Hamburg (Germany): Love Knows No Bounds

The heart has reasons, reason knows nothing of. Perhaps Swannie prefers statuesque women who don't indulge in fuss and feathers?

Walter, is the paddle boat still in use--or does Swannie have firm notions about women working outside the nest?

Seems, the boat is still in use, but you may ask yourself :wink: :

Walter- Was the swan born on the lake with the paddle boat? Maybe it was the first thing that he saw after he was born, and is imprinted to it!

I do know, where the swans are in winter (indoors, caught by the fire department - each year a picture of this in any newspaper here), but since registry office's data are not online and published only with personal admission .... even swans have the right of data protection!

Oh dear, unrequited love.
Do you remember a couple of years ago when a bull moose in Alaska fell in love (or lust--it was rutting season) with a dairy cow on a farm? She didn't return his affections which caused him all sorts of angst.

i'll have to ask hamburger about this. he and mrs. hamburger just got back from 3 weeks in hamburg.

Love is blind !! This proves it !

I don't hope, gautam, you are referring to personal experiences ... . :wink:












Thinking about it, you are completely right - adding a "sometimes", I mean. (Some swans are quite happy with their love, I've been told )

True Walter - anyone falling in love with me, has to be blind

Well, if you say so ...

well, all i can say is that the swan must have developed his fancy of the boat AFTER i left hamburg on april 9. but here is a kind of funny story (that really does not bear any relationship to the swan story - or does it; you be the judge): when emporor wilhelm II visited hamburg in 1888, the good burghers "dressed" up a little river-steamboat as a swan ! (i have the picture in front of me; don't have a scanner yet so i can't show it). the boat was actually called KAISERBOOT - don't ask me why ! now, does anyone think there might be a connection between the amorous swan and the KAISERBOOT ? perhaps there is an explanation for this ??? hbg

I just tried to look up the KaiserBoot on Google - no luck yet. I did however find out that the Hamburg dragon-boat racing team is called the Swans, which is a neat piece of synchronicity.




pssssssssssssst ... Happy Belated Birthday to Hamburg! (both A2K's virtual Hamburg, whose birthday was yesterday - and the harbour of Hamburg which is >. ...celebrating ......... < its 814th birthday starting on May 9th.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HAMBURG!!!

Did your daughter, she of the purple flowers, do anything special for the event?

Happy belated birthday, hambuger!



hamburger

I'd never heard of that story.
I do know, howver, that the 'Hamburg State Boat Schaarhörn' (which has been the 'swimming hotle' for Emperor Wilhem a couple of times), was called colloquially "the swan from the lower Elbe river':

Diane, the doggies and I are off to visit hamburger and Mrs. hamburger tomorrow morning. A nice long weekend for me, and the beginning of a visit to El Primo Doggie Sleepaway Camp with Oma and Opa for the dogs.

Two, two, two celebrations in one - hamburger's birthday and mother's day!

hi, walter and all: thanks for your birthday greetings. ebeth and doggies arrived on friday. bailey and cleo will be staying with us for the next two weeks to entertain and to be entertained. mrs. h and i will get lots of exercise taking the two rascals for plenty of walks to the park and lake ontario promenade. won't leave much time for able2know - those two know how to keep us busy! hbg

All of you have a wonderful time!

walter : the "swanboat"/Kaiserboot picture is from the book "hamburg - seinerzeit zur kaiserzeit" published by "das topographikon - verlag rolf mueller - hamburg 1962". i found only a brief reference in www.schaden.com . the picture is from the picture and postcard collection "sammlung fritz lachmund" .the kaiserboot seems to be one of those little ferry-steamboats that cruised on the alster-lake(i believe one steamboat is still in use; but the other ferryboats are now diesel powered). it was outfitted with some swan-like contraption on its bow - perhaps to resemble some wagnerian stage-prop? the kaiser was in hamburg(29 october 1888) to lay the last brick for the buildings of the new FREIHAFEN(port of hamburg free-trade-zone). well, the kaiser used a SWANBOAT to impress his people; president bush lands on an aircraft-carrier ... any resemblance ... ??? hbg

Has the swan made any efforts to mate his beloved boat? Or is my question too intrusive?

I'm trying to imagine the offspring. But there generally is no offspring of unrequited relationships.

Poor Swannie.