This part of our trip – the last leg, has brought us to Germany. Hamburg is the city I was born in and lived near for the first 11 years of my life. The last time I was here was in 2019 with Claytie (we had an amazing time!), so coming back has filled me with a whole lot of mixed emotions. I’m so excited to share this part of my life with D, but I am also really conscious of missing Claytie and remembering our trip.

We are staying with my Aunt and Uncle, and it’s great! We are the first of family travellers for them this year – my sister and her family will be coming for Christmas! Lucky for us they have plenty of space and they are always happy for us to visit.

Getting to Germany ended up being a bit of a mission. D’s brother got us to the airport by 5am (thank you so much!!), we had Brekky, and eventually made our way to the departure gate… all good so far I hear you say! From here it all turned into a bit of a shemozzle! When our group was called to board it was a big group… off we went down to the tarmac and onto a bus… along with 150 other people!! We were crammed in with no room to scratch ourselves, and left standing for 45 minutes. Finally we got to the plane, only to be told the engineers had a problem with the front wheel and we would be grounded for another 45 minutes. Just as well we had factored some time into the connection to Hamburg!

We got to Heathrow and people watched before our next flight, which is always fun- the people watching, not so much Heathrow! Boarding was reasonably straightforward, and again we were told we would be delayed (only 15min or so). When we finally got to Hamburg, border control was beyond chaotic – two planes landed at the same time, and only 3 officers checking passports! It was a long day!

Finally we made it through and found my aunt and uncle! Introductions were made and off we went… thankfully no jet lag (that is a first for me coming here!), so a quick cuppa and a piece of cake – afternoon tea is a whole seperate meal in Germany, and then off for a walk around the neighbourhood to stretch our legs.

Day two had us starting the day with a leisurely breakfast and a walk around the garden, before heading in to see the city. We went past a whole lot of familiar places – including the neighbourhood that my grandparents lived for as long as I can remember… it was super nostalgic for me! We parked the car and after a short walk got onto a ferry to see the city from the river. Hamburg is a huge harbour city. It has upwards of 9500 million cargo ships arriving in any given year and is the third largest harbour in Europe… there is a lot to see!

When we got off the boat, we walked around the old warehouse district which is all newly revamped, the ‘new’ harbour city and then into the other side of town to City Hall. We went to the philharmonic Opera house and took the longest escalator up to the viewing platform for even more views of the harbour.

We had my favourite meal for lunch – pizza el tonno and D got to try a traditional Curry Wurst (his new favourite!) then had an adventurous train ride home. My uncle rushed ahead for a train and got on, not realising the rest of us did not make it until the train left! … it was very funny!!! We reconnected two stops later and made our way back to the car and then home. 9km on a 33°C sunny day in Hamburg!! We were sweaty and tired, but very happy with the day!

Day three in Hamburg involved a bit of a sleep in and a slower start with another yummy Brekky, before heading back into the city (via bus and train) to do an Alster Rundfahrt. The Alster is Hamburgs second most important river. Where the Elbe is tidal and hugely significant for the harbour and port, the Alster is a slow flowing non tidal river. It forms two lakes in the city centre that are a big part of the inner city landscape. We took a boat trip around the two lakes and into several of the off-shoot canals. It’s a very relaxing way to see another part of the city, and some very very expensive real estate!

Following the Rundfahrt (round trip) we snacked on a Curry wurst (definitely a favourite) and made our way to another significant part of the Hamburg landscape – the Michel. A church that sits prominently on the city skyline, and is the symbol for Hamburg. We didn’t have the energy to climb the 400+ steps to get to the top of this one, but enjoyed our walk around the inside.

Home again, and then Kaffee trinken (afternoon tea, which as previously mentioned is its own meal in Germany) and then D and I went to the shops for a look around. It is fun in a new place to check out the supermarkets to see all the differences. Dinner was my very very favourite meal – Sauerbraten. Not everyone likes it, it is a marinated (3days over here) pot roast, that has a sweet/sour flavour and a rich gravy that has sultanas in it. It is served with noodles and a green salad…. I love it, and I feel spoilt to have been given it!!

Days four, five and six in Germany involve a side quest – see blog post #158. for Berlin!

Day seven, back in Hamburg, started nice and slow with Brekky and a walk around the garden, as well as getting the washing done! I managed to pick up some sort of head cold/ cough in the last few days, which has slowed me down a bit, so the quieter day was appreciated! We were visited by a rabbit – who has a favourite spot by the terrace, and a squirrel who was busy raiding the garden for nuts to store ready for winter. There were also flowers to look at, tomatoes to pick and blackberries to taste!

The afternoon saw us heading to Blankenese, a wealthy residential district known for its half-timbered fishermen’s houses and pre-war villas, many of which line the winding stairs of the Treppenviertel (the Stair Quarter) neighborhood. Steps lead to the top of Süllberg’s hill, where restaurants overlook the Elbe River. It is a lovely suburb to walk around, even with the steep stairs and the houses are fabulous to look at.

We also went to Wedel, a town near the mouth of the river Elbe, and a welcome point for ships coming into the harbour. We sat for a bit having coffee and cake watching for boats to come in. When they do come in, a welcome message gets played and the national anthem for the country the ship is registered in also comes over the loud speaker. It was a lovely way to spend the afternoon

Day eight started with a thunder storm, which was actually really nice as it has been very very hot!! Once the weather settled down, it was an adventure day for D and I. We took ourselves into the city for another look around (and to get some souvenirs).

We took the bus and then the train into central station and had a lovely time wandering around. We went to the Nikolai Kirche (church) – a memorial to the bombing victims of the Second World War. Hamburg, as a major port and industrial city was the target of a major bombing attack, especially during the last week of July 1943. 34000 people died in a 10 day period, and most of the city was reduced to rubble. The spire of the church was surprisingly left standing, and is now a memorial. We took the lift up to the viewing platform 76m high and took in the amazing scenery from there.

Next we took ourselves back to the Harbour for some lunch and a cold drink – have I mentioned that it has been hot here??? We finished the day by meeting up with one of my oldest friends and her husband. I have caught up with her every time that I have been back to Germany and it is honestly fabulous. She and I went to Kindergarten together!

We met up at a ‘beach club’ on the banks of the river and had drinks while catching up and watching the boats go by. The Disney Dream – built in Hamburg- came past on her way to England and other fun places! It is a huge ship 1250 cabins on board, with passengers standing on the deck waving as they went by. It was such a lovely way to spend the afternoon, and I am so glad we managed to make the catch up happen!

Day nine (and our last full day of holidays) had us heading to the shops this morning to stock up on all kinds of sweet treats to take home…and another look at balancing the weight in our suitcases (fun times!). Once we had all of that under control, we went to the other side of the Elbe River to have a look there.

Das Altes Land – the old land, is a big fruit growing area, full of all kinds of orchards. The place we went to was mostly apples, but we also saw plums and pears (we were too late for the cherries). It is really beautiful countryside, and the cutest little towns full of half timbered, thatch roofed houses.

We also went to a smaller city called Stade, that has an old city centre which houses dating from the 1600’s. It is amazing to walk over cobbled streets, past houses that have been there for more than 400 years. They are quaint, and crooked and amazing! We stopped there for coffee and cake, sitting by a canal enjoying the breeze on another warm day… it was truly lovely! Our day finished with dinner at my aunt and uncles favourite Italian restaurant, a thank you from us to them for a fabulous visit.

Tomorrow we head off to the airport to face the (what feels like) million hour flight home…. We have had the most amazing holiday, and I can’t believe it is over. What an experience we have had!! Just wow!