Hamburg is apparently one of the more expensive German cities. There isn’t a great deal to see from a tourist’s perspective as many of the old buildings have been destroyed and what has replaced it is not exactly architecturally interesting. It really is a rather small city – walked it all in one day. Initial impressions were that everyone seems to walk around the streets drinking beer…hasn’t changed either. Not sure how bars survive when half a dozen travellers seems to be go on any given night.
A lot of graffiti on the streets, much of it quite cool. Emos and mohawks are common (so long as Hamburg exists so will the mohawk), as are tats. Everybody has a tat or twelve. Plenty of dodgy types too. Hopefully the neo-nazis don’t think I am Eastern European.
Food and drink:
* Jever – basic draught beer. Bit mainstream and tasteless, like an Aussie beer. Ouch.
* Jaegerschnitzel met pommes frites – Schnitzel with fried potatoes (not chips) and sauerkraut. From Hopfen–markt. Good little set-up with about six food stalls in a small square serving cheap and filling fair. One stand served curried sausages and chips using that cheap English style curry powder (Keens) which I hate. The place I “dined” standing up at had an assortment of deep-fried goodness (schnitzels, sausages, duck breast, processed meats) served with your favourite accompaniment (cabbage, sauerkraut, chips, fried potatoes, beans, gravy… you name it). They were feeding almost exclusively working folk and all for between EUR4-6.00. The sausage lady had an array of sausages on display….all waiting to be dropped in the boiling vat of oil and then dipped in mustard and washed down with some bread. Tried to go back here the following day for lunch. Turns out it must be a Wednesday only thing.
* Schweinereleber “Berliner Art’ uit Kartoffel Puree (Backbord Bar & Restaurant, Clemens-Schultz Street, St. Pauli) – a miscommunication resulted in me ordering this dish…described a pork and potato mash. The first cut into it released a lot of blood and the texture was clearly unusual. The important detail lost in translation was that it was pork liver, not pork fillet or knuckle or schnitzel. When she made enquiries and returned and said it is “lehver”….I now know what she was trying to say. Wow. Rich and tasty (in an apple, onion and white wine sauce) and oh so going to haunt me (and my dorm compatriots) tomorrow…possibly in a few hours. I ate everything on the plate though. A German specialty I wouldn’t have otherwise tried. Quite cheap too. Dogs, tats and bad haircuts rife in this place. It’s no frills but the food quality is excellent.
Ate there again the following night – schnitzel and chip. Would have been perfect if not for the oversalting of the excellent chips.
Not too many photos from Hamburg as there isn't really much to take photos of that is interesting.
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| The goodness stand at Hopfen–markt |
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| The automobile museum |
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| Auβenalster lake |
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| Walkway along one of the canals |
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| Fountains within one of the public buildings in the centre of town. |
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| Hamburg's famous port full of cranes |
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| Art installation - sound is played through each of these, mainly classical music with the odd random sound in there too. |
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| My first schnitzel in Germany.....special moment. |
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