Our first full weekend in Hamburg was wonderful. It started with an HSV soccer game (and victory!) on Friday night. My host sister was kind enough to let me borrow a jersey and scarf, so I fit right in with the locals!
This was a huge game for the team, and the overall atmosphere of the event was amazing. The trains were jam-packed, people lined the streets before the game, the crowd was unbelievable, and the ride back was full of songs and chants. People even threw beer and champagne on the crowd when HSV scored. In the end we won 2-1!
A few of the other students and I got some food after the game then headed back to get some rest before our marathon of a day on Saturday!
This was a huge game for the team, and the overall atmosphere of the event was amazing. The trains were jam-packed, people lined the streets before the game, the crowd was unbelievable, and the ride back was full of songs and chants. People even threw beer and champagne on the crowd when HSV scored. In the end we won 2-1!
A few of the other students and I got some food after the game then headed back to get some rest before our marathon of a day on Saturday!
Saturday morning started with a walking tour of the city of Hamburg. We walked around the area that Gabrielle and I explored on Thursday, but it was nice to have a tour guide explain some of the sights. We saw the oldest bakery in the city, the hotel that James Bond was filmed, statues, the town hall, and more! Hamburg is the 2nd largest city in Germany, and there is truly so much to see. I will be doing much more exploration on my own in the next three weeks!
The tour wrapped up at Nikolaikirche (the Church of St. Nicholas), which was bombed in World War II and now serves as a memorial of these events. The basic structure remained intact after the bombings. We actually were given the opportunity to go up in this structure and look around from the inside, as well as visit the museum. I found this part of the tour to be very insightful and interesting. Hamburg is so rich in history, and I am truly enjoying this aspect of my experience in Germany. There is just so much to see and learn!
After the tour we grabbed a quick lunch (falafel...yum!) and headed to Hamburg Museum to spend the afternoon with some of the host families. The museum was beautiful, and we enjoyed cake, coffee, and tea on the patio. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves, and I think this was a particularly good opportunity for our host families to be able to talk with others about having an American college student living in their homes. We students get a lot of opportunities to talk with one anther about the similarities and differences between American and German culture and lifestyle, but I imagine our host families notice things that they would like to discuss as well!
After this busy day, it was time to rest up for the evening! Our group planned to meet later that night in downtown Hamburg to experience the city's nightlife. We were named "Team America" on the train and had a great time out and about! We finished the night the appropriate German way: with fish sandwiches (with a side of fish nuggets) at the famous Fischmarket at 5 o'clock in the morning! It was an adventure for sure!
After a few hours of sleep, it was time to meet back up to visit KZ Gedenkstatte Neuengamme, a previous concentration camp. The best way to describe this experience was emotionally heavy. While we all had knowledge on the events that took place due to history classes, reading, television, etc. it was an entirely different experience to see the site of a previous concentration camp firsthand. The records that were kept are unbelievable. Visually looking at the area that 500-600 men stood for role call or at a bunk that 2-3 men slept in was difficult, and seeing the site where many people were murdered (3rd row, left picture) is something that I am not really able to write about, or at least not yet.
We spent the majority of our afternoon here. Around 5:15 we got on the bus back to Bergedorf, where a few of us went out for dinner and reflected on our first week here! I had tortellini, which was delicious!
I spent the rest of my Sunday evening talking with my host family, playing a few rounds of Uno, and relaxing. Now, it's time to get a good night's sleep to get ready for the week ahead! I can't wait to see what it has in store!
I spent the rest of my Sunday evening talking with my host family, playing a few rounds of Uno, and relaxing. Now, it's time to get a good night's sleep to get ready for the week ahead! I can't wait to see what it has in store!