It was good to spread out a bit after the week in a very small cabin on the Viking Theodor Fontane and do some washing.
Our first outing was out to cousin Marga's place out in a small country town, Trittau a couple of hours by train and bus away. We hadn't seen them for several years but both Marga and Friedhelm looked reassuringly the same. Son Hajo was also there.
Has a lovely meal of veal fricasse with beans and potatoes from their big garden followed by coffee and one of Dieter's favourite cakes, streuselkuchen.
The following day Klaus's friend Christiane showed us Hamburg, mainly the harbour and port area which we saw by ferry.but first we went from one side of the Elbe to the other by walking the hundred year Elbe tunnel, all beautifully tiled. Took a lift big enough for 113 people down to the tunnel. We shared it with a car going up again over the other side.
Had lunch at a riverside restaurant, a delicious seafood soup for me and matjes fillets and potato salad for the others. Had a long walk along the river before getting the ferry back to town, for a walk around the old brick storage buildings which they used for storing carpets, spices, coffee to name a few. Finished off the day with a lovely meal out at a local Portuguese restaurant, a huge pizza which we shared and some rose wine.
The next day we took a train trip to Wilhelmshaven to put flowers on Dieter's parent's graves. Also visited the Kustenmuseum where Dieter donated some of his memorabilia and artifacts from his big OE in the 1960s, his poisoned arrows from Malaya and a Balinese carving among other things. They were displayed in an exhibition a few years ago but are in storage now.
On the Friday we made a day trip by train to Schwerin which used to be in East Germany before. It has a lovely castle and a beautiful English garden which we walked around . Klaus invited us for coffee and torte in a comfortably old fashioned cafe - strawberry for me, gooseberry meringue for Klaus and cherry and elderberry for Dieter. Pictures to follow!!
We started our last day by going to the local farmers market where the guys stocked up on sausage, cheese, breads, fruit and veg for the following week. There was such an array to choose from. Enjoyed a tasty Bratwurst before going out to Harburg to visit Christiane.
First she showed us her Schrebergarten, her allotment garden complete with cottage which she is in the process of renovating. There was an abundance of flowers, apples, herbs, tomatoes and plums. A peaceful place where they go every couple of days to garden and relax, she and her mother, Christa and sister, Ulli.
Went back to the apartment she shares with her mother for coffee and a delicious apple and plum cake. Her mother looks after the books at the parish op shop and she kindly opened up for us to browse. Resisted the books ok but succumbed to a couple of tops and a comfortable pair of Hush Puppy sandals which are easy to do up.
And on that happy note I will end my tale of our stay in Hamburg.
