Week 27 Hamburg

Week 27 Hamburg

Ohlsdorf Cemetery

It really is very big. Ohlsdorf Cemetery

The Ohlsdorf cemetery is the largest park cemetery in the world. Under old trees you can enjoy the green wealth for which it is rightly famous. With its 389 hectares, it is also Hamburg's largest green area. 450 deciduous and coniferous species thrive here, the ponds and streams are animated by water birds.

We imagine that it would be quite spectacular at the right time for a rhododendron display.

The Commonwealth War Graves section is out by Chapel 12 - for both World Wars.

A chap from Liverpool "I like visiting cemeteries", took this photo for us. We took some plants for the grave, but they were probably a bit superfluous, given the existing immaculate gardens.

I suppose that it is inevitable that we felt great sadness, not only for our unknown relative, but also for the death of so many young people - so many 18 to 25 year olds!.

The Grave of Gerald Ware Copeland

The phrase "Known unto God" on the graves of the unidentified dead, was chosen by Rudyard Kipling, who was involved in the War Graves Commission of his time. His poem, "If" was written for his own son, John, who died in WWI.

As we left, we saw a woman polishing all the brass - presumably a full time job!

Our travel Agent Ben had arranged a studio apartment - just a small room with a very good shower/wc/washbasin in the corner. Above the shower block was another bed for the third person! All for €60,00 a night! And only a few minutes to the train station.

The train system was very good, reliable and frequent - and reasonably priced. Ben The Traveller used his phone to check everything and find (expensive) restaurants!

The trains had phone charging points on all the seats...

Hamburg, the largest city in Germany after the capital of Berlin, lies at the head of the long funnel-shaped estuary of the River Elbe. Its location makes it an important link between the sea and Germany's network of inland waterways and numerous islands. The city is best known for its famous harbor area, the Port of Hamburg. In addition to being a major transportation hub, Hamburg has become one of Europe's most important cultural and commercial centers, as well as a major tourist destination.

The only part of old Hamburg to survive centuries of fires and wars, the narrow, curving Deichstrasse gives a sense of the city's past. Built long before the 19th-century warehouses and 21st-century harborside complexes, the street offers a glimpse into the city's Hansa past. The Hanseatic League was a medieval association of independent port cities and merchants along the Baltic and north Atlantic from the 11th to the 18th centuries, and even into the 19th century. Its distinct architecture is found throughout Baltic Germany.

Deichstrasse takes you straight onto a bridge over one of the city's many canals. Massive brick warehouses, built a couple of centuries after the Hansa's power faded, form a canyon along the canal's sides.

A second footbridge leads into the hottest new neighborhood, Hafencity, where old and new mix in a striking blend of 19th-century, neo-Hansa brick with contemporary steel-and-glass apartments, their balconies jutting out over attractive cafés, eye-to-eye with vintage sailing vessels. Many of the most interesting things to do in Hamburg are in this port area.

Greater Metropolitan Area has a population of 5 million.

Of course, we spent most of our limited time around the harbour area...

On my list was...

Although billed as the world's largest model railway, Hamburg's Miniatur Wunderland is really much more than simply a toy train layout. This is definitely one of the best places to visit in the city's historic  Speicherstadt warehouse district. It's the world's largest model railway, boasting more than 15,400 meters of track and 1,040 trains (so expect to spend plenty of time here, especially if you're traveling with kids).

...but it was booked out, even at 0730hrs!!! (till 2300hrs) (This due to the Carona virus restrictions - the limit was 199 people at any given time - instead of the normal thousands).

It was only a 3 1/2 hour drive to Hamburg, so we'll go back again, if we ever get back to "normal".

Wearing of facemasks is required just about everywhere - even in crowded streets, and every shop had handwashing at the front door and a limit to the number of customers at any one time.

We soon got used to it. In restaurants, masks were required unless you were seated at your table. The waiters wore them all the time. The only time we took them off was if we were in a quiet street or at home.

The people all seemed to take it in their stride - just a necessary thing to get by in difficult times. It is serious after all, and getting worse. I simply can't understand the objections to wearing them. But then again, I can't understand anti vaxxers and anti 5G ers, either.

A few churches had a large banner outside (probably as a reminder)

Strength, Love, Consideration (my translation)

We had fish at the famous? Bridge 10 - sitting outside, which we tried to do as often as possible.

Brucke 10

At every restaurant we had to fill out a form with our names, address and phone number - for later tracking if it is required. At most places we could simply scan the code on the table to provide them with the information.

Along this section, I was quite taken by the flood precautions - the whole waterfront section is a floating pontoon and there are flood barriers which can be closed as required.

The red sections MUST be evacuated - no questions asked - in a Storm Flood.

The Elbe Tunnel

In 1911, the Old Elbe Tunnel was built to provide a more direct route for dock workers over to the southern banks of the Elbe river from the Landungsbrücken piers in St. Pauli. A technical innovation at the time of its construction, the tunnel became a tourist attraction when the 'new' Elbtunnel and several bridges were built in the 1970s. Now pedestrians and bicyclists wishing to cross below the river can ride a free lift into the deep.

Explore the southern banks  

The green dome at the Landungsbrücken points towards the 426 metres long underpass. The tunnel is used by city-dwellers to explore the remote corners of the port area or to get to Wilhelmsburg or Altes Land. The observation platform south of the river is also held in high regard among tourists and locals alike for its magnificent panoramic views of the city.

A historic site

Modern tunnels can’t compare to the Alter Elbtunnel, which has been a preserved historic site since 2003. The lamps symmetrically lining the arched tunnel walls create an otherworldly yet cosy atmosphere 24 metres below the river’s surface. The Alter Elbtunnel’s Art-Deco beauty, combined with the unique reliefs lining the bricked walls, make this attraction particularly popular with photographers.

After that, we just walked around the harbour area and then into the main shopping area. I was impressed with the wide streets - with wide footpaths and a road in the middle for mostly buses and taxis.

The building with the wavy roof is The Elbphilharmonie - a concert hall in the HafenCity quarter of Hamburg, Germany, on the Grasbrook peninsula of the Elbe River. It is one of the largest and acoustically most advanced concert halls in the world. It is popularly nicknamed Elphi.

We went to the Elphi for a free "walkaround"...

The building itself was impressive - as were the views

I admired the window-washing...must be a well-paid job!

We saw electric scooters just about everywhere. Apparently you can just pick one up, scan it with the right app, use it and leave it wherever you end up,

Janny and I did a lake tour while Ben went to speak with the people at his Agency. We only had an hour - the 2 hour canal cruise might have been better!

There were lots of ferry terminals.

and posh residential areas further away from the city.

Our last meal was in the basement at this place Das Dorf

And so, a busy week. Ankie held the fort while we were away.

We went to a few shops back home on Friday and found it strange not to be wearing the facemask. Handwashing is still required here.

Things have loosened up a bit more since July 1, but I think most people are still very wary.

Except us! We went to a "trial" opening of de Swingel - the village Multi-functional Centre - for drinks and a little socialising. The 1.5 metres was supposed to be observed, but was mostly ignored - it's hard to talk with that distance!

We stayed in our family group and everyone had to fill in a register with names, phone numbers and addresses, but even so, we will have to keep an eye on things.