The most wonderful thing about campervan travelling and having time, is that you end up in the most unexpected places. There is a huge population of grey-haired nomads roaming foreign territory and doing it in a way that is self sustaining financially; renting out their homes, living off their pensions and living cheaply. At times it seems as if the whole world is populated by 0ver-60's!

We have arrived in Germany and know about ten words of German between the two of us. Our prime objective is to stay off the beaten track as much as we can, however some larger towns and cities definitely deserve a side trip.

Our first stop is Kassel in the Hesse District. Nearly obliterated by 400,000 bombs in October 1942, the town managed to rise from the ashes and today is a vibrant, creative community.  We came in search of the Grimm Brothers as  part of the Fairy Tale Route but arrived in time for one of the world’s most famous contemporary arts exhibitions. “Documenta 14”. “What? You’ve never heard of it?” Neither had we! But tens of thousands of other people had and the city was swamped.  The festival takes place every five years, the chosen artist kept a carefully guarded secret until the event. It is highly organized and deeply meaningful. I managed to locate an outline of Documenta 14 written in four languages but it was so artistically intense with purpose and clarification there is no point in me trying to describe it. I’ll leave that to Google.

Needless to say on a balmy summer evening we stroll with others along greenspaces and public venues seeking meaning and understanding of many of the huge art installations which have begun unfolding during the 100 days of the exhibition. I’ve always loved installation-art. The fact that one can dream up an idea and have it created in the most fancival sizes and constructed in whatever medium fits. I once had the opportunity to be a part of an art installation called “The Queue”. I was one of thirteen people who queued in the most unexpected places and then waited for a code word on which we would disband and reassemble at another obscure point over three days.

I am, of course, in awe of the huge Pantheon with pillars constructed of tens of thousands of books preserved in plastic wrap. The sky above is stormy and daggers of lightening flash. The on-coming rain will be a real test of how water tight the structure has become. Nearby what appears to be  huge terracotta piping is housing assorted homely objects. A speaker on a trolley is set on full-volume and repeats a haunting phrase over and over. People crowd around it discussing it’s artistic merits. I just want a translation of it’s words. All of this deep thinking creates a thirst and we are soon eating and drinking in the temporary pavilions set up in one of the plazas and discussing the meaning of life...and art.

Pantheon of books at "Documenta 14" Kessel

Close up of a tiny part of a column