One word sums up our trip to Hamburg: LEGENDARY. We basically made stories that we can one day tell our grandchildren just so they know how badass their grandparents were back in their heyday.
Although the trip was short, we managed to fit most everything we wanted to do within the less than 48 hour time span that we actually spent in the city. But first off, the train ride there was full of surprises. Get this: Our train got onto a ferry. What an engineering feat! It was a ferry much like the one that crosses from the mainland in BC to Victoria on Vancouver Island. Normally I'm used to the ferry carrying cars and people and bikes but a whole train that runs on rails?! This was a first for me. We were so boggled with how this was supposed to even work!
Once we got into central station in Hamburg we dropped off our stuff at our hostel which was in a superb location a 1 minute walk from the station. Then we hopped on a bus tour that took us around all the main city sights in an hour and a half. This city is more than we had hoped it would be. Amazing architecture, water canals everywhere AND the biggest red light district in Europe? Say whaaattt!!
After the bus tour we headed to the shopping streets. And having heard that shopping was much cheaper in Germany we each had lists of must-buys. But from what I've found here in many northern European cities, shops close early on Saturdays and then stay closed all Sunday. So once we figured out that shops close in Hamburg at 20:00 hrs, we shopped really hard. And we all eventually found something Hamburgian to bring home with us. =)
Next we headed to several different venues on the infamous red light district strip but most memorable was the forbidden street that we had heard about. This was a street just for prostitutes and men only. It was said that any women who attempted to traverse the street would be egged or somehow encouraged to get off the street. This is what it looked like in the daytime from our bus tour:
Of course, being the badass people that we are, we decided those hookers don't own this street and therefore we decided to strut down it ourselves. After downing some liquid courage, I headed onto the street first and BAM. Pretty much got nailed in the face with a supersoaker watergun within seconds of getting past that fence. I got hosed in the face twice before I broke out in a very fast speedwalk down the rest of the street and got the rock out of there. At the end of the street these older German women even came over to congratulate us on our great accomplishment. Booyah!
We partied until the wee morning hours and needless to say the next day was a bit of a slower-moving day. But I did manage to walk around town for a few more hours and captured a few more pictures. Below are photos of the memorial for the concentration camp held in Hamburg.
Happy belated Thanksgiving to everyone on the other side of the world! We rounded up some groupies and showed them how to do up a turkey Canadian-styles and man did we ever show them good! The turkey was super delicious, courtesy of J Fern. And I made my dad proud by making our traditional Kwong-family stuffing from scratch and all by myself for the very first time. Everyone said it was great and I think they're still alive today to vouch for it too! Check out photos of the spread. Unfortunately I didn't really capture people in the photos oops.
And now I have to go to sleep. This blog entry was not quite of the calibre I always hope to write at but I am tired. And half my brain was somewhere else thinking about how my superhuman packing skills are going to anticipate whatever Russia is going to throw at me tomorrow. Internet and blogging time will be hard come by in Russia so I will say toodles and be back with in 10 days!
Although the trip was short, we managed to fit most everything we wanted to do within the less than 48 hour time span that we actually spent in the city. But first off, the train ride there was full of surprises. Get this: Our train got onto a ferry. What an engineering feat! It was a ferry much like the one that crosses from the mainland in BC to Victoria on Vancouver Island. Normally I'm used to the ferry carrying cars and people and bikes but a whole train that runs on rails?! This was a first for me. We were so boggled with how this was supposed to even work! 
After the bus tour we headed to the shopping streets. And having heard that shopping was much cheaper in Germany we each had lists of must-buys. But from what I've found here in many northern European cities, shops close early on Saturdays and then stay closed all Sunday. So once we figured out that shops close in Hamburg at 20:00 hrs, we shopped really hard. And we all eventually found something Hamburgian to bring home with us. =)
Next we headed to Pinnenberg for an amazing home-cooked meal by a German friend, Sarah, who also attends law school in CPH. She cooked us all the traditional German favourites and more. Currywurst, sauerkraut and champagne yum!
Next we headed to several different venues on the infamous red light district strip but most memorable was the forbidden street that we had heard about. This was a street just for prostitutes and men only. It was said that any women who attempted to traverse the street would be egged or somehow encouraged to get off the street. This is what it looked like in the daytime from our bus tour:
Of course, being the badass people that we are, we decided those hookers don't own this street and therefore we decided to strut down it ourselves. After downing some liquid courage, I headed onto the street first and BAM. Pretty much got nailed in the face with a supersoaker watergun within seconds of getting past that fence. I got hosed in the face twice before I broke out in a very fast speedwalk down the rest of the street and got the rock out of there. At the end of the street these older German women even came over to congratulate us on our great accomplishment. Booyah!
We partied until the wee morning hours and needless to say the next day was a bit of a slower-moving day. But I did manage to walk around town for a few more hours and captured a few more pictures. Below are photos of the memorial for the concentration camp held in Hamburg.
Happy belated Thanksgiving to everyone on the other side of the world! We rounded up some groupies and showed them how to do up a turkey Canadian-styles and man did we ever show them good! The turkey was super delicious, courtesy of J Fern. And I made my dad proud by making our traditional Kwong-family stuffing from scratch and all by myself for the very first time. Everyone said it was great and I think they're still alive today to vouch for it too! Check out photos of the spread. Unfortunately I didn't really capture people in the photos oops.
And now I have to go to sleep. This blog entry was not quite of the calibre I always hope to write at but I am tired. And half my brain was somewhere else thinking about how my superhuman packing skills are going to anticipate whatever Russia is going to throw at me tomorrow. Internet and blogging time will be hard come by in Russia so I will say toodles and be back with in 10 days!
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