Eek, we're a bit late with this one. We've been in Poland for a couple of days already.
We were in Hamburg for about a week and I should have documented as I went (Liv) because now that I'm trying to remember which day we did what, I'm struggling. So this will a bit of a mash. Chris will add his own to include his Hamburg & Wacken.
After nine hours of travel on maybe three or four trains (it's a blur) we arrived in Hamburg. Our Aussie friends were kind enough to pick us up and take us to our hotel. We dumped everything, changed, then headed out. We were staying in Saint Pauli, it's the hipster quarter (that's what I call it) and it includes the Reeperbahn, the single biggest Red Light District in the world (I think). It's quite big. It's also a tourist attraction so it's not as seedy as you might imagine.
We made a bee line for the Polish pub that has become somewhat a tradition with the Germany/Wacken regulars. It was my first taste of the Jagerschnitzel with bratkartoffeln. So. Damn. Good. Seriously.
We headed to a Wacken preparty and watched a heavily tattooed German man sing country songs in perfect english. It was bizarre but very entertaining. The long day had us exhausted so we bailed early to catch up on sleep & energy.
In the days that followed we wandered into the city so I could get familiar with the train systems and where to go for stuff to do. We discovered the town, strangely name coffee shops and the harbour/dock area. We headed out to give our clothes a much needed wash, and spent the time at a nearby pub having another jagerschnitzel.
The second night, the night before Chris left for Wacken, we headed to the Roatan (a Carribean bar) for happy hour with some friends. Half price cocktails! About 12:30/1 we headed towards home to have a wander through the Dom. A theme park similar to the Royal Show (but better) that's set up for three months of the year. Unfortunately it was a bit late and lots of places were closed or closing up but we did have time to buy some sweet treats.
The day that Chris left for Wacken, I spent most of the day in the hotel foyer using the wifi to write and upload photos. I did head to a nearby cafe (Gloe) for lunch though. Thankfully the waitress spoke english and was kind enough to provide me with "what ever she liked". I like to ask for waiter/ress recommendations rather than choosing. It stops me from ordering the same stuff. She gave me this delicious creamy penne pasta & I had a wine. 10 euro! So cheap! I was almost finished when I got attacked by a wasp so I headed back home.
While Chris was away I wandered the streets, caught a bus tour around the city (did you know Hamburg has more bridges than London & Venice put together!? and 4 million trees, that's two per person. I'm intrigued to know who actually counted all those trees...), I walked a lot, found a Russian submarine & walked through it. I stumbled onto a huge pride parade, made friends with a local girl & her friend (Xena & Catia), they were nice enough to let me tag along to a flea market, just one stop away from mine where I picked up some great little knick knacks.
I caught the wrong train to the wrong church, & jumped on the next train back to find the right St Nikolai Church. It's quite sad. There are 4 main spires in Hamburg city, this one is charred black from being bombed in the second world war. But it's just the spire that stands, the church isn't there. It's now a memorial surrounded by beautiful trees.
Being alone in a foreign city I know almost nothing about and the language barrier was pretty tough. Sitting alone at big breakfast tables in the main hall was not my idea of fun, but I made it out alive. There were a few evenings where I just curled up on the bed & watched the movies Chris had put on his laptop. Sanity saver!
One night I headed out for dinner at Gloe, the local soccer team were playing at the arena/stadium across the road from the hotel. I managed to catch the last half of the game. They won 3-1 and it was great to experience the buzz of all the fans. As the game ended I decided to take another wander through the Dom which was all open & full of happy soccer people. The full alleys & loud rides made for a lovely evening wander.
The morning Chris & Co returned from Wacken, I decided not to sit alone at the hotel for breakfast, but to head out instead. There are loads of restaurants and cafes on and near the Reeperbahn, but do you think any were open at 8:30 on a Sunday morning? No. There were a few pubs open, one even had patrons. Just as I decided to head back I found May, they were putting on a buffet breakfast for only 4.70euro. Cold meats, cheeses, cereals, fresh fruit, yoghurt, pastries & bread as well as a juice. Perfect.
Then I spent the rest of the morning waiting for that guy I like. It was SO good to have someone to talk to again. I think I chewed his ear off filling him in on the four days he was away. :) What are girlfriends for, right?
That night we headed out for dinner and drinks with the Wacken crew (about 13 of us). I think this was the night I discovered how much I like Caprioskas. It wasn't too late a night, and we were up, fed and ready to head for Poland the next morning.
