On Monday 7th May the weather was very wet in Hamburg, but, after lunch in the
Alsterpavillion, it improved and we managed a trip round the Alster Lake. Then to Hamburg docks, with its shops and cafes along the waterfront, and the amazing
tunnel under the Elbe, served by deep lifts for the vehicles and pedestrians.
Tuesday we went North to Friedrichstadt, past huge wind farms and over the Kiel Canal. A tour of the city, with its Dutch architecture, built by
Flemish religious refugees, lunch in the Restaurant Aquarium and a boat trip along the canals.
A tour of the Airbus Industrie factory was the venue on Wednesday, where we saw the
assembly of the huge components, and learned the history of the project.
After lunch a guided tour to the riverside to see the large dykes that hold back the Elbe, including passing through a gate to the water's edge. Finally a visit to an
industrialised fruit farm, with a shopping opportunity for produce and souvenirs.
On Thursday, as the Town Hall (where we intended going) was full of local dignitaries celebrating the port's 818th birthday, we looked round the huge Church of St. Michael,
with splendid views from the tall tower (photo above), and a short organ recital. The afternoon was spent in a walk round the docks, both the old parts and the busy modern
containerised part.
On to Wedel for dinner at the Schulauer Farhaus Restaurant, on the bank of the river Elbe, where they welcome every boat of 500 tons or more with a blast of
its national anthem and a loudspeaker "Welkommen" in an appropriate language. In the basement is a museum with "Ships-in-a-bottle", shells and minerals, and, in
the foyer, a large model of Nelson's Victory, made in matchsticks.
Our final day, Friday, was spent at the Eisenbahn Wunderland, where large model railway layouts have been developed to include road transport and shipping. The day was spent there, before the trip back to the airport for the flight home in the evening.
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