2 days have flown by as I get to know this large and interesting city. I’m sitting here with a donna wrapped around me freezing to death with no heating!! Also as Germany moves into winter there are people coughing all around me. Every time I get on a train there is someone spluttering next to me…the question is will I get away with it or will something catch me? OK so far.
So, to yesterday. I tootled into the Rathaus to try to understand the old city. Then I espied a free walking tour..ahaa!!…I walked around the groups until I heard English and joined the group. It was great. 2 hours of walking around the inner city with Erik the Viking…no Erik the Guide. He had very long legs so I had to work hard to keep up with the group of young people but it was terrific. It gave me an excellent orientation and I started to really get a handle on it. When the tour ended Erik The Younger pointed out the Portuguese Quarter where he said the food was great. Perfect thought I !! I went and found a nice Portuguese Restaurant and had a fish stew that was delicious. I asked for red wine and they brought me the customary Quartino…perfect!!
Then I started to retrace the tour to further explore but alas I was flagging badly by the time. I went into St Michaelis church and went up the tower in the lift (which started after 60 stairs). There were nice views of the massive harbour. Then I went back to the warehouses, in one of which is now housed Miniature World which everyone says is great. But I had to wait half an hour before I could get in and I was too tires so gave up. I got on a bus which was sort of going to take me towards home but I got cold feet and bailed at the Central station to get on my familiar train.
I was so tired when I got home but it was a good day and I was really feeling as if I had started to come to terms with Hamburg.
Today: Well I started out unsure what I was going to do. There are a couple of towns I want to visit and I discovered they are actually accessible on the Hamburg train system but my ticket won’t take me there without paying a supplement. I must say I know why the German Boys were so casual about getting a ticket here. There are no checks on the train at least not so far. So before I worked all that out I continued to explore Hamburg. I went today to St Pauli and to the Reeperbahn (the red light district). I wandered all the way down and around until I came across Herbertstrass which has a big graffiti wall with signs saying no men under 18 and no women. But it was early and quiet and I was curious so in I went. And lo and behold, even st 11am there were indeed woman sitting in the windows. I smiled at them cheerfully and kept walking…fascinated. That was fun. Ham you will know it all. Then I walked down to the Landungsbrucken, the docks where all the ferries and tourist boats come and go. I knew that there was a normal commuting ferry that would take me up the Elbe River towards the North Sea. I found it …all free on my weekly card and took a ride down and back on the ferry which was marvellous. It is such a massive and busy port unloading ships and ferrying people all over the place.
I was hungry and I found a Grande Marnier Crepe (where am I???). I then went to the Central Station to work out how to get to those aforementioned towns. I got the information but it was too late by then so I walked back down to the shopping area and walked along the Canals with all the designer shops which really aren’t my scene. By then I was back to being totally exhausted and made my way home. Scrambled eggs for tea…all good. Tomorrow, off to these little towns
Lots of love everyone. I’m missing you all enormously..of course!!