Cold war revisited

Last night’s show was noisy but fun. The Spanish group opposite clearly believed they could compensate for lack of talent with extra volume. Also regular appeals to the fans: give us your energy, we need your energy!

The parade of boats was impressive: mostly passenger boats with people on board, dressed up with coloured lights. Several police boats scurrying about and earning their Saturday night overtime. The flotilla came down very close together, then some turned and docked, while others turned and took position steady against the current, all waiting for the fireworks, which started with this mortar:

It was an excellent display from the fortress, and we had a very good view. Fortunately everyone went to bed by midnight, so we got some sleep. This morning we set off in our car down the Rhine nearly to Bonn, to visit the West German government’s top secret nuclear-proof bunker – a real relic of the cold war. The whole government would have moved there in the event of war.

A sinister, if anonymous, entrance:

Massive safety doors everywhere:

Communications equipment to make you nostalgic:

And a control room out of Startrek or something:

It was very cold, and our German guide was very long-winded and, to us, totally incomprehensible, so we hurried away to the Hans Arp Museum, a little further down the river. This is based on a functioning railway station, modified by our old friend (from Rome) Richard Meier. The railway connection made me think of Shirley’s complaint about Meier’s Ara Pacis building.

You can see the new building looming above the old station. Before tackling the art, we had more excellent Riesling and lunch on the terrace, admiring the bar in passing:

Some of the exhibits were in an extension to the old station – including a room full of gruesome depictions of martyrdoms: not necessarily something one wants to contemplate after a good lunch. Then we went up to the new building – through a tunnel then up a lift in its own tower. The Arp items perfectly suited the cool, spacious and elegant gallery.

The rain was coming on as we emerged, so we decided we had done enough for the day and instructed the gps lady to take us home: which she did.