Perfect travel is a trip by train. This solo train journey would be a bit rushed but still fun. Copenhagen to London over 5 days, overnighting along the way. Firstly a trip from Torshavn in the Faroe Islands to Copenhagen via a comfortable overnight ferry complete with entertainment and a holiday cruise feel.
Arriving from the Faroe Islands into Hirschal Denmark it was an easy transfer by train to Copenhagen then bus to our hostel Globalhagen – non profit, eco-friendly, and volunteer driven. A friendly, fun, and quirky hostel that also happens to be a social enterprise.
Our limited time was spent with a walk along the canal and the area around our hostel. Should I say a pleasant hipster kind of area that we could have spent more time browsing. In the evening a delicious leisurely dinner at ??? – this time after sampling both Icelandic and Faroese lamb – my dinner was Danish lamb. Rated 3, Faroe 1, Iceland 2. All still excellent but the Faroese lamb was something else – and that coming from a Kiwi. And yes, I did ask. I had been amazed to see New Zealand lamb for sale in supermarkets in the Faroe Islands so I was just checking.
Copenhagen to Hamburg was Happy – Sad. Sad to see Chris disappear along the platform as the train pulled out. Happy when the train rumbled onto the ferry for the trip from Copenhagen to Denmark – a strange first in my train experiences. Not only was the entire train on the ferry the ferry itself was a Hybrid “green” ferry.
After a short 45 minutes on the ferry, and brief stop while police boarded and took a small group off the train – we were off again. The carriage slightly abuzz with what had happened but all in German / Danish I understood none of it.
Hamburg and my first night in 40 years in a Hostel dormitory room. Unfortunately, during a very hot summer with no air-conditioning. The room was hot but otherwise comfortable with each bed being almost a self-contained cubicle. I was surprised to find a Hostel with no kitchen – things have changed! The other change was mixed dorms! I soon got used to seeing young men in various stages of dress / undress unconcernedly relaxing on the bunk next to mine!
As I wandered looking for a dinner spot I realised the hostel being near the station was also near streets that looked less than safe – poor lighting, litter, and people in all kinds of need. Yet wandering through I did not feel unsafe.
Further on I found I was in an area fluttering with rainbow flags and on a small square found Otto’s burger bar which looked companionable for a newly solo traveller – burger, beer and home to bed.
The morning dilemma – where to go before the train to Koln. I don’t know where it came from but decided I would wander from the hostel looking up. Funny what you find and where you end up. I passed by the ornate Rathaus and discovered a large ornate building – the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce. Under renovation though much of the ground floor was open to wander. Exhibits were dotted around the rooms – an ancient sea mark used to warn ships of shallow waters and sandbanks. A wooden cone shaped structure thought to be over 300 years old. Nearby were models of “escort ships” which were the origins of the Chamber of Commerce – ships commissioned to protect commerce shops from pirates in the 17th century.
The ornate exterior included clocks with gold plated hands and numbers, statues representing aspects of commerce and a fountain in the courtyard commemorating the Cholera epidemic.
Further on I came across a blackened ornate steeple with a lift inside! Mahnmal St Nikolai. Within the remains of the church were a range of artworks, a museum and photographic history of “Operation Gommorah” A fierce bombing raid by the allies in 1942 leading to ferocious firestorms through the city.
On the theme of looking up I took the lift up the interior of the spire – the lift paused for the ringing of the church bells above us and up we went. The viewpoint contained further history and photos of the city before and after the devastation. The view of the modern city past the blackened spire was photo-worthy but stark.
The Operation Gomorrah museum is housed in the darkened cellars under the remains of the cathedral. The graphic footage, audio and photographs almost too gruesome and horrendous to witness: stories of the firestorm through the city. The death of 42,600 citizens including children and almost as many wounded. A section is dedicated to the people from Concentration camps used for the clean-up including defusing unexploded bombs.
Unfortunately (or maybe a little fortunately) I ran out of time and could not spend the time the little museum deserved. Time for train-catching.
I had left plenty of time thankfully, in my new found “don’t-do-it-to-yourself-anti-rushing” mode – finding the right locker, finding the right platform, finding the right carriage. After all that the train was late and platform chaos as people moved up and down the platform trying to readjust and find their carriage. Getting on and finding the right seat with hundreds of people milling and moving was uncomfortable, anxiety provoking.
