Jet Boat Set

 

These Japanese jet boats look ace.

They really do have the best sci-fi toys in Japan! 

Waldmeister and the Lynx

 The German state of Hessen is inexorably connected to its most famous sons, the Gebrüder Grimm or Brothers Grimm.

We visited one region near the city of Eschwege called Frau Holle Land or Mrs. Holle Land. 

Now I know some Grimm fairy tales like Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty, but Frau Holle, the winter goddess who sprinkles snow on the world using her featherbed, passed me by. Maybe Disney didn't release it and that's why! 

Anyways, the Missus knows it well and was thrilled to go the lake dedicated to her, complete with huge wooden statue.

Is Frau Holle a fairy story you know?

What's your favourite, Grimm or H.C. Anderson or otherwise?

The forest is also full of the wild plant woodruff, which in German is called Waldmeister. Unlike in Blighty, Waldmeister flavours many things in Germany: green jelly, a green drink and most commonplace, bright green ice cream.

It doesn't exist as such in the UK. Do you have woodruff or Waldmeister products?

Besides wolves and boars, the ski-region is also home to the Lynx or in German, Luchs. They are about the size of a family dog and therefore bigger than I thought. I've not seen one in the wild, only stuffed.

Have you seen a Lynx? What's the biggest cat you've seen?

Back in the DDR

 Our recent German backpacking tour took us from Eschwege in Hessen to Eisenach in Thuringen.

Eisenach is in the former East Germany (DDR/ GDR) and therefore behind the old Iron Curtain. This was our third visit to the 'Osten'.

En route from the train we saw perhaps the biggest salt hill we have ever seen, Monte Kali, a veritable saline Uhuru and quite otherworldly. It's not something I would want to live near.

Sights in Eisenach included vintage East German toys in a local restaurant 

and the Wartburg Car Museum

Anyone else been to the former East Germany?

PS.

Further pics of the Verruckte Kartoffelhaus cabinets of DDR toys we saw.

Looking at the fabulous and big Mego-sized red racing car above with the Derry Daring style driver, it appears to be this remote control Ferrari by East German toy giants PIKO.

Kan You Kaiju?

 I like Kaiju but I don't know the names beyond the big four.

Here's a bagged Kaiju from 1995 I don't recognize. You?

Candy Rockets

I love these Japanese candy rockets. I don't know who the red robot is. You?

Ronin round the Boards

 Backpacking isn't conducive to toy collecting unless it's tiny stuff.

I did manage to shove a gorgeous 1960's Pippi Longstocking jigsaw in my rucksack, a bargain at 3 Euro.

I wanted to get an old board game called Shogun but the Japanese Emperor was way too big.

The Missus recognized it immediately and played it a lot on the floor as a teenager.

I actually had it mixed up with another board game I used to find at car boots in Blighty called Samurai.

I remember it because it contained really neat plastic mini Samurai Warriors as the playing pieces. Better than those boring magnetic squares in Shogun 😂

Did you have either of these or any other Samurai collectables?

The Jupiter C Rocket by Revell

 Blog friend Terry H kindly sent these pics.

Cor!

Billy Castoff

 

There's something about this cute fellow that reminds me of Billy Blastoff! It's a formidable thing he's sat in, there's everything but the kitchen sink! 

I've labelled it ugly but you may disagree?