“We were uncertain whether the water floated the land, or the land held water in its bosom.”
–Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)
Thoughts of Hamburg, Germany do not usually conjure up images of canals wending their way through the heart of the city as with Venice and Amsterdam. Hamburg, however, has more bridges than Venice, Amsterdam and even London combined. No wonder it has acquired the moniker of “Venice of the North.”
Since 1189, ships have moored in Hamburg’s harbour, which is open to streams of influence with its centuries of city-state traditions. Germany’s second largest city and Europe’s second largest harbour is located on the Elbe and Alster Rivers with the city centre situated on Alster Lake. A prominent local tour guide, Mara Burmeister, tells me that “Hamburg has 1.7 million inhabitants and 5 million trees, which is a total of 50 trees per dog.”
Hamburg’s harbour comes alive in May when the city holds its birthday celebration. This is to honour the 12th century Emperor who granted the town special trade exemptions on the River Elbe. Tugboat ballets and dragon boat races are among the aquatic activities highlighting the event.
The following month, the Fleetinsel Festival combines culture and culinary creations. All along the Alster canals, this is a festive favourite featuring art and eats. A fleet is a man-made canal that has varying water levels due to the tides. On one side of Alsterfleet is the Alster Arcade (Alsterarkaden) with its shops and restaurants to explore. We paused to enjoy a jovial jam by a pair of local musicians who entertain people on the nearby Watergate bridge (Schleusenbrücke).
In the wake of waterfront celebrations and festivals, dozens of lake, river and canal cruises flood the waterways with a variety of vessels. One may even enjoy a boat tour on a restored 1920s barge. From spring to fall, this Historic Canal Tour takes you through the romantic canals and channels. During a harbour tour, I am sure I faintly heard a rendition of “Water Music” by the great German composer, Handel. It seemed surreal yet appropriate.
We arrived at Deichstrasse for some historic architectural appreciation. In 1842, the Great Fire broke out on this 17th century merchant street destroying one-third of the city centre. Some were privately preserved, and others painstakingly restored. One such house is the oldest example of a warehouse founded in 1780, located at 27 Deichstrasse. Located along the Nikolaifleet, these buildings currently house trendy pubs and traditional restaurants.
One unique eatery here is in a three-century-old structure. The Kartoffel Keller (Potato Cellar) was a refreshingly flavourful find along this historic street. A plethora of potato preparations are the primary palatable possibilities present. In soups or salads, boiled or baked, the potato is the apparent entrée at this eatery. “The meat is actually the side dish and is regarded as a frugal accompaniment on the menu,” says the manager, Nadine Harri. Even the desserts, in the starchy vernacular, are “spud-alicious” offerings that include shredded potato pancakes with raisins, as well as potato fritters with fruit and yogurt. We were fortunate to arrive during the springtime for the white asparagus (spargel) season (May/June) and enjoyed the large shoots with my tasty tuber selection.
Servers don burlap potato sacks with a smiling potato logo emblazoned on them. Could this be the long-lost European cousin of Mr. Potato Head from Rhode Island? I would not be surprised to see Kartoffelmaultaschen mit Broeselscharm featured on the menu in the future. This was a favourite dish of the former German Pope (Benedict XVI) and consists of a potato ravioli topped with breadcrumbs sautéed in ample butter.
After a post-potato parlay with the proprietor, we headed northeast to the St. Pauli district. Once the port’s red-light district, it has undergone changes with streets such as Grosse Freiheit running off the Reperbahn strip providing night clubs and pubs. Mara mentions that Hamburg is the most British of all the German cities and whimsically says that “when there’s rain in London, Hamburgians use our umbrellas.”
The Beatles stayed and played in this district at the legendary Star Club on the popular Grosse Freiheit street. During this period (1960-62), they even recorded a couple of songs in German.
Later, when we wandered into the main town square, a village appeared before us. It was the annual Stuttgarter Weindorf (wine village) in the town market square (Rathausmarkt). Tents and tables, mingling and merriment abound during this wonderful winefest. As with the Oktoberfests in Germany, the atmosphere necessitates conversing and cajoling with people from a collection of countries. We encountered the popular “Hans Hummel” ambling through the wine village in the flesh.
The story of Johann Wilhelm Benz (a.k.a. “Hans Hummel”) is also a water-related connection. Folkloric legend indicates that during medieval times, homes often relied on paying people to deliver buckets of fresh water since residences were devoid of plumbing. Johann distributed water to households and one day his wife, Hummel, ran away with all his money. He continued delivering water supplies calling out her name – Hummel, Hummel – every day. Children would mock him, repeating her name, as well. He became very annoyed by this teasing and dropped his buckets and his pants, slapping his rear end declaring “mors, mors” which is German slang for “kiss my butt.”
So, in good humour, when someone says “Hummel, Hummel,” one would reply “mors, mors.” This amusing exchange has been perpetuated with images on signs, souvenirs, statues and live portrayals of the jilted and jaded individual. Dozens of the colourful, life-size ceramic figures of the legendary character carrying water buckets appear throughout Hamburg. These ostentatious urban entities are mascots like those featured in different cities such as: The Berlin “Bear”; the Baltimore “Fish”; the Seattle “Pig” and the Toronto “Moose”. The one hundred statues were placed around the city and, in 2005, were auctioned off to benefit the homeless.
The city is seemingly afloat but not watered down. Water is the veritable lifeblood of Hamburg that will quench your thirst for culture as you flow through its food and folklore.
IF YOU GO:
www.hamburg.de
www.cometogermany.com
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