I don't like being told, which might explain why I work for a state owned, strictly hierarchical, German government bank. However, when I was told that I was to travel to Hamburg, the headquarters and be there for three weeks, I let them know that despite my busy life and elaborate plans of taking the train to work every day, working 8 hours, going to gym once a week to loose 10 pounds in one month and taking the train back to eat my piping hot Stouffer's ready meals over a riveting episode of Law and Order followed by CSI, I would readily defer, as always, to their wishes of sending me to leafy, watery, historic, dreamy Hamburg for three weeks.
Initial Shock
I landed in Hamburg on May 12th 2010, and realized- surprise, surprise - everything was in German-menus, instructions, directions,computer keyboards, Seinfeld,Friends, Everybody Loves Raymond - everything, except for music videos on MTV and CNN. Being accustomed to surroundings that have almost always been bilingual, one of the languages in use being English, and my last trip to Europe being at 4, I totally looked forward to being in this tower of babel with more than a million Deutschen Volk. I quickly realized few other fun things, which were mostly the result of me being the bumpkin that I am :
1. Power supply in Germany (and most of Europe I think) is 220V, its 110V in the US. The hotel did not have a converter and I of course did not either. Which meant that I couldn't use my hair straightener that I had painstakingly remembered to pack for fear of walking around all day looking like I had just rolled out of bed (since no one ever told me that I look stunningly beautiful even when I get out of bed in the morning, I assume it isn't true). I ended up going to work on the first day looking exactly as if.. I had just rolled out of bed. Who said scraggly, frizzy hair in a business suit isn't cool ? Believe me, it isn't.
2. Many retail businesses, including many restaurants, grocery stores, general phramaceuticals etc. don't take credit cards. At all. And I pay by credit card for a bottle of water worth $1.00 in the US. People carry wads of cash all around, or have a special card with "EC" logo which is basically a debit card. I was told using my debit card to withdraw money from an ATM would cost me an arm and a leg. So, there I was, a day old in Hamburg, clearly a city much too advanced for me, without any cash to buy a reasonable bottle of water. And worse, on a holiday. Read on.
3. The Germans are as serious about their holidays as they are about their cars, their beer, being on time and their Bratwurst (or even the unremarkable Curry Wurst). All retail establishments except restaurants, public transport and bars are shut on public holidays and Sundays. So no duane reade like pharmacies, grocery stores, liquor stores, malls on holidays. So you're left with pretty, cobble-stoned streets full of locals and tourists sipping beer and idling away outdoors under restaurant umbrellas wrapped in fleece blankets kept ready by the restaurant to fend off the gentle spring. Too idyllic and peaceful for you, the harried New Yorker ? Get used to it. I know I did, too easily.
4. You ask water at a store or at a restaurant, they'll ask you if you want still water. To which I replied "No, I want bumping water from a river rushing down a hill. What did you think, punk?" The right answer : "I want NATURAL water, no soda." By still water, with or without soda, the Germans mean sparkling water, and they survive on this. In restaurants when you ask for water they often assume you want still water with soda. Even if you ask for still water without soda, it sort of tastes weird, like water with a little bit tonic in it.
After the initial shock wore off, I finally let Hamburg sink in.
An old port city, Hamburg is full of little surprises. I will leave Wikipedia fill in most of the details about Hamburg's hanseatic history and will fill you in any other trivia I come across. But it would suffice to say that Hamburg is one of wealthiest cities in Germany. Instead of the massive castles that usually come to mind when you think of Germany (most castles are in Southern Germany which is also the more touristy part of DE), old world charm is captured in the perfectly maintained 18th century houses that once belonged to wealthy merchants and were bequeathed to future generations. I stayed in one such house, the only one of its kind that was converted into a hotel/inn in the neighborhood I stayed in (Hotel Mittelweg, Hamburg). All the art owned by the merchant was preserved - most of which were portraits of the family. As enchanting as the house was, since I am such a valued employee and was there for three weeks, I had the privilege of staying in what was definitely the closet of the mistress of the house. It was narrow room with a bed, a couch and a desk laid out lengthwise; minibar, closet, TV along the breadth. Charming, pink wall paper with ornate prints lined the walls. Oh and there was loads of still water, free.
Watery Tales
Rivers Alster and Elbe - Hamburg lives and breathes (figuratively and literally) in and around their patient, perennial waters. The beautiful Binnealster (Inner Alster) is lined by the heart of Hamburg's (Germany's) trade and commercial centers. Along the banks of the Outer Alster are some of the city's best neighborhoods, restaurants, parks (Alster park) and houses, which, according to Hamburger's, can either be inherited or make for some rich dowry. These houses never go on sale. Getting rich is so over-rated. I always said so.
Kicking your little kayak into the water for the Hamburg-ers is like getting your bike out on a sunny day and riding it along the park (which they also do actually). And then they wonder why I quiz them about ever bothering to leave the city.
This is an average sunny day in Hamburg.
The Caribbean this is not. Hamburg has a thriving "beach culture", along its rivers. This just means that when they are not physically on the beach, they recreate the beach for themselves in the several beach bars that line the Elbe. This one called the Strand Pauli, is named after Hamburg's favorite sports team. No trip to Hamburg can possibly be complete, without an evening spent idling over a few mojitos slumped on a bean bag on beach sand that layers this special patch of land (specially bought and layered on by the bar's hipster owners), watching the sun set over the Hamburger's as they talk, drink, read and wave to the world that passes them by on the Elbe.
