What do cruise ship tourists think of Union Terrace Gardens and other Aberdeen landmarks?
The group are taking part in something called a 'panorama' tour of the city, taking in several of its most famous sights in one trip.
With little time to spare while their cruise ship is in the South Harbour, they are keen to get a taste for what makes Aberdeen special.
Anyone following recent headlines might wonder what they make of the revamped Union Terrace Gardens, following claims weeds are putting off visitors.
Would they be put off by this so-called 'eyesore'?
Pulling into the South Harbour car park, I was greeted by the towering Vasco De Gama cruise ship.
This German-operated liner carries more than 1,000 passengers and is flanked by a row of coaches lining the quayside, all ready to take them out on adventures around the north-east.
The Nicko Cruises vessel sailed in from Hamburg on Thursday, with a mainly German and Austrian contingent on board.
I must admit, my German extends little beyond 'ja', 'nein', or 'krankenwagen' (ambulance), so I wasn't too sure how this would work out…
But nevertheless, I am keen to find out what these visitors make of the city.
Taking a seat at the back of the bus with Johann, a chap from near Kiel, there isn't much chat due to the feared language barrier.
I have tried downloading Google Translate, a mobile phone app which I'd optimistically assumed would allow for real-time communication between the tourists and myself.
Baffled by its interface, the bus had barely made it into town before I gave up on it.
As I struggle with that, we have a whistlestop tour through Torry.
Our guide Arthur Gill waxes lyrical about the area's fishing heritage before we head along Riverside Drive to Duthie Park.
The group of Germans listen intently as the kilt-adorned oracle shares the story of the greenspace, and they eagerly snap pictures of the floral arrangements.
Much has been said of the condition of the city's parks lately (more on that later), but what did those seeing it for the first time think?
Gaby Koehler, from Nuremburg, was taken aback by the beauty of the park, as she tells me on the way back to the bus after our 20-minute stop.
She smiles: 'It's very good, very nice!'
Gaby adds that they don't have parks like this one in her hometown. And it's given her quite a pleasant image of a city she knew little about.
'Long ago when I was in school I knew there was a place called Aberdeen.. but that was all,' she chuckled.
And with that, we were off to our next stop.
The coach winds its way through the west end heading towards the city centre, as my new German freund Johann points to the more lavish houses on Anderson Drive and asks me 'lots of money?'
Yes Johann. Lots of money indeed.
We pull up to the gardens, and the group is immediately drawn to the William Wallace statue.
After a quick history lesson about Scotland's past with its southern neighbour, the Germans descend the stairs to reach the big and bold Aberdeen sign.
There has been much discourse around Union Terrace Gardens and its wildflower arrangements this week.
Some Aberdonians have voiced their displeasure at the weeds – claiming they are coming from near enough every 'pavement, kerb, and crevice'.
But as Robert Burns, another figure immortalised with a statue overlooking the park might say, it's often enlightening 'to see oursels as ithers see us'.
And I wonder what it looks like to these newcomers.
Gerriet Ohmstede is from Northern Germany, on the coast of the North Sea, and he has nothing but praise.
He beams: 'The gardens are very beautiful, it is all natural!'
Gerriet's next quip makes me realise either there's quite a language barrier or I need to buy a house in Germany.
'I have a big garden like this too and I love this!' he chuckles.
'It's a beautiful town. All the houses are grey, a bit more colour would be good.'
He also seems to prefer a 'slower' pace here, compared to Edinburgh – which has 'too many people'.
Next up is the city's two heavy-hitters when it comes to must-see attractions. Marischal College on Broad Street and Kings College at Aberdeen University.
This busload of Germans immediately fall in love with the imposing, jaw-dropping granite architecture. Phones and cameras are whipped out to capture the stunning structures bathed in the last light of the day.
As we're strolling through the courtyard at the university landmark, Markus Hagermann, from near Munster, calls Aberdeen a 'fine and unique city'.
'The college here has been my favourite part, it has that Harry Potter style!' He tells me.
Erika agrees, saying: 'I knew nothing about Aberdeen. I thought it was just for oil but I'm impressed.
'We don't have granite buildings like these in Germany.'
And with that, we headed back to the cruise ship, with London next for the tourists, and a drive back to Peterhead for me…
This group of Germans had nothing but praise for the city, taking in each sight with awe and amazement.
Is it just the effect of being in a new place for the first time for these cruise ship passengers, or is Aberdeen maybe not as bad as some make it out to be?
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Dozens of German tourists are descending the steps of Union Terrace Gardens, cameras swinging from their necks. The group are taking part in something called a 'panorama' tour of the city, taking in several of its most famous sights in one trip. With little time to spare while their cruise ship is in the South Harbour, they are keen to get a taste for what makes Aberdeen special. Anyone following recent headlines might wonder what they make of the revamped Union Terrace Gardens, following claims weeds are putting off visitors. Would they be put off by this so-called 'eyesore'? Pulling into the South Harbour car park, I was greeted by the towering Vasco De Gama cruise ship. This German-operated liner carries more than 1,000 passengers and is flanked by a row of coaches lining the quayside, all ready to take them out on adventures around the north-east. The Nicko Cruises vessel sailed in from Hamburg on Thursday, with a mainly German and Austrian contingent on board. I must admit, my German extends little beyond 'ja', 'nein', or 'krankenwagen' (ambulance), so I wasn't too sure how this would work out… But nevertheless, I am keen to find out what these visitors make of the city. Taking a seat at the back of the bus with Johann, a chap from near Kiel, there isn't much chat due to the feared language barrier. I have tried downloading Google Translate, a mobile phone app which I'd optimistically assumed would allow for real-time communication between the tourists and myself. Baffled by its interface, the bus had barely made it into town before I gave up on it. As I struggle with that, we have a whistlestop tour through Torry. Our guide Arthur Gill waxes lyrical about the area's fishing heritage before we head along Riverside Drive to Duthie Park. The group of Germans listen intently as the kilt-adorned oracle shares the story of the greenspace, and they eagerly snap pictures of the floral arrangements. Much has been said of the condition of the city's parks lately (more on that later), but what did those seeing it for the first time think? Gaby Koehler, from Nuremburg, was taken aback by the beauty of the park, as she tells me on the way back to the bus after our 20-minute stop. She smiles: 'It's very good, very nice!' Gaby adds that they don't have parks like this one in her hometown. And it's given her quite a pleasant image of a city she knew little about. 'Long ago when I was in school I knew there was a place called Aberdeen.. but that was all,' she chuckled. And with that, we were off to our next stop. The coach winds its way through the west end heading towards the city centre, as my new German freund Johann points to the more lavish houses on Anderson Drive and asks me 'lots of money?' Yes Johann. Lots of money indeed. We pull up to the gardens, and the group is immediately drawn to the William Wallace statue. After a quick history lesson about Scotland's past with its southern neighbour, the Germans descend the stairs to reach the big and bold Aberdeen sign. There has been much discourse around Union Terrace Gardens and its wildflower arrangements this week. Some Aberdonians have voiced their displeasure at the weeds – claiming they are coming from near enough every 'pavement, kerb, and crevice'. But as Robert Burns, another figure immortalised with a statue overlooking the park might say, it's often enlightening 'to see oursels as ithers see us'. And I wonder what it looks like to these newcomers. Gerriet Ohmstede is from Northern Germany, on the coast of the North Sea, and he has nothing but praise. He beams: 'The gardens are very beautiful, it is all natural!' Gerriet's next quip makes me realise either there's quite a language barrier or I need to buy a house in Germany. 'I have a big garden like this too and I love this!' he chuckles. 'It's a beautiful town. All the houses are grey, a bit more colour would be good.' He also seems to prefer a 'slower' pace here, compared to Edinburgh – which has 'too many people'. Next up is the city's two heavy-hitters when it comes to must-see attractions. Marischal College on Broad Street and Kings College at Aberdeen University. This busload of Germans immediately fall in love with the imposing, jaw-dropping granite architecture. Phones and cameras are whipped out to capture the stunning structures bathed in the last light of the day. As we're strolling through the courtyard at the university landmark, Markus Hagermann, from near Munster, calls Aberdeen a 'fine and unique city'. 'The college here has been my favourite part, it has that Harry Potter style!' He tells me. Erika agrees, saying: 'I knew nothing about Aberdeen. I thought it was just for oil but I'm impressed. 'We don't have granite buildings like these in Germany.' And with that, we headed back to the cruise ship, with London next for the tourists, and a drive back to Peterhead for me… This group of Germans had nothing but praise for the city, taking in each sight with awe and amazement. Is it just the effect of being in a new place for the first time for these cruise ship passengers, or is Aberdeen maybe not as bad as some make it out to be?
