Hamburg

Hamburg, Germany has more bridges than Amsterdam and Venice combined.  I read this; I didn’t actually count them myself.

It should be humbling to any traveler from the infant USA to learn that Hamburg’s old town was established in the 8th century, and that its so-called “new town” was established in the 12th century. The difference between the old and new is not now easy to discern.  More obvious is a kind of third city being created now in harbors which are at the heart of Northern European commerce today and were ports from which much of Hitler’s hell was exported in the 1930’s and 1940’s.

We stayed in a small hotel in the St. Pauli neighborhood of Hamburg.  Liberal, artsy, filled with plain dark bars and cafes which spill out to loud, overflowing street parties on warm summer evenings.

St. Pauli is home of Hamburg’s favorite football (soccer) club where the list of applicants for season tickets is even longer than the wait for Green Bay Packer tickets.  Approximately half of spectators at home games are female, and the club has adopted several social causes which add to its “Everyman” (or woman) appeal.  As does the 10 euro per game ticket price (less than $12 US) for season ticket holders.

To my disappointment, however, I  learned that Hamburg’s St. Pauli neighborhood is not where St. Pauli Girl beer is brewed.  That’s in Bremen, Germany.

JER