Day 1 : Hamburg , Germany ( The Garden City of Europe )

Home , Hamburg
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I'm not sure if I'll have time to blog each day or if I'll be able to make this interesting enough for ya'll to follow, but it's worth a mediocre shot .

So where shall I begin ?

Lake Alster and City of Hamburg

Ummm, the beginning I guess starts with a Long flight from Singapore to Hamburg with a 3 hour stop over in Dubai , UAE . Our Flight was around 3 am in the morning , so we started our day around 1.00 am , 8th of June . Though it was a long flight , we enjoyed it thoroughly .

Lake Alster – Hamburg , Germany
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We arrived hamburg around 2.00 pm in the Afternoon . Priya's mom came to receive us in the Airport . It was raining before we arrived . But we brought sunny weather to Hamburg and it stayed with us , throughout our stay .

Germany has a reputation as a reserved, cold place but Hamburg definitely is doing its share to change the stereotype!

It is an extremely cosmopolitan city.  We went downtown on a Thursday and the global mix of people wandering around was really impressive .

Sunset @ Binnenalster , Hamburg
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Hamburg is also the greenest city we´ve been to . If there is room for a tree one has been planted.  There are lot of "green roof" buildings which are gaining in popularity.  By planting grass on top of a building instead of the usual mix of shingles or tar-paper and gravel, rain water can be absorbed instead of flooding into the sewer system, carbon dioxide can be converted to oxygen, and birds have a safe place to build nests and the like .

The many canals in Hamburg are crossed by over 2300 bridges — more than Amsterdam (1200) and Venice (400) combined . Hamburg is the 2nd largest city in Germany and also has around 100 consulates probably third in the world after New York and Hong Kong  .

Hamburg Sailing Club , Germany
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Hamburg lies open to many streams of influence. With city-state traditions reaching back for centuries, it has always played a special political and cultural role.

Today, as a key commercial hub, an international harbor and a media and cultural center, the metropolis on the Elbe River with its one million inhabitants is once again pursuing ancient traditions with typically Hanseatic aplomb. This comes as no surprise: Germany's second largest city offers a high quality of life and international flair. In Hamburg, the word "boredom" is unknown.

Home , Hamburg
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Lifestyle by the Waterside

Living near the water affects life in the Hanseatic City more than almost any other metropolis. A dense network of waterways and open water shape the city's appearance and make up 8% of its total area.

Hamburg has even more bridges than Venice! After a day's work, many residents simply set sail on the Alster and go boating right in the middle of town. Boat riding on the Alster ("Alsterschippern") or on the larger canals (known as "Fleeten") is a great way to see much of town.

Alster Lake , 8th June 2006
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The port of Hamburg itself is no less intricate. On a big harbor tour smaller launches ply the narrow canals of the historical Speicherstadt, where the aroma of tea and spices will tantalize you, evoking nostalgia for world of trade at the turn-of-the-century.

The Hanseatic city's image, economy and culture are not only influenced by water: Hamburg has become famous for being a city of gardens, too.

The large stretches of water and fingers of the Alster and Elbe lend elegance to Hamburg's generous, modern as well as historic gardens and park areas. The large number of these provide every opportunity to rest, relax, play games and exercise and account for as much as 22% of the urban area.

What a view , Hamburg
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The cultural tradition in the Hanseatic city dates back to medieval times. Poets such as Klopstock, Lessing and Heinrich Heine, as well as world-famous composers including Handel and Mahler, have left their mark on Hanseatic cultural history.

Gustav Gründgens made theatrical history with his legendary dramatization of Faust, and the Beatles celebrated their breakthrough in the Starclub.

From Plattdüütsch to John Neumeier's ballet, you'll find just about everything at Hamburg's stages. Besides three state theatres, the Hamburgische Staatsoper, founded in 1678, the Deutsches Schauspielhaus, Thalia Theater, over 40 private theatres, 50 museums and a total of 313 theatres, concert halls, music halls and cabaret venues attract audiences with a colorful cultural offering.

Hamburg is the third most important city for musicals in the world after New York and London. "Cats" ran for almost 15 years, making it the longest-running musical in Germany; this kind of success continues with productions such as "The Lion King", "Mamma Mia" and "Dirty Dancing".

Our house was next to lake Alster and we took a small stroll around the lake over looking various sailing clubs and enjoying European summer at it's best . After strolling for few hours we settled at our home to have some dinner and catch some much needed sleep .