weeks back. I had a ticket for sale outside the gig and a tout told me "You have no chance, they've all gone in already" touts all over the world seem to share the same positive outlook on life.  two minutes after he said this I sold the ticket and went in with a score in my back pocket.

The gig was great and there was no shortage of looks from my fellow attendees as if I had 10 heads when I took out the sketch book and attempted to draw in the dark.