The Reeperbahn, the Elbe, and wannabe kiwis

Matt, Maggi and Matt in Bremen.
see all photos »

Arrived in Hamburg on the evening of the 14th. Maren (my exchange partner from high school exchange programme and a close friend) met me at the station and we headed back to her place for pizza, wine and a good catch-up.

In the morning Maren was starting work late so we both slept in and had a late breakfast. I headed to the harbour and was highly amused by the touts selling their harbour cruises who yell 'Rundfahrt' as you walk by. I walked around a bit by the water, it was a lovely day.

Bremen - the town hall?
see all photos »

Next I walked up to St Michael's for a look. It's a very pretty church. Next stop was the nearby Bismarck monument, which is impressive and kind of imposing, but most tourists don't seem to know it exists.

I went back to the harbour and jumped on a ferry; I knew I could ride the commuter ferries for free with my transport pass. I had no idea where it was going; the map was kind of incomprehensible. I was just thinking about how to ask someone in German whether the ferry does a round trip, when I heard some guys talking in English. About rugby. About New Zealand rugby! I couldn't help kinda teasing them.

In the artsy alleyways of Bremen.
see all photos »

Anyway I ended up going with them for a wander around the narrow pathways of Blankenese along the Elbe which was very nice. After we got back to the main harbour they took me to an Australian shop - ironically the shop assistant didn't seem to speak English - which had a few kiwi things including Tui and Monteith's. I was impressed but didn't buy anything.

We then went back to St Michael's as apparently going up the tower is a must. There was a great view up there, the city has many church spires and it's also a great way to orient yourself.

Hamburg from the top of St Nicholas.
see all photos »

I said goodbye to the guys and met up with Maren's friend Anja for a drink. She teaches English to learning and behaviour problem kids, and told me what to expect the next day when I was to come with her to school.

In the morning I got up early and headed out to a station near Anja's school where she picked me up. It was fun - the main focus being an 'English breakfast' with her small class where we ate baked beans and toast and they had to practise phrases such as 'could you please pass the butter'. It was lovely and these children are so happy that they now get to study English like everyone else (a new development.)

Lake residents, Hamburg.
see all photos »

I headed back to town and walked around the lake, the gorgeous town hall, and the canals, then made my way to St Nicholas' - like much of Hamburg it was bombed in the war but instead of being restored it was left as-is as a memorial to the dead. The spire is completely black and burnt-out but regardless you can take an elevator to the top. There is also a small museum. I wandered through some nice streets to the Chile house, a pointy-looking building along the lines of the Flatiron.

Maren and I had dinner with some of her friends and we went to a 'beach club' on the Elbe. There's a lot of sand and deck chairs but it was a chilly night. Off to the Reeperbahn, Europe's biggest red-light district but also home to many bars and clubs. It's an interesting place to say the least. We went to a few places but it was fairly low-key. On the way back to the train we - at my insistence - walked past Große Freiheit 36/Kaiserkeller, where the Beatles got their big break.

In the morning we woke to rain, unfortunately. Nonetheless we got on the train to Lübeck. We did a self-guided walking tour with umbrellas, omissions and a soup break. The town is beautiful, particularly the gates and churches. The Cathedral was a highlight, as was the famous Holstentor.

After a few hours we were pretty wet and grumpy, so headed home to de-frost, eat junk food and watch TV.

The next day the rain was gone. I left Maren to relax and went with Matt and Matt (two of the guys I had met on Thursday, Canadian and German) and German Matt's girlfriend Maggie to Bremen. They had all met in New Zealand and were clearly fans. We had a great lunch at Maggie's mum's place and then wandered around the town - marketplace, town hall, cathedral (gorgeous), many statues of the Town Musicians (the main one is all worn and shiny from where everyone has touched it.)

Got a coffee by the river, and walked down the Böttcherstraße and through the arty alleyways and boutiques of Schnoorviertel.

Then home for some mindless TV and packing my bags, again.

In the morning I headed to the train station for my ride to Mannheim.