Hamburg, Germany (Day Two): They Sure Do Love Their Malls
- On February 8, 2011
- By Kate
- In Photography, Travel
2
Read about Day One here. Day Two of my adventure in Germany started with a rough wake up. I spent most of the night tossing and turning, waking up every couple of hours, and then taking 15 minutes to fall back asleep (normally it takes me about 45 seconds). I finally fell asleep for good around 4 am, only to have my alarm go off at 8:30 and wake me up quite rudely. After a nice hot shower and quick Skype call with my boyfriend I felt significantly better and ready to face the day. Armed with my camera I met my colleague (and traveling companion) at 10 am and we headed to breakfast. After a bit of chow we headed outside to face the day and explore a bit, despite the gloomy and overcast weather. After walking around a little bit my coworker headed back to the hotel to relax and work on his presentation, leaving me to explore the area a bit. I ended up in a huge shopping area, filled with lots of great shops and amazing architecture. I didn’t do any shopping, mostly because they were all shops we have in the US (H&M), and I didn’t want to buy stuff that I can get for less money (due to the Dollar/Euro exchange rate) in the States. But I did walk around snapping tons of pictures and looking like a ridiculous tourist. The one thing I noticed during my adventures? Hamburg, Germany seems to LOVE their shopping malls. Within a 15 block radius I happened upon at least four. Here they seem to call them “Passages”. Additionally, they love H&M. There was one every five blocks. It actually became quite comical. There is also a Starbucks on every corner. In fact, I don’t think I saw any other coffee shops.
After walking around for about three hours I was getting a bit tuckered out so I headed back towards the hotel, stopping in a small park (that I imagine is gorgeous in the spring/summer) for a few more pictures. I finally made it back to the hotel where I collapsed in bed for a nap. It was a seriously wonderful nap that I was disappointed to have to wake myself from so that I could meet my coworkers (the second one arrived today) for some dinner. We found a little German restaurant where I had my first proper German meal, Roast Pork with Gravy and Potato Dumplings. It was actually quite delicious and extremely filling. Hearty food for sure. We then walked around a residential area for a bit (the buildings kind of remind me of the brownstones in Boston, but bigger and slightly fancier). Finally we headed back to the hotel where we went to our individual rooms, promising to meet up at 8 am the following morning. I tooled around on the internet for a bit, watched some BBC news, and then headed to bed around 11 pm, hoping to get some solid sleep. Unfortunately, not so much. I slept for about two hours before I woke up. I laid there for another hour trying to get back to sleep before I finally gave up around 2:30 am. I have been awake since then. It is now 6:53 am. I am tired, yet I still can’t sleep, and I have to meet my colleagues in an hour to head to the conference. Caffeine (which I no longer consume) will likely be necessary today, and I may have to leave the conference party early tonight to get some sleep. Regardless, it was a good day, and this is definitely an experience I will not forget.
Now for some pictures from my day! Beware, image heavy.
The detail of this building is gorgeous.
Gorgeous City Buildings.
There must be an election coming up because these were everywhere.
Hamburger Hof. It made me think of The Hoff (from Baywatch). And then I laughed.
Inside of one the many "Passages". This one was like a Nordstrom.
Not sure what this is (was too scared to go in), but it is gorgeous.
Shops along the water. In the sun I imagine this is gorgeous in the sun.
Zooming in on the arches. So pretty!
City on the Water. So pretty.
Simple, modern, and attractive.
Fountain in the city (with naked people).
Another example of the city's gorgeous architecture.
My sad attempt at an artsy photograph.
Gorgeous park near the hotel. In the spring I imagine this is absolutely beautiful.
More photos of my trip can be found on MY FLICKR.
Do you like to shop? How about when you visit another country (or state), do you shop there?
Hannah
lovely photos! It makes me want to go back and visit europe asap!
And yes, I absolutely loveee to shop and I absolutely went crazy in Europe shops; its just things that youd never find here in Australia! x
Kate
Thank you for the comment!
Where have you been in Europe? This is my first trip out of the US, and though I normally wouldn’t have chosen Hamburg, Germany, its absolutely beautiful.
Australia is very different from the US and Europe, so I can imagine shopping is much more of a draw for you when you visit Europe. For me, the stores are all the same, so its not quite as special, though I still love wandering through them. I am going to follow your blog and add you to my blogroll, if that is ok.