Feeling like a mere boy in the company of a team that had been together for years, I sensed the reassuring hand of the tall German patting my back, making me feel comfortable in the unknown territory of Deutschland. I had found my big brother. We were still far from our destination, but it was ok because Michael knew where we needed to go. An unexpected train journey fueled with exciting conversation made up for the 5am uncomfortable silence experienced on the bus and airplane beforehand. We were getting on. I was happy.
Arriving in Hamburg might make you hungry. By accident we went to the best sausage place in town. The Mö-Grill at the underground station Mönckebergstraße. Its basically a typical "Imbiß" as you can find them everywhere in Germany. There is only a shelter for the people preparing the food, the guests "en passant" are standing outside, ideally under some sort of canopy or umbrella. Its quick, easy and usually good. The Mö-Grill is very good, because of its fresh products and the variety of specialities. Being built around the two entrances to the underground station it even looks decent. We enjoyed a good Currywurst and kept our companions waiting in our holiday flat.
My newfound confidence was rapidly diminished on arriving at the flat, when I earnt the name Spatkinder and got heckled by the more lasting figures of Avanti Tour F.C. I was scared. It was a short period of self doubt, which was soon followed with ease and laughter. From exchanging a few words about architecture with Alan to exchanging a few words about Salsa with Lynn. I had found my family. I was happy again. We grabbed our cameras and left for the Docks where I was to meet a man called Henning. He sounded like another prominent member of the team who was to complete my Avanti Tour F.C. initiation process by making me down 2 pints of schnaps and throwing me into the water... 2 free drinks I thought? I was excited.
"Hola Chicas!!!", Belted a voice from 20 metres. He was huge!
A boat trip in the port of Hamburg every good tourist is doing. Its just like seeing Big Ben in London, but much better, more substantial. We enjoyed being on the water, with fresh air in our noses after having spend already nearly 2 days walking around Hamburg. And we got completely new views on the city which our skipper was more than happy to comment on. Unfortunately my fellows didn't understand most of it but I (Michael) was more than happy to translate the essence. The skipper was one of these characters too good to be true but you also half expect them in this environment. He was old, had spent most of his life all over the world on ships. The stories he told us about this, including pirates, other criminals, wifes and children in the far east, but also we enjoyed much more. But on such a boat trip you also can get easily in touch with other tourist, two young women for instance. Being from southern Germany Hamburg was exotic enough for them to be curious and to visit it as tourists, already the second time. In the course of the conversation they recommended us the fish market where they also planned to go the next day.
The fish market is another thing Hamburg seems to be famous for. Also Henning strongly recommended it but he didn't want to join us to go there at 5 o'clock in the morning after a long night out. The usual excuses followed: I've been there, I know it, I am busy with other things in the morning. No wonder! We got to our flat at around 2 a.m. still honestly thinking of going, set the alarm clock, but 3 hours later didn't bother about it. It could not have been that good.
On waking up I expected to look to my left and michael cuddled up with his new friends from the boat trip. Or atleast to see one of them. But it was just michael, complaining about not going. He was left to wonder what could have been. I am sure he still does. I do.
Everyone knows the Reeperbahn, the famous Hamburg red light district, but I bet only a few are familiar with the Hermannstraße. Luckily our caring hosts Alice et Henning also took us to that place which I would describe without overstatement as the end of the world. Its a little, short street locked off either side by fences. From outside you cant look in and only men are allowed to enter. So the lads of our little group agreed this experience. Inside you only can get disappointed, despite the fantastic light there is. All the houses have huge windows at ground floor where half naked women sit in on display. All of the woman probably think they were pretty, but most of them have already gone off, just by sitting there. And although they expose themselves that way they don't seem to like photographs being taken. We saw one woman, getting annoyed over a tourist, starting a row and nearly jumping out of her little living room. At the end its probably only a question of the right prize to make her also like a camera.
So by the third time of walking up and down the street we decided it was enough, but we had seen a things that will haze our memories forever. I was very happy. It gave content for conversation, which was to follow.
One day we had enough of the busy metropolis and decided to have a stroll around Blankenese. Compared to the centre this part of Hamburg is like countryside, tranquility everywhere. As our trip was half dedicated to architecture we dragged Susie and Lynn along to visit the house Michaelsen in Falkenstein close to Blankenese. It was built in 1922 by the local modernist architect Karl Schneider. In retrospective you can easily describe the house as ahead of its time and even 86 years after it is still a fascinating pleasure to explore the house, the grounds and the location as one ingenious creation.
Going to Henning and Alice's place was a great experience. I think I actually cycled there. A Gerrit Rietveld, Wii Sports projected onto a wall, and Avanti gossip games. It was a bloody good night. Henning told us all how much he liked Paul Garvey, Michael told us about how much he liked someone in the office and wouldn't tell us her name. And Lynn told us everything. Good times. It felt great, learning about everybody in the office and enjoying some nice conversation. Definitely the highlight of the trip for me.
1 comment:
Alan, Michael, Lynn and Susie were our 1st visitors! They came from the 25th to the 29th of September. We had very great times...
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