Broodeheim, Ridderli, Old Town Harbour.
Sunna Fischli.
It was reasonably early in the morning, shortly after six o'clock a.m., dawn having just passed. And it would be a beautiful day: Not only was there no school, because Saturday, but I also didn't have work, because vacation days. So, I could enjoy the Broodeheim Harbour Festival.
And what a magnificent turnout it was: There was the Aurelia, with the Princess she was named after aboard, MRNS Libertas looked magnificent next to the Pfeilfisch, Hurscht Fisheries had placed several vessels on display, the Brettenwaldian Royal Yacht CSV Amnat et Gloria was docked along a quay, there was an ancient-looking tanker at one of the wharfs, the Umitsune from Okunarutsuru was a wholly alien shape in the sea of masts, which dominated the Old Town Harbour right now.
There was even a paddle wheel steamer, the Yuzu!
I knew, that my blue eyes sparkled as I walked along the promenade – there were people out and about already, some to work, but many to enjoy the day like I would. My short, blonde hair was played with by the wind.
There was no official start to the festival, large speeches would not be given, or rather had been given at the Great Dinner aboard the Broodeheim-Isbert, where all the Captains and (if present) owners of the vessels participating in the festival had been invited. The guest of honour had been Princess Aurelia of Kyrenaia, on a short state visit to restore her public image after the disastrous breakup she had with her now ex-girlfriend Marcella Villa. At her side had been another familiar face, her former-now-again-boyfriend Atif Qalb (who she had broken with in favour of Marcella).
It paid to have a Mother interested in gossip.
Anyway, the closest thing to a formal opening was, indeed, the dawn – and I couldn't help but smile as two exhibits of the Seefahrtsmuseum Broodeheim (a marine museum) told me, that it was precisely 6:15, for aboard the two museum ships RRS Brise and RRS Zugs, they raised the flags with trumpets and fanfare.
Traditions needed to be upheld, even on museum ships.
I listened to the Naval March with half an ear, in a few minutes, the entire thing would be over anyway. My plans for today were getting breakfast at a stall I knew, eat it, maybe even while walking, look at the yachts of the rich an famous, maybe even do the tour aboard the Wellenreiter or the Aurelia or the Libertas or the Fascination (or maybe even two or three or all four), have lunch, go inside the Broodeheim Harbour Concert Hall for the concert of Krageelen macht Laune! and due to bad weather, maybe stay for Aenlin Katz (or go out again for the performance of the Gryffen, an aerobatics team, I was not sure yet), have dinner, maybe even with a nice lad I might meet, and then watch the evening programme. There was a 20s-Gala set aboard the Fascination, which I hoped to be able to attend, but if not, the crew of the Marcharnnau would be giving a concert.
Another event today was a Chokanna-Kata Showmatch, but that didn't really get me all that excited. It was basically Sensha-Do, a sport my cousin was into, but with boats – as I didn't like the sport involving tanks, I was not too keen on the sport involving armed boats. My cousin was most likely up already, though, anticipating the great event.
A pair of tourists crossed my path, walking their dog. The canine, who seemed to be the jolly, curious sort with where he smelled and how happy he looked about it, was on a leash held by the woman, a beautiful blonde with blue eyes, while her other half was a tall guy with brown hair and brown eyes. What made them stand out as tourists was their olive skin.
I smiled at them, greeted them, they greeted back, we went along...
...wait, hang on.
Wasn't that...?
I stopped and turned my head. The blonde was laughing at something her boyfriend told her.
Nah.
Anyway, my cousin was very much into the sport and the guest team of the Nanko Girls' High School from Okunarutsuru – not realizing, that their youngest member was somewhere in her seventies. The joys of eternal life, I guess, but I knew them from school. They were students, too, and had to be taught somewhere while here, so why not at my school?
They were pretty cool.
And what was pretty cool, too, was the view! No line in front of my favourite stall, a bus stop nearby. The Harbour Festival could start!
