A double feature today – the first two blossoms on the bigger cactus are opening!

I love the blue, white and orange combination of these crocuses.

Another shot of Mülheim’s Luisenschule, this time from one of the three main entrances along the long hallway which connects the square main building to the one you see in the distance. The hallway is known as the teacher’s hallway because the staff rooms are there and the younger pupils are not supposed to go through there. The building it connects to was constructed a couple of years after the main part, still in the 1950s, but has since been known as the Neubau, the new building! All the science and art rooms are in there – I think it was physics in the cellar, chemistry in the middle and biology and music on the top floor. These are actually in the wing of the building on the right, the left one you see in this photo only has some additional classrooms and the toilets :-).

A great tit enjoying the last rays of sunshine and some dinner on the slightly budding branches.

Your cactus flower du jour is actually a handheld shot, which just turned out to be the best from today.

More early spring ambassadors…

This is Mülheim’s Luisenschule, the school I went to for nine years. It’s only a part of the school complex, but it’s one of the larger schools of the city, with grades from 5 to 12 (back then when I went to school it was until 13) and about 1000-1200 pupils. The building looks older than it is, it was built between 1951 and 1956 and was originally a girls-only school, until it became co-educational in 1973. There was some major renovation in 2010, during which two external buildings, the infamous pavillons, were replaced by a huge new wing. Because it was a public-private partnership, the whole schoolyard was surrounded by a metal fence and you’re not allowed to enter it anymore if you are not a pupil or a teacher. I haven’t been up there since, this photo is from 2005 and it would probably not be possible to take it today. The big clock on the side of the building – another one is on the other side of it – has never worked as long as I went there to school and it didn’t work in 2005… I wonder if they fixed it during the renovation?

Another double feature, but this time from a different perspective.

One giant thermometer, three lamps, three pots… no, wait! There’s someone trying to blend in :-)

It’s March 1st and this is already the 25th photo in my springflowers series –
I think we can safely say that spring has indeed arrived around here!