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

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.
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