You stroll around a traditional market in town, stop at a stall and have a look at what’s on offer. You’re never alone, as others are doing the same. Unless you’re in a hurry and you like people, it’s quite common to strike up a casual conversation with other stall-goers or even the stallholder. “The stand is quite busy.” “The product is rather expensive, though.” “It’s hot today, but it’s finally supposed to rain this afternoon.” Conversations that we usually forget quite quickly, but which make us social beings.

One problem with the traditional internet, on the other hand, is that you usually ‘surf’ the web on your own. Reading a blog post is a passive activity, and contact with the blogger, if possible at all, is asynchronous. Social networks are somewhat different in this regard, but the platforms usually operate in a silo, acting in their own interests – with all the associated excesses – and outside the confines of your own blog. The latter can be mitigated somewhat, for example, by using tools such as Mentions United to bring platform interactions ‘home’, but these interactions are still asynchronous and merely link content to comments, likes and the like.

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Back in the day, there were only hunters and gatherers, and I would certainly have been in the latter group. Collecting things is satisfying.

This month, I’ll be collecting links to blog posts as part of Robert’s Junited 2026 campaign on this page. Keep an eye on it …

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Many, many years ago, my darling and I planned a long weekend in Hamburg, including a sightseeing bus tour, a harbor cruise, and all the other things you typically do in Germany’s northernmost metro area when you’re there together for the first time.

Since even as a grown man, I can hardly shake off my inner child, I suggested visiting the famous Miniatur Wunderland (Wikipedia) in Hamburg’s Speicherstadt, and she didn’t mind, even though she seemed skeptical at first. Girls just don’t usually play with model trains, but what Gerrit and Frederik Braun, the founders of Miniatur Wunderland, have built there in the space of a 150-year-old warehouse has since become famous far beyond the borders of Hamburg, so she let herself be persuaded.

Now we’re both die-hard fans of this XXXXXL model train layout (biggest in the world!), because what sets it apart from others isn’t just the size, but also the attention to detail and the humor of its builders, who are also too stubborn to give up when something seems technically impossible. Just think of the 10 years it took to develop real Formula 1 races with miniature race cars in the Monaco section.

We try to visit Hamburg once a year, and this year, combining our trip with the Linkin Park concert made it the perfect opportunity for our fifth (or sixth?) visit to Miniatur Wunderland. I’ve taken lots and lots of photos of the exhibit in the past, but I’ve never posted them here before — until now.

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The first settlement, known as Hammaburg, dates back to the 8th century AD. What developed over the following 1,200 years is what we know today as Germany’s second-largest city: Hamburg.

My partner and I go there for two or three days every year because we simply love the city, the harbor, the nearby sea, and the city’s vibe, as well as the Miniatur Wunderland located there, which is a once-a-year fixture on our travel calendar.

There’s never enough time to wander around the city and take photos, but I snapped a few this time as well…

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It’s been 25 years since I first heard Chester Bennington growling into a microphone, and ever since then I’ve been a fan of both hard rock and crossover. My goodness, what gems these guys from Linkin Park delivered in the 2000s. “Crawling” isn’t just on my all-time best playlist, but I can sing along to it at any time (or so I like to think ;)

Of course, I too was saddened in 2017 when the news of Chester’s tragic death broke, knowing for certain that there would never be any new music from this extraordinary group, because their music was – and still is – defined by his incredible voice.

When Mike Shinoda announced in 2024 that Emily Armstrong would be taking Chester’s place in the band and that new material was on the way, I was sceptical at first… but the guys – and now the lady too – have proven me wrong. The NEW Linkin Park are brilliant, and Emily brings a fresh, positive touch to the mix.

So I just had to get tickets for myself and my girl for one of the concerts on their tour in Germany, and we chose Hamburg… at the stadium with around 50,000 other fans. If we’re going to do it, we’re going to do it right … … and it was just awesome!

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The mother of my sunshine has a beautiful garden behind her house, right by the river Ruhr, which her son tends with great passion. There are quite a few gorgeous flowers in bloom at the moment and it’s simply lovely. I had to made some photos, even with my crappy smartphone. Here are a few shots. Enjoy.

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