Cowhide Wohnzimmer

Monday was a house concert in Schwalbach am Tanus, a satellite town of Frankfurt am Main, the main financial centre of Germany.

Dietmar and his wife Karin have been hosting Wohnzimmer (living room) concerts since 2012. They began inviting family and friends for live music in their living room, then word got around and more people came. Now they advertise and are open to everyone. Tonight was concert number 148.

There is a real cowhide on the floor to protect the floor and act as the stage, hence the name for their house concerts.

With all this experience, they organise the evening simply and well. All guests are asked to bring food for a “pot luck” supper. The buffet opens at 7pm then music starts at 7.30.

Dietmar has inherited an upright piano from his great grandfather. It was built in 1924 and Ray played it this evening. Tonight was fully acoustic which meant Ray returned to songs like Tears Of Isis.

Our hosts have a connection with Scotland and so Ray played a waltz and a song from Scotland:   Sir Archibald MacDonald Of Kappoch and Ye Jacobites By Name, written by Robbie Burns in the late 1700’s.

As an encore Ray returned to his mandolin to play two Swedish tunes from Småland followed by Wayfaring Stranger, accompanied by many in the audience.

Travelogue

Petrol is very expensive here – around €2.50 litre. We have learnt that the cheapest time to buy petrol is in the morning, especially between 11 and 12 noon. After that, prices can go up by €0.20 a litre! Before March, pump prices could change at any time. Then the rules changed; prices can go down any time but they are only allowed to go up after 12 noon. However, the taxes are going to be reduced after 1st Oct and prices should go down again.