Easter Holidays Part 5: Sightseeing in Hamburg

Breakfast choices

We had a rubbish night's sleep last night.  The bed in the apartment is a double bed, squashed up against a wall with a tiny quilt.  This doesn't lead to good sleep, we try not to steal the quilt from each other but it is really hard, so then we cuddle up, but of course then we get too hot and have to break apart and so it goes on.  We thought that after a bad first night's sleep we would sleep well the second night.  It wasn't the case unfortunately.

Tunnel under the Elbe

We got up and headed to a nearby bakery we found yesterday for breakfast.  Now German bakeries are a thing of wonder, it's what I remember the most from our trip to Berlin.  You get rows and rows of wonderful bread products to choose from.  Obviously we aren't all that sure what we are ordering, but that's part of the fun.  Never had a bad cake in Germany.  We did well: a two tone shortbread biscuit sandwiched with jam for Tom, an iced pain au raisin for Matt (he's so predictable) and a mystery something for me (it was a bread type product with bits of apple and strusel topping) freshly squeezed orange juice for me and Tom and a coffee for Matt and it all came to €6,50 an absolute bargain - we will be there again tomorrow.

Funky building

We purchased a travel pass which gave us unlimited access to ferries, U and S bahns for the day (all 3 of us for only €12) and buses got the Hochbahn to Landungsbrucken where we had to search high and low for the pedestrian tunnel under the Elbe.  There is a very very ornate entry building to it, but no signage on it, we very nearly didn't find it as we thought it couldn't be right.  Anyhow it was, and we walked through to the port side of the city.  The idea was to walk through the tunnel and get a ferry back.  We found the ferry landing only to discover that the next trip was at 2.30, oh hum, we decided to walk back!  It wasn't a trauma as it wasn't that far and the tiles on the walls were interesting.  Cars can go down there too, but they have to come down in huge lifts, 2 did so when we were there, wouldn't want anymore as the fumes would build up.

Matt and boy

When we got back to Landungsbrucken we were going to walk to St Michael's Church, but we discovered the 62 ferry just about to leave - this is the one which has the longest route taking in the dock yards so we hopped on board, as we did the gangplanks heaved up and it set on its way.  It was a lovely day we had all left our coats in the apartment and were braving just jumpers - when in the sun it was fine, although when the wind picked up it was a little cold.

Boy, shorts and beach

The docks looked very busy: huge container ship in dry dock as well as a big passenger ferry, plenty of containers being off loaded from a boat with big cranes,  opposite was obviously the nice bit of Hamburg - huge huge houses, green parkland and a proper beach at the shoreline full of yellow sand, and plenty of people on it, enjoying the sunshine.

Colour overload

We got to the end of the route but stayed on the ferry to come straight back - plenty of people were doing the same.  It was a very pleasant way to spend an hour.  We then decided to go to St Michael's Church to climb up the tower for a view of the city.  However, we got there at 12.15 and it is closed between 12 and 12.30 for prayers (think we could have joined them if we wanted...).  There was a cafe opposite (Gibbon Cafe) so we decided to go there for lunch to pass the time.  Posh ham panini for me (I have noticed, every sandwich I have has pesto in it - almost instead of butter or mayo.  I really like it and think I will do similar once back home) the boys had a fried fish sandwich each (basically a posh fish finger sandwich) by the time we had finished the church was open again so we headed in.  We walked off our lunch by going up the stairs to the top of the tower from which we had a great view of the city.  The lay of the land is flat, very flat so you don't have to be that high to see a lot.  It almost felt like we were in Miniatur Wunderland again - with trains whizzing around in the distance.  It was a bit hazy so we couldn't see for ever and ever, at the horizon it was still flat - we couldn't see even a semblance of a hill, we couldn't see the sea either.

Proper German Beer - Proust!

We got the lift back down and then walked over to the Elbphilharmonie, a rather stunning building sat perched on top of some red brick warehouses (which we saw in splendid miniature yesterday).  We were able to get some free tickets to go up to the viewing platform via a very very long escalator which Tom enjoyed.  The view from the Elbphilharmonie was good, but the view of Hamburg is better when you can see it, rather than when in it.

Next stop was a return to Kaffeerosterei for refreshments (more cake - yumsk - lemon tart for the boy and an apple sponge thingy for me and Matt) and cold drinks but more importantly a chance to rest our aching feet.  We were able to watch the roasting of coffee beans again and Matt was able to purchase the coffee he had been recommended.

Our apartment - look at the top floor

Once rested we headed out and got a bendy bus to the Chocolate Museum I had been wanting to visit, Chocoversum.  They do tours and show the whole chocolate making process from beginning to end, you even get to make yourself a chocolate bar.  However, there were only two tours a day in English and the last one had been and gone.  Considering we were tired and had very very achy feet, it was never going to be a good idea to do the German one, so, instead we settled with looking in the shop.  They had some great chocolate cooking books - but alas, only in German so nothing that would help me with my emerging chocolate business.  They also had some moulds but nothing I haven't got or seen or can get much cheaper from China.  Oh well, next time...

Looking up

We were really flagging by now so we got 2 x trains back to the apartment and had an hour or two to relax, so we all had baths and lounged around reading books before dragging ourselves back over the road to Kartoffel Keller for tea (we couldn't face going any further).  BBQ ribs with 2 x baked potatoes for me, pork medallions and sauted potatoes for Tom and a potato bolognaise pie for Matt, all washed down with deliciously cold beer (and sprite).  We all ate up, we were hungrier than we realised.   Tom's portion was an adult portion (there are no children's menus in Germany - not that we have found anyway) and although he said he wasn't that hungry, he pretty much demolished it - it was a big portion!  Well done Tom!

We then came back to the apartment, struggled up the long winding, leaning staircase for the last time and flopped.

Warehouses by night

Note to selves for next time:
+ UK exhibit at Miniatur Wunderland due to be finished in 2021
+ Book English language tour of Chocoversum well in advance.
+ Zoo is supposed to be great
+ Look into bike tours