Happy Friday, everyone! And it’s not just the end of the week – today we’re also on the very last leg of our recent Germany trip. But I think I’ve saved the best for last, because it turns out that Germany is just full of the kind of cute monsters that the Beasties and I love so much! We’ll meet them later in the post.
First, let’s check out that magical house I mentioned!
How’s THAT for a cool place to live?
This very unusual building is called the Waldspirale (“Forest Spiral”), and it’s in Darmstadt, a city just south of Frankfurt. It was designed by an Austrian-born New Zealand artist and architect called Friedensreich Hundertwasser, and the best part is that it’s not just for show. Yes, people actually do live here!
Apart from the glowing gold domes on the roof, I also loved the gentle layers of colour, smooth curved surfaces and the proliferation of plants everywhere.
And these things are recurring themes in Hundertwasser’s designs – he was very much against straight lines and standardisation. This is especially obvious when you see the staircase in the central courtyard!
So, if I ever feel the need to relocate Beastie Towers to Germany, I reeeeeeallllly hope they have a spot for us in here! Oh, and fun fact – while you’ll find most of Hundertwasser’s buildings in Germany and Austria, there are a few others scattered in choice locations across the world. They include a winery in the Napa Valley in the US, an incineration plant in Osaka, Japan, and… A public toilet block in Kawakawa, a small town in the northernmost region of New Zealand!
Now, who wants to meet some monsters? Because trust me, they were everywhere! We found monster street art…
… Mascots in shops…
… And friends on every street corner!
Hey, is this making you thirsty? Have some monster juice!
And now I think it’s high time we kicked back with a nice cup of monster tea…
… And remember all the friends, old and new, we met on our trip!
Cheers for joining us on our travels – and also a massive THANK YOU to all the Beastiebuddies who made our German trip so much fun!
We’ll be back on Tuesday with more monster shenanigans… In the meantime, are your paws taking you anywhere interesting this weekend? Be sure to tell us all about it in the comments!