Exactly one year ago I went to see the Expo 2015 with my friend Anny, who was volunteering there at the time (she’s visiting Bayreuth right now!). The theme was “Feeding the Planet – Energy for Life.”
I can only show you a few of the impressions, because there were so many things to see and do. It was an amazing experience, although a bit overwhelming.
Anny booked the Kazakh pavilion for us in the morning, because this was one of the busiest. First we were greeted with a sand-drawn history of Kazakhstan.
Then we had a look at their unique products, for example huge apples.
And we had a drink of horse milk, which tasted a bit sour and quite strong. In Kazakhstan people are convinced this beverage has unique health benefits.
Then there was a 3D film about another small expo coming up in 2017, which will feature mainly renewable energies.
And a lovely cafe.
And that was just the first pavilion.
We also went to Poland, where we found a chocolate town.
At the Holy See we saw a tapestry of Rubens’ Institution of the Eucharist and an interactive table with different foods, tasks and pairs of hands, all related to sharing.
France focused mainly on its edible and drinkable products.
Unfortunately, we didn’t make it into Germany, because the waiting time was over 2 hours.
So we went to Switzerland instead for a social experiment.
The theme was responsible consumption and they had set up 4 towers containing 4 products for takeaway (dried apples, water (cups), salt and coffee) in quantities that would last for all visitors, if they “consumed” the products mindfully.
They really made a point about the limits of resources, but I think no one truly expected that there would be anything left at the end of the expo. And yet it seems there was still some coffee and salt.
Then we had Raclette for lunch.
Some pavilions were beautifully designed, but there were so many, we could only see most of them from the outside or had to hurry through. There was time for falafel in Jordan, though.
Later we got into Austria! Which was a forest full of dispersed water and fresh air. And dangling letters. I liked the concept, it was both smart and simple.
Slovenia had us smelling honey and walking on salt.
They were mostly aiming at future tourists, but it was nice anyway. And I might actually try to go there soon… marketing works, people.
A really well-designed and artistic pavilion was Morocco.
The portraits by Leila Alaoui were quite stunning.
And they had a great shop, so I bought some ethically sourced argan oil, which now serves as my night cream and is still half full.
Since we were already shopping, we also went to the supermarket of the future.
Interesting concept.
Qatar was nice, too.
We also got some henna on our hands. Now I get what my Pakistani friends told me about spending hours preparing for special events, you have to let it dry for a few hours without touching it.
The end of the evening was marked by a light, water and music show at the “tree of life”.
And so a long and exciting day found its end. I would have loved to come back the next day to see the rest.
Thanks for taking me, Anny! You’re the best tourguide ❤
