Evening on the Haidplatz: Der Rote Regenschirm

(Der Rote Regenschirm = "The Red Umbrella")

It started raining yesterday in the early evening. Water was pouring heavily from the sky, but I took my umbrella, left my room, and walked around the Altstadt ("Old City," the main are of Regensburg where I live). My pant legs were very quickly drenched across the front, but I knew it would happen and had put on light pants that would dry easily later. The rain was heavy enough that my shoulders were sometimes lightly misted.

I went straight down Vor der Grieb and strolled down Untere Bachgasse, and then turned left towards Neupfarrplatz, past hurried scurriers and small clusters of people huddled under awnings and building fronts, waiting for a better chance to brave the rain. I went up Residenzstrasse to Krauterermarkt and stared up at the Dom. Eventually, I made my way to the Haidplatz right by my dorm, and I walked around it and stood for a good long while. It was so very nice. My pants were drenched but I wasn't cold, and I had a very relaxing time staring around the Haidplatz with the rain coming down all around me.

I walked another round. Then the second time I came to Haidplatz, an old German gentleman turned and walked up to me as I stood there, just as he was going to pass me, as if he had changed his mind about something.

(German)
"Servus!" He said to me.

"Servus!"

"I had made some pictures of You a little while ago, do You have an address to which I can send them?"

(*In German, you don't "take" pictures, you "make" them)

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, see?" He turns his digital camera on and angles the screen towards me as he scrolls through a handful of them. I can see the tiny image of myself against the street and buildings of the Haidplatz.

"Achso! Wie schön!"

"It was so nice and lovely, the little red umbrella against the gray background and buildings. I can send them to You, if you have an address."

"Yes, an e-mail address? I do have one. Um, I'm afraid I don't have any..."

"It's no problem, I have something to write on," He rummages through his shirt pockets and pulls out a pen and some business card. He hands them to me, and I jot down my e-mail.

I chuckled politely and said, "I'm sorry that I can't write it so well on here, it's a little bit difficult, so it might look messy."

"Oh, it's no problem, completely understandable in this situation."

"Here you go. Can You read that?"

He reads out my e-mail aloud in a German accent, then looks to me, and I nod and tell him that's exactly right. He smiled amiably and assured me that he would send them to me. I smiled amiably back and said, "Danke schön!" We bid each other a good evening and he left on his way down Vor der Grieb.

And later last night, he really did:


This is the e-mail he wrote to me with the pictures, as well as I can translate it:

Betreff: Haidplatz im Regen 12.09.08, 19:15

Verehrte Unbekannte,

hier die Fotos, die ich von Ihnen aus der Ferne (meinem täglichen Stammplatz ) in dieser nassen Atmosphäre "geschossen" habe...

Der mir so vertraute Platz, mit soviel Wasser von oben, alles Stein und steingrau, und Sie ganz solo, mit dem einzigen Farbfleck, - dem roten Regenschirm.....

Sie taten das, was ich in meinem bisherigen Leben bevorzugte: zu erleben, was zu erleben war, - ohne Rücksicht auf das "Drumherum"...

Wenn Sie jemals nach Cesky Krumlov / Tschechien kommen sollten: das ist für mich jedesmal ein Erlebnis, wie es offensichtlich für Sie heute der Haidplatz war.

Es freute mich, daß Sie für meine Geburtsstadt soviel Vorliebe ( =trotz Regen ) spüren...

Besten Gruß! Chr. Beckers

Subject: Haidplatz in the Rain 12.09.08, 19:15

Admired Stranger,

Here are the photos that I shot of You from afar (from my daily usual spot) in this wet, rainy setting...

To me, it was such a familiar place, with so much water pouring from above, everything stone and stone-gray, and You standing completely alone, with a single stain of color, - the red umbrella...

You did what I in my life up til now rather always liked to do: to experience what experience was, - without regards to all the "hubbub" and bustling all around...

If you should ever go to Cesky Krumlov/the Czech Republic: that is for me each time an experience just exactly as the Haidplatz was for you today.

It gladdens me to see that you seem to feel such affection for my birth town (in spite of the rain)...

All the best! Chr. Beckers