Sunday 6th September 2015
This morning at breakfast I was pleased to meet up with two more friends joining the OLS group trip on MEIN SCHIFF 4; we are doing different things today but arranged to meet back at Stella Maris this evening to walk to the other hotel for dinner. I am joining a 'Walk to Miniatur Wunderland' little group and I soon fell into step in the morning sunshine. I do love visiting the many floors of this old warehouse - it is a place of absolute wonder to anyone who likes transport of all kinds, models, physical geography, miniatures, etc. Officially it is described as "The World's Largest Model Railway". A group booking visit had been arranged for an early time slot so we simply had to pay for the entry tickets and enter whatever part of the world we first fancied seeing in miniature (www.miniatur-wunderland.de).
I soon found my way to the Hamburg airport and just love the way this has been developed. Where else could I see Concorde land, or the Space Shuttle for that matter? (That is, apart from the Specsavers television advertisement in the UK.) The arrivals and departures board is fun to read, as well as watching all the movements around the airport too. Watching the model planes actually land and depart is so enjoyable.
After a couple of hours seeing the happenings in many parts of Europe in miniature, it was time for a snack lunch in the Cafeteria followed by a visit to the International Maritime Museum. This again is another 'must' for any ship lovers visiting Hamburg I think, and my heart was gladdened by seeing several tiny models of Union-Castle Line ships, as well as many European and Baltic ferries I had been on. The Museum has several floors of many amazing exhibits and displays, and a shop.
Several of us decided to take a ferry home so tickets were bought on the nearby quayside and arrangements made to meet for a final meal in Hamburg this evening.
The ferry journey was soon done and I enjoyed seeing other ferries around the river before heading home to the Stella Maris.
Then it was time to change and go out for dinner at the other hotel and enjoy the evening.
Ships seen: Blankenese, Jan Molsen, Harburg, Wolfgang Borchert, Ovelgonne, Tollerort, Halunder Jet, Rickmer Rickmers, Cap San Diego, and Black Prince in dry dock and being welded (!) in Miniatur Wunderland.
To be continued...
