Letting Go of the Bay Leaf: Lola

Showing posts with label Lola. Show all posts

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Mosaic Monday #53: Hamburg, Part II

I am cuddled up in our log home, the barren aspen branches waving to me just beyond the windows. We returned on Tuesday after a three-week getaway, and were greeted by the dramatic transformation from Autumn to Winter. To quote Dorothy - "There's no place like home", but part of me is already missing the temperate environment in Europe. So join me for part II of our Hamburg experience.

Give me a choice between sweet and salty foods, and I will lean salty every time. Hence my pure enjoyment of a typical German breakfast - breads, cheeses, meats and fruit. Eleven years ago, Dr. H. introduced us to Tete de Moine cheese when we visited her in Switzerland, and since then we look for it everywhere we go. What a lovely surprise to see it on her breakfast table the second day!

The Tete de Moine is the frilly cheese in the center of the wooden platter.

You need a special device, called a girolle, to thinly shave the cheese

into these shapes.

A first-class tour guide considers her audience and their interests, and Dr. H. exceeded my expectations when she suggested the Ballinstadt Emigration Museum as our next destination. She knows my family emigrated from Germany to the US, and correctly presumed that I would be intrigued to visit the former emigration station in Hamburg that served as the final European home for five million emigrants from the 1850s - 1930s.

The museum takes its name from Albert Ballin, who ran the HAPAG shipping company and prospered from advancing the idea of using the 'tween decks for efficient transportation of emigrants.

"Ballinstadt" translates to "Ballin City", and this resulted from Ballin's vision to satisfy the emigrants' leisure and entertainment needs. The picture to the left shows Ballinstadt in "the day", with emigration halls, treed walkways, a church, a dining hall, playgrounds and a music hall. Only three of the buildings remain today - if you look closely, you can see that three of the "C"-shaped buildings are colored a light green - these are the remaining buildings. In 2007, the Museum was opened utilizing those three structures.

The emigration halls were extended several times from 1898 to 1907, and collectively were known as "The World's Biggest Inn". Three thousand people could be fed in one hour; 8,000 to 10,000 bread rolls were consumed every day. The steady influx of emigrants from Eastern Europe led to constant overcrowding from 1904 on. Some days the halls were home to as many as 3,500 people - as opposed to the maximum permitted 1,200. As recent world events continue to demonstrate, people will endure unspeakable conditions in the search for a better life.

As we moved from the first building, we found that the subject shifts from a Hamburg-centric view of emigration to focus on the phenomenon of emigration on a world-wide scale, studying the causes of emigration and its implications. According to a 2014 report, 59.8 million people were fleeing throughout the world - flight being one of many forms of migration. Of those 59.8 million people, 38.5 million were displaced within their own countries, 19.5 million were border-crossing refugees, and 1.8 million were asylum seekers.

In a series of well-appointed rooms, the museum presents the "pull-factors" (Gold Rush, popular literature, the American Dream, letters from other emigrants, giving away land through legislation such as the Homestead Act in the US) and "push-factors" (lack of job opportunities, racial discrimination, wars and political intolerance) associated with emigration. I was fascinated to find that Canada has utilized the catch-phrase "Last Best West" to attract people. Montana today is commonly referred to as the "Last Best Place". Go figure!

Top: Desk (cool how it was attached to the wall) with letters from emigrants

Lower Left: Boys can dream of being President!

Lower Right: Letter from Emigrant in Cleveland, February 16, 1911

The final building of the museum highlights the experience of emigrants once they reached the US, as well as the evolving state of migration around the world. For example, the "green card" was introduced in Germany in August 2000 to attract foreign experts in information technology. Here I learned that the US celebrates more Oktoberfest than Germany! (By the way, we did not attend Oktoberfest while in Hamburg, due to a scarcity of tickets. In the end, I am glad - I learned more about Hamburg through Dr. H. and her choice of destinations than I ever would have learned from Oktoberfest!)

And last but not least, the museum offers free access to Ancestry.com via a bank of three computers conveniently located next to the café. I was delighted to find the records of my father's family, who emigrated from Bremen, Germany in 1834. I was already familiar with their emigration story, but it was still exciting to see it here after four fascinating hours in the museum. My heartfelt gratitude to Dr. H. for a unique educational, mind-expanding experience!

There was a down-side to the museum - Lola was not welcome, so when we returned to the apartment we retrieved the faithful sidekick and strolled to the market for some foodstuffs.

Along the way, we passed the TRUDE, the head of the boring machine that was used to create a tunnel under the Elbe. As you can see in the picture below, it is almost four stories tall. The TRUDE is displayed here because the Museum of Work is across the courtyard - although we did not go in the Museum, I think it would be worth a visit in the future as it explores the social, cultural and economic impacts of changes in work over the last 150 years.

Dr. H. prepared a delicious dinner for us, and we rounded out the evening playing cards, drinking wine and doting on Lola. Soon enough it was time for bed to ensure we would have the energy for the next day's plans.

In my experience, cities are always undergoing transformations. Some neighborhoods decline; others become trendy. On our third day in Hamburg, we ambled through Sternschanze. From the 1930s to the 1970s, the quarter was home for a large number of working-class people.

Currywurst is a fast food dish that can be found on many street corners throughout Hamburg. Hubby and I shared

one from a shop front near Sternschanze. Each vendor has its own spin on the dish. Some blend the curry flavor into

the sauce (as shown above) and others sprinkle curry powder on top. Push the boat out and get it with French fries!!!

In the 1980s, families and students started to move into the area. Since the beginning of the new millennium, Sternschanze is in vogue and runs the risk of pushing out lower-income residents as more affluent people drive up prices. Nevertheless, political demonstrations, mostly by leftist groups, take place here and sometimes lead to clashes with police.

The center of this activity is often the building Rote Flora (shown below) which was squatted by leftist groups in 1989.

As you can see above, graffiti is common in this quarter to the point of being one of its hallmarks. What are your thoughts on graffiti? For some people, the very word evokes a negative reaction. Generally, I don't like the look of graffiti on buildings, but in Sternschanze, it goes beyond "normal" graffiti to works of art and murals four stories tall. I admire the talent and creativity (and the willingness to work at great heights).

From a distance, this mural gives you the impression of a leafy jungle with bright flowers. A closer look

reveals faces within the mural, and bottles/drinks in place of the flower stamens. Clever!

Restaurants and cafes abound in this quarter, and as a light rain began to fall, we opted for coffee and cake at one of Dr. H's favorites. Our table was tucked under the awning on the front sidewalk, and I was pleasantly surprised to find blankets on each of the chairs. Dr. H. pointed out that Hamburg residents love to be outside in all manner of weather, and restaurants have adapted by making blankets and warmers standard equipment. Right up my alley!

As I relished the total civility of coffee and cake while snuggling under a warm blanket, I reflected on the contrast between the emigration museum and this avant garde section of the city. Some people emigrate to find a better life, and others work to make a better life from the inside. We may struggle with their methods, or how they choose to express their opinions, but it is clear that the intention springs from the same hopes and dreams.

Morning Glory in a Sternschanze garden

Mosaic Monday

Welcome to Mosaic Monday, a weekly meme where we get together to share our photo mosaics and collages.
Please include at least one photo mosaic/collage in your post.
The link will be open from 1 p.m. Sunday until 11 p.m. Monday (U.S. Mountain time).
Remember to add the link to your Mosaic Monday post and not the one to your blog.
Please link back to this post so that your readers will be able to visit and enjoy more wonderful mosaics; taking the MM blog button from my sidebar is an easy way to link back.
As host I will visit every participant and leave a comment so that you know I stopped by.
Please try and visit as many other blogs as you can, especially those that join in later, so that everyone's creativity can be appreciated fully.
Thank you for joining in today and sharing your mosaics with us.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Mosaic Monday #51: Hamburg, Part I

Water is everywhere. The canals. The Elbe. The lakes. And so you must have bridges. Did you know Hamburg has more bridges than London, Amsterdam and Venice put together? Indeed, it's true. Perhaps, then, it's no surprise that one can easily fall into a romance with Hamburg. I couldn't possibly cover our six days in one post, so you can expect several chapters as I share the many sights, sounds and tastes of the second largest city in Germany.

Upon our arrival at the airport, we were greeted by a former au pair, Dr. H., and whisked off to her comfortable, homey third-floor apartment overlooking a canal and conveniently located two blocks from the railway station. Our welcome was complete with an introduction to Lola the dog, who quickly adopted us as family members.

We began to catch up on the six years since we last saw each other, but it was so easy and relaxed to hang with Dr. H. that you would think we might have had morning coffee just yesterday. After a home-made snack of apple crumble and applesauce (with ice cream), Lola took us on a walk to the canal.

The apples come from orchards outside the city

Yours truly, Dr. H. and Lola

The next morning, our cultural education about Hamburg began. In this metropolis of almost 2 million people, public transportation is the name of the game, and Lola thought nothing of waiting 4 minutes* for our train to downtown. Destination? Breakfast. Restaurants and small cafes abound, and it is a blessing to have a friend who can guide you to "where the locals go".

*Locals will grumble about waiting for a train, and it became a joke among us over the next few days - 4 minutes? 3 minutes? 2 minutes? I don't think we ever stood on the platform for more than 10 minutes.

Our next stop, St. Michael's, is referred to as "the Michel" by residents. It is dedicated to the Archangel Michael, and a large bronze statue, standing above the portal of the church, shows the archangel conquering the devil. During our visit, we were charmed by the organist preparing for the mid-day service, and climbed the tower for a 360-degree-view of the city.

Given its height, the tower of the Michel becomes a landmark that is easily seen from throughout the city. It is said that ship captains would use it to navigate into the harbor. Later in the day, we would take a photo of the three of us with the Michel in the distant background.

Upper right: the mechanism that runs the clock on the tower

Lower left: Love locks appear many places in the city, and the tower was no exception

From left: Archangel Michael; Dancing Towers; Harbor with container ships; Elbe Philharmonic Hall in the distance

We re-joined Dr. H. and Lola, waiting patiently in the park below, and soon crossed this "Oriental Carpet of Stone", which paves the way to the warehouse district of the city and serves as a symbol of Europe's biggest commercial shipment point for oriental carpets.

The "carpet" has been in this location for quite some time, but was completely re-done earlier this year with granulated marble, jasper, synthetic resin and threads from mop heads. From a short distance, it appears to be a real carpet!

As we strolled the Speicherstadt (literally "City of Warehouses"), we caught glimpses of many oriental carpets through open warehouse doors. If we had a slightly bigger carry-on bag, we might have been going home with one of these stunning pieces of art!

Hamburg is Europe's third largest port, which belies its heritage in the shipping industry. The warehouse district is the largest in the world where the buildings stand on timber-pile foundations, oak logs in this particular case. Built from 1883 to 1927, the district was awarded the status of UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2015.

(Internet)

The Elbe Philharmonic Hall, opened in January 2017, houses concerts in a wave-shaped building perched on top of an old warehouse. Anchoring one end of the warehouse district, the Hall was criticized during its construction, mainly for its cost. Now, it is a favorite landmark for tourists and locals alike, and is lovingly referred to as the "Elphi".

By now you have surmised that the city features innumerable architectural gems, and we passed many of them on our first full day. The Chilehaus, a brick expressionist office building built in 1922, is shaped like an ocean liner. St. Jacobi Church is located directly in the city center, has a 410-foot tall tower and showcases a famous organ from 1693. The Rathaus (town hall) is a richly decorated Neo-Renaissance building completed in 1897.

Top three photos - interior of St. Jacobi Church; Bottom: 1932 aerial shot of Chilehaus

The Rathaus. Top Center: the Fountain contains the goddess Hygieia, who stands for preventive

health care. This is a remembrance of the victims of cholera in 1892.

In most cases, Lola was welcome in these buildings. If not, we would take turns keeping her company. But when we visited St. Jacobi Church, I was simply amazed. It had a vestibule occupied by a watchman, and he requested that Lola remain there while we toured the interior. Do you know? She never moved from the spot once Dr. H. told her to stay!

Many of the historical displays we saw included pictures of destruction during the Second World War, a somber reminder of that era and its impact on the city and the world. Even more striking, for me, were the "Stolpersteine", or "stumbling stones", which commemorate victims of Nazi extermination or persecution and are placed outside their last-known freely chosen residence. The inscription on each stone begins "Here lived", followed by the victim's name, date of birth, and fate: internment, suicide, exile or, in the vast majority of cases, deportation and murder. Since our visit to Hamburg, I read more about this form of remembrance, and it has affected me deeply. I highly recommend a visit to this link, especially the section called "Origin of the Name". Pictures of bombed-out buildings are graphic, but the simple Stolpersteine bring to life thousands of tragedies at a very individual level.

Left stone reads: Julia Schwarzwald. Born 1872. Humiliated/Disenfranchised. Escaped into Death. 22/2/1942

Right stone reads: Eugen Gowa. Born 1904. Deported 1943. Murdered in Auschwitz.

We ended our day as it began - near the water. The Inner Alster Lake is one of two artificial lakes within the city limits that are formed by the River Alster. Bordered by the city on three sides, and the historic Lombard Bridge on the fourth, the Lake virtually guarantees gorgeous pictures from any angle.

A perfect place for a romance, whether you're an "old" married couple like us, or Dr. H. and her trusty dog Lola.

Mosaic Monday