Hamburg Has A Lot More Than Just Hamburgers

In order to visit a dear friend of mine, my first German friend actually, I traveled to Hamburg for a weekend. I was always told it is the prettiest city in all of Germany. And although it was quite interesting, and nice, the conversation and friendly company trumped it all.

Hamburg is a port city, and was quite vital during the war. Now, the city still uses its port, and the waterways have been deepened for larger ships and cruise ships. The city love its art, and there is an entire theater dedicated to the German version of the Broadway show, Lion King. The city feels young, smaller than the other major cities in the country, and bordering on a quirky urban vibe. I liked it.

The city is not laid out in such a way that one can walk to all the cool, touristy things, so we took the train. Which is elevated for the most part, and you get a great view of the city.

New building for the Hamburg Philharmonic

There are also many parks and such that one can sit, have some ice cream, boat, or fish. 

But the best part of Hamburg, was the friendship I found, a friendship that despite multiple countries and almost 7 years, hasn't deteriorated at all. As we travel and have our unique adventures, we inspire the other to continue to live and grow. Or at least, she inspires me. She is my dear heart, and I firmly believe I would have never traveled to Germany if I hadn't met her (my first trip in the winter of 2008 revolved around visiting her). 

And we had our moments. 

Such as stumbling upon a Scientology church. The first one we have both ever seen. It was closed (thankfully), and kind a creepy. 

And hot chocolate and cake for breakfast, in an, interesting, area of town (if you can, look closely at the pink sign in the background). 

Weekend travels like this, make me realize what my time here is really about. Not to add more and more pins to my world map, but to nurture and grow the relationships I have from the love of travel, my love, and other's love of travel. Crossing off the Van Gogh Museum and Tower of London of my bucket list is all well and good. But what is more rewarding, and more entertaining, is sitting for hours in a cafe gossiping about high school, detailing recent adventures, and laughing. 

A big thank you, to my dearest German friend. 

P.S. And yes, I did have a hamburger in Hamburg. It was one of the best I have had here, but not up to the standard of a Waddells or a Kobe Beef. And I was one of the few in the restaurant to be eating it with my hands, most were using a fork and knife.