A Transparent Eye: Hamburg

After 10 days in the countryside, we caught the 'fast' train East toward Hamburg to stay a few days with Sam's cousin Chris and his girlfriend Sonya. Hamburg, although nearly a hundred miles inland is a port town first and foremost with cargo and cruise ships lining her dockside. But perhaps the first thing you notice when entering Hamburg is the amount of cranes dominating the skyline. Re-development is evident across the city with new buildings and restorations of older ones seemingly high up on the council's agenda. When staying with local residents, it is refreshing to be spared the generic tourist lure prevalent in every main city. By bike once again - with Chris and Sonya as guides - we were able to explore the city as one of her own. We dabbled in markets, partied into the early morning hours and watched football on the street with friends. On the surface Hamburg is a bustling metro yet at it's heart it remains charmingly small and flat enough enough to ride through in a day, spend time feeding the ducks in the park or stroll the 'beaches' and bars that litter the canals and waterways.