Best of Hamburg

I've spent quite some time thinking about how to blog my recent travels... it really is quite difficult for me: Whilst I am away I hardly find time and above all concentration to blog - but when I'm back it seems silly to write about something that already seems so far away.
Well, since there isn't much happening here at moment, well, we can talk about it anyway, no? ;o)

boat tour through the canals

We got to the city pretty late (but not as late as we thought) and checked into a nice enough hotel right behind the main station. I had booked that in advance so we'd have a place to sleep for the first night.
The next day, Piccoletta got us two nights at a really fancy place right at the harbour. I told you a little bit about it already. We spent two days exploring the city and then decided to use our last full day to go to Heligoland. We'd seen the ferry leave from right across the road from the hotel and were both curious - on the boatride and the island.

Miniature land

cocktails...

sunset from the panorama bar

sushi fit for a king

Heligoland is tiny (about one square kilometer, I think) and has been bombed down completely during the WW2. Therefore, most of the buildings on the island are from the fifties, and the whole thing is apparently undermined with a really big bunker. As a result, there are also not really any trees in the place. There are a lot of interesting birds nesting in the cliffs and you can see seals on the beach sometimes. We had a great time, running around barefoot and taking silly pictures.

the island

enjoying the sun

 

"Long Anna"

We spent the last night at the home of my friend Michael who was Trev's and my host the last time we stayed in the city. Michael is an author and he wrote the story of the book we are working on together atm. We made great food and talked a lot and looked at my sketches together.
The next morning we went into town to meet two of my other friends for lunch. It was great to see them again, even if it was only for a short time, before we caught our ride back to Zurich.

Planten en Blomen

I don't want to rant because there really are worse things than an uncomfortable ride, and I love ridesharing and I would never have gotten around so much this summer without that cheap option to travel. But, let's say I was very, very glad when we were back and arrived at our parent's place at about 4 am.

Hamburg is definitely worth a visit, again and again, it's one of the cities that always seem to hold something new to discover. :o)