Day in Hamburg, Germany
A view of Hamburg from the observation tower of St. Michael's Church, a revered and beloved landmark in Hamburg, Germany.
It is early when we leave Milan this morning. The guys have a meeting in Hamburg, Germany which will last for several hours, and then we head to Paris, France. Three countries in one day. Flights are quick, though - 1.5 hours each. We can do this. A driver will pick us up in Germany and after he drops the men off he will drive me around to see the sights. I am in favor of this arrangement. We land in Hamburg, gather our bags, and since we are in the E. U., there is no border control to deal with so we are on our way. Our driver's name is Thorsten. Born and bred in Hamburg, with a slight British accent to his English, he will make a fine tour guide.
We have some time to kill before the meeting so we stop for coffee, tea and traditional German cakes at a local Hamburg hotel. I must be tired as I took no photos! I did enjoy my tea and strawberry cake, though. Time to move on. The guys make their meeting and Thorsten asks me what I like to do when I go somewhere. I tell him I like museums, cathedrals, gardens, walking around and eating. We drive through town and he shows me The St. Pauli quarter of Hamburg - the red light district - where the Beatles cut their teeth and polished their craft at many of the clubs here. Our first stop, though, is quite different in nature: St. Michael's Church.
St. Michael's Church is the most famous landmark in Hamburg and loved by the locals. It was built by the Protestants (versus being converted from an existing Catholic church) and is widely considered one of the finest examples of Protestant baroque construction in Europe today. A bronze statue of St. Michael conquering the devil sits over the doorway. Its imposing copper-roofed tower soars 145 yards - some 450 feet - into the air. I do a quick walk-about the outside to take some photos then go inside. You can explore the main church for free, but to climb the tower and visit the museum in the crypt, one must buy a ticket. So I buy a ticket. I'd provide a link to their web site but it is solely in German, so here is a link to the St. Michael's Wikipedia page. Please click through to see it all.
Exterior and interior shots of the beautiful and beloved St. Michael’s Church complete with statue of Martin Luther, Sonnin (architect of St. Michael’s), main altar, one of five pipe organs, stained glass, views from the observation tower, stairs to the clock tower, and artifacts from the church dating back to the original structure, housed in the crypt.
All this churchiness has made me hungry. It is lunchtime. I suggest to Thorsten that we head down to the Philharmonie and find a restaurant for lunch, after which I can stroll the canal area. He drives me into the canal area which is surrounded by a massive Warehouse district where goods of all descriptions are imported and distributed throughout Europe. We make our way to the new Philharmonie Building. The Elbphilharmonie sits on the Elba River and is hailed as one of the most acoustically sophisticated concert hall in the world. A glass structure said to resemble sails, or a crown, sits atop a converted warehouse building. The NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra played its inaugural concert here in January 2017. It is a new feature on the Hamburg skyline.
The newly-renovated Elbphilharmonie on the banks of the Elba River.
Directly across for the Philharmonie is Carl's Bistro and Brasserie, which looks like the perfect place for lunch. I seat myself on the deck overlooking the river and peruse the menu. There are all kinds of delightful items but it is a fish stew that stands out to me. I am going there. The waiter recommends a German Reisling and I am not about to argue with him. The soup comes with rouille, a Provençal sauce made from pounded red chilies, garlic, breadcrumbs and herbs, blended with olive oil and stock. It is almost always served with a bouillabaise, along with some croûtons and grated Emmental cheese. I would provide you with a rouille recipe, but there are as many as the day is long. Google one up and try it with your next fish stew. This soup, by the way, is very French. Fish stock with tomato, fennel, onions, olives, basil, white fish and shrimp. It is outstanding. The dinner menu, too, looks amazing.
Carl's Brasserie and Bistro offers lunch and dinner, plus a more casual bistro menu.
Time for a stroll. I scope out the Philharmonie but decide not to go in, even though they have an observation deck. I've already checked that box today. A few doors down from the Philharmonie sits a Steinway and Sons store with one of the most beautiful pianos I have ever seen. I enter and ask if I can take a picture. The woman tells me it is Steinway's new limited edition, "Sunburst", which they debuted at a private event at Abbey Road Studios, London, just a few weeks ago. 69 pianos were made. The one below is number one.
A work of art in its own right. The Steinway and Son "Sunburst", literally one of 69 like it in the world.
Well, that was exciting! I wish I could still play. Maybe I should take it back up. We'll see. My stroll continues on the otherside of the street - canal-side. I snap a few photos of the older ships that line the warehouse district. Beautiful! I then cross the street down to the river level where there is all kinds of activiy today. The sun is shining, after all, and the weather is mild. I leave you with a small slideshow to click through.
The warehouse and canal district, plus the pedestrian way along the busy River Elba.
I have come full circle now and am back at the Elbphilharmonie. Thorsten is looking for me, as he has more to show with time running out. It turns out that when he is not driving people around, he is a tour guide, showing visitors the city he grew up in and is most proud of. His knowledge is vast. He points out the Rathaus (town hall) and other notable stuctures and areas. But we have a specific destination in mind: The St. Nikolai Memorial. A former church, it was devastated in WW II during "Operation Gomorrah", an intensive 3-day air raid carried out by British and American forces. Many civilian targets were hit and 40,000 Hamburg residents perished. It was the beginning of the end. The ruins of the church now stand as a memorial against war and tyranny. The mood here is thick and the sense of senseless destruction and death is palpable. Again, click through to experience this incredible monument.
The moving monument against war and tyranny, The St. Nikolai Memorial.
It is getting close to airport time, but we take one last zip through the center of town along the edges of Outer Alster Lake, an artificial lake formed by the damming of the Alster River. It features prominently in Hamburg life. Thorsten provides me with all kinds of information which I have since forgotten. Again, a few photos for you.
Scenes about town featuring Outer Alster lake, one of two artificial lakes, the other being Binnenalster (Inner Alster), that play a large part in Hamburg life when the sun shines.
We pick the gentlemen up at their meeting and head through Hamburg traffic to the airport. Our flight to Paris is quick, and we are all staying at different hotels, so we part for the evening. Bob and I head to The Penninsula Hotel. It is a lovely hotel blocks from the Arc di Triomphe and Avenue des Champs-Élysées, considered the main thoroughfare of Paris and a definitive shopping destination.
Bob standing before the lions at the Peninsula Hotel, Paris, France.
There will be no shopping tonight, though, as it is almost 10:00pm by the time we check in, and we are hungry. The concierge suggests Brasserie Stella, a brief walk from the hotel and also open. We head out and notice immediately that there is at least one cafe per block and they all seeem to be open. People sit outside, eating, smoking and drinking wine all hours of the day and night. We find le Stella and head inside as Bob is not a fan of cigarette smoke while he eats. Or at any time. We order some wine and a green bean salad. I follow up with some salmon and spinach, while Bob goes for duck and frites. Here is a link to their menu. The food is perfect and delicious. And I WILL be making the green beans with shallot, olive oil, balsamic and parmesan soon. With a big baguette to sop up the dressing and cheese! It is delightful. This is yet another slideshow so get clicking.
A quick stroll leads us to Avenue Victor Hugo and Brasserie Stella, a great place for a late night dinner. Then again, there are hundreds of cafes, brasseries and bistros in Paris that consistently and even affordably serve up great food and wine at all hours of the day and night.
We walk back to the hotel as is it well past midnight and the streets are slowly quieting down, though cafe culture is still happening. Tomorrow I am on my own again, and I have a loose plan for sightseeing, and epic plans for dinner. Let's see what happens in Paris tomorrow.