Saturday 24th October 2015
I went down for breakfast in the Motel One Hamburg am Michel hotel reception/bar/sitting area, which is obviously now too small for the number of guests at the hotel. A new extension has been built, which is where my room is, but the people booked into both buildings all have to take breakfast in the original reception/bar area. Time of arrival is important during the breakfast hours! All was well though and on the way to collecting my meal I enjoyed seeing many maritime books and artefacts on display. There was a huge television screen in the same area, which permanently had a view of a lighted fire - it all looked so comfortable and delightful.
After mutual admiration for a Thermos-type coffee mug that looked just like a big camera lens, we set off to see some more sights in this part of Hamburg. We headed for the nautical bookshop Galerie Maritim and I was pleased to see "Sealink and Beyond" displayed in the front window. The next destination was a shop called Captain's Cabin, whose front window seemed to be full of small model ferries - what bliss. I have a collection of little model ships that I have sailed on, and which in turn are frequently played with at my home by two little boys. The next generations need to know about ships of all kinds, especially as we consider ourselves a maritime nation, and I think the sooner they start the better.
Several purchases were made, and I enjoyed a conversation with a member of staff who was interested in why I was visiting Hamburg and hearing about the NORWEGIAN ESCAPE and the fireworks we had seen yesterday.
Our next tourist experience was to walk through the Elbe Tunnel from the St. Pauli side to the other side; it was built in 1907-11 and is 448 and a half feet long. Beautifully tiled and with ceramic decoration, it usually takes cars, bicycles and pedestrians in alternate directions. It is currently closed to cars whilst undergoing some refurbishment, but it was fun to walk along its length and remember the Greenwich Foot Tunnel in London.
We walked back again and then it was ferry time. It is possible to sail on several ferries along this part of the River Elbe, and visit locations not seen before, so this was another of today's plans. Our first trip was on OVELGONNE, then REEPERBAHN, WOLFGANG BORCHERT, OORTKATEN, HAMBURGENSIE.
We were happy to see the little MV RAGNA again, going about her business on the waterways. When we finally arrived at Teufelsbruck, way down river on the north side, we noticed a new cafe on the waterside and made a note to come back here when there is more time in daylight. It is opposite Finkenwerder town on the south side.
HARMONIE took us back to the Landungsbrucken, in good time to walk to the Portuguese area and enjoy a meal in an Italian restaurant. A local train ride home to St. Pauli completed another very enjoyable day, sailing on six ferries.
To be continued...
