Festive Schwabing

This weekend my neighbourhood will not be short of attractions. The Corso Leopold sees the main boulevard transformed into a lively festival with food and drink stalls of all kinds and musical performance. The event draws bigger crowds every year.

On Saturday there will also be the annual Schwabinger Hof-Flohmärkte, which needs a bit of explanation since it depends on the way German urbanization differs from that familiar in the United Kingdom. While in Britain builders were throwing up little individual houses for a populace convinced that their 'home should be their castle', in Germany apartment blocks accomodated multiple households on as many as six floors with Hinterhöfe, common courtyards, behind the main building. In these shared spaces the residents have the opportunity each summer to set up their own flea market stalls. Whether this is an expression of a belief in responsible recycling or simply radical household decluttering is neither here nor there.

This nod towards the 'sharing society' will involve no less than no less than 114 locations, each identified by colourful balloons at the street entrance, in our neighbourhood, far more than anyone could possibly visit. But it all makes for a wonderful atmosphere for the thousandsof flaneurs who will be on the pavements, weather permitting. 

On Flickr there are some photos I took in 2011 which capture the mood reasonably well.