FROM THE BANK - Day 6

Euro Trip 2010/2011 - Day 6 - Hamburg to Lubeck

Thursday December 23rd 2010



Once again, I was up before the sun and with extreme minimal amounts of sleep to head to the train station. There was a train to Lubeck that I had to catch. I was feeling a little a head of schedule and very hungry so I stopped by a grocery store and got some provision.

My room in Hamburg
Spot the plungers.

cool bathroom in
Hamburg

I chose the train that had to be an hour late. All this snow is really messing up the trains. The ice builds up on the cables and then the electricity is blocked, stopping the trains from running. This gave me time to wander the station and try to find a sewing kit. If anyone knows my Backpack, I am making a collection of patches of all the countries’ flags that I have visited. So far I only have Costa Rica on my backpack, but my Netherlands and Germany ones are bought. If anyone knows how to down size a patch, please let me know. I think the Netherlands one is too big… I did not find the sewing kit.

most of Hamburg was
somewhat similar
to this

I eventually got to Lubeck, right on time for Franzi to pick me up. We walked around the City and peeked in some shops. I believe the population of Lubeck is the same as Saskatoon, but of course it is a denser population. The City is the name for the down town area. In German, it is Zentrum. In Lubeck, Zentrum is an island all to itself. This is there the original city was, hence the name. This is also where all the old churches, dating back to the 1200s, and the Gates are.



moments before I saw
the fattest pigeon of my life.
S Bahn station in Hamburg



While we were strolling along, we went to one of the many winter markets. I was starving and wanted to try something “really German”. Franzi suggested I try some kind of potato patty with sugar on it. After I googled it, I think it is a Kartoffelpuffer. I may be wrong though. Anyway, it was really good, I liked it, but it was really greasy. I will definitely try and replicate it when I get home.

Later on, we also got some kind of dessert that Franzi said I had to try. They were called zeppole and were pretty much heavy little mini doughnuts that were inevitably deep fried at one point in their life. However, the paper bag in which they were in showed no sign of them being oily.. With a bit of icing sugar on them they were scrumptious. Later on I most definitely was feeling both of those treats in my stomach though.



The weather was miserable; snowy, wet and one heck of a wind. We pretty much went straight back to Franzi’s home. We hung out and caught up with one another until her parents got home so we could decorate the tree. I have never actually seen real candles on a Christmas tree before. It was quite lovely. They also have this nifty little contraption that has the candles on the bottom, then as the hot air form them rises, the fan on top, made from some kind of very light wood, turns and disperses the warmth. It works really well.





on the train to Lubeck



Lubeck is known for their Marzipan. Apparently that is the only reason all of the tourists come to Lubeck. They have either the best, or the oldest Marzipan business in all of Germany. I have a feeling it is the two of them.. Franzi can not wrap her head around the fact that people come just for some candy. To be fair, it is awfully wonderful.



Kartoffelpuffer



Franzi’s parents had some friend over for supper. I was looking forward to having some seriously German food. I mean really serious. Sausages, sauerkraut, potatoes. You know, traditional to the extreme. Well. That is German food, but not northern Germany. It is actually Bavarian food, which is more southern Germany. We still had a lovely French quiche-Lorraine, one of my favourites so I’m not going to complain.

Something I found interesting is that they have espresso after their supper. In France they only have it in the morning and after lunch, not at nine o’clock at night. Don’t worry, I think I will sleep just fine. Travelling can take a toll on you.