Hamburg

Hamburg has been lots of fun. Both of us didn't think we would enjoy Hamburg as much as we have. The Christmas Markets were very cheery and busy.  We managed to keep 3 different cups from Hamburg.  (0 from Heidelberg and 1 from Frankfurt - I might need a bag especially to bring back the market cups hahahah)

We did the walking tour the other day,  I enjoy walking tours - generally whingey people don't do them  ( my theory is they don't even consider walking around for 3 to 4 hours - which is just fine with me)  and walking around the city helps you get your bearings and gives you ideas of what you might like to add to your list of things to do etc.

We ended up eating lunch in the restaurant where the great fire of Hamburg originated (in the cigar shop above it).  Really lovely people and some traditional Hamburg fare.  But one of the best things we got out of the tour was a heads up about the free rock concert at the Fish Markets on Sunday mornings. The concert starts at about 7am in the Winter (earlier in Summer we were told) and it goes for a couple of hours.  A crowd of varying ages and social status gather in an old warehouse, with breakfast being cooked, beer being served and a band rocking out for the families and party goers fresh from the Reeperbahn.

Chris and I ended up spending the morning chatting to such revellers that had spent the night on the Reeperbahn and this Sunday morning ritual was the recovery party.  It was a fun morning and we were both a bit tiddly before 10am.

Other highlights include the Maritime Museum (it is massive and so well presented), Protoyp AutoMuseum (Chris was in heaven) and the Town Hall (Rathaus) tour.  I have seen some lovely buildings in France but this town hall is something to behold.  I don't think I ever expected beauty or opulence from the Germans, not sure why, but the works of art, the carvings and the leather wall coverings were incredible.  And it kind of spoke to how the citizens of a particular city/state are very proud of said state/city - a form of patriotism I guess.

One thing I was not really prepared for is how ever-present the war (WW2) is.  The memorials are throughout the city and the "Stumbling Stones" are throughout Europe.  Stumbling Stones are gold plaques that have replaced a cobble stone outside the former residence of a person that was taken in the war - it details their name, birthdate, where they were taken to and date of murder etc.  Yes they use the word murder.  I don't think I can articulate how the acknowledgement and continual acknowledgement of the war seems to have shaped society.  It is humbling.

Today we leave Hamburg for Berlin.  We could have done with an extra day or 2 here.  It has been put on the list of places we would return to.

Christmas Market in front of the Town Hall

Just another Christmas tree at the Town Hall Market

first big snow fall we experienced

The geek even had snow in his eyebrows 

So much fun

Then we were safely inside the fish market where we listened to a live band and drunk beer at 7am

On the way home from the Fish Market

one of the rooms of the town hall

Part of the clock tower that were saved after the bombing

St Michaels

the Reeperbahn Christmas Market

I loved the look of this police station

market food - herring and onion roll with beer chaser

town hall 

The lion figures they had on the bannisters of the town hall steps

Inside St Michaels Churh

The view from the top of St Michael's bell tower

Very top of the bell tower

we cheated and took the lift up (stairs on the way down)

The famous no men under 18 and no women allowed sign one of the side streets of the Reeperbahn - this is where the stuff you pay for happens.

St Jakobi just outside the old city limits of Hamburg - also a pilgrim stop on the trail to Santiago 

Inside St Jakobi

One of the many canals in Hamburg - more canals and bridges than even Venice we were told

one of the glühwein stalls was set up like it was in a forest - lots of fun

the main train station of Hamburg

The cutest little restaurant we found on our last night

My delicious pork knuckle and sauerkraut - and see what Chris is having....bratherring....fried then pickled herring.  After this meal he was sick for 4 days with food poisoning.

Tromsø

We came to Tromsø for the Northern Lights, which were fantastic, but little did we know that Tromsø itself would be so great.  It is the cleanest, friendliest and most quaint city I have ever visited.
Since we are here in winter - daylight is very short - perhaps 5 hours, and it is not full daylight - almost like dusk for several hours.   All the business' have kept the tradition of fire outside means they are open for trade.  These days it is mostly in the form of candles in elaborate holders, but the affect is the same - a welcoming and sweet tradition.

The cold is like I have never experienced it.  The first couple of days it was such a novelty that I didn't mind feeling cold no matter how many layers I wore.  But yesterday I couldn't go inside of any venue for fear I would never leave again to venture into the cold.  That is perhaps a bit of an exaggeration, but pretty close.

The tour we did to see the Northern Lights was fun, we ended up on the same tour as an English couple we meet in the oldest pub in town.  The offered to take a photo of us with the Polar Bear inside the pub (stuffed one) and from there we spent a couple of hours drinking and exchanging stories when we figured our we were going to be on the same tour.  It was fun.
The drive was about 2 hours to get from Tromsø city to the Finnish border.  We pulled over onto the side of the road and watched in awe at lights dancing in the sky for almost 2 hours.  First thing I will say is that the colours your eyes see are not as strong as the ones that appear on the camera.  We could see tinges of green but in the photos it was brighter and greener...if that makes sense.

I am so very happy that I saw them AND I get to cross something pretty significant off my list, but Chris and I both agreed we didn't need to see them again.  So for our last night in Troms - instead of chasing the lights again we would hang out in town.

We walked across the bridge that connects Tromsø mainland with the island that the main city is on.  The destination was the Ice Cathedral.  Since we were about an hour early to get inside we searched for somewhere to take refuge from the increasing cold.  It turned our we found the cheapest place to eat and we had a nice pizza Troms style - which included garlic sauce and chilli sauce as condiments on the side. (Tromsø is more expensive than even Paris - not only for eating but for everything else as well).

After a bus ride back over to the island city we ended up at this underground establishment called the Bastard Bar where we watched soccer with the locals.  It was a fun way to end our visit in Tromsø.

This morning we are flying to Oslo for a 6 hour stay - then on to Hamburg.

Frankfurt day 3 (Heidelberg day trip)

With Heidelberg not even an hour away from our base in Frankfurt we decided to take a day trip to see the old town, castle, the philospher's way and of course the Christmas market.

View from lower balcony of castle wall

Roast pork and crackling buns

Ice rink part of the Christmas Market

View from the pedestrian bridge

Vetter's Brauhaus with beautiful copper kettles and hop chandeliers

Always time to stop for a Gluhwein

bye Heidelberg

Frankfurt Day 2

Finding the balance of right amount of layers of clothing that will keep you warm when you are standing still but not over heat you when you are walking and not too many that entering any establishment requires you to take off the equivalent of your entire wardrobe has been the goal of today.  I think we have worked it out.

So it is to the Nature Museum and Botanical Gardens for the morning.

 We took a wander over to the "old town" but it appears that everyone was at the Christmas markets, this was the second time we have headed over to this side of town and the both times it was very quiet - like a university town in midst of summer break - except it was freezing cold.
It was disappointing as all the pubs/restaurants on this side of town are so gorgeous and cute you just want them to be full of lively Germans having fun.

 We headed back over towards the Christmas markets via the old pedestrian bridge.  It appears the padlocks of love hanging of bridges is not just a Paris thing, it is here in Frankfurt (and I also saw it in Heidelberg)

 We spent the rest of the night at the Christmas Market venturing from bar to bar and eating sausage in between.  The markets are such a fun place to be. Although very touristy, it appears the locals enjoy it just as much, meeting up with groups of friends and making an afternoon/evening of it.

Frankfurt Day 1

We are both so happy to be back in Europe and today we were definitely glad that we decided to come at this time of year.  Germans like their Christmas and it is going to be so much fun to share this time of year with them.

We went for a little walk around our area while we waiting to be checked into our hotel.  Discovered we are in a great location for walking to the majority of the sights we want to see.

First on our list today was the Christmas Market.  We drank the mulled wine and ate a pretzel and behaved liked tourists ooohing and ahhing over all the things.

Chris is having lots of fun trying all the food.  Although I am also trying it, Chris actually likes the taste of it :)

Chris has been more successful with having interactions completely in German with people.  Generally if I ask for something they respond immediately in English, which is sometimes a relief and other times disappointing.

After wandering over to the old town section of the city on the other side of the river we decided to have a couple of drinks  before an early night (boring! stupid jet lag) cause tomorrow we have a 4 hour walking tour ahead of us.