Before arriving at Hamburg I was expecting a very industrial city with not much culture. This stayed true for the first night on the boat tour where we just saw many crates and cargo ships on the harbor. However, throughout the next day we were able to learn so much more about the city. Throughout the tour we learned about its history with trade and how that has changed over time. It also has some beautiful centuries old architecture all across the city.
I learned a lot from our very packed schedule in Hamburg over the past few days. H&R Ölwerke Schindler GmbH was interesting in the way that they took a carbon neutral offset. They acknowledged the fact there would be some carbon being exhausted so decided to use a plant which does this naturally anyways. I also enjoyed our talk with Monika Griefahn, it was very informative. Two things specifically caught my attention, the idea of effectiveness being more important than efficiency and also the idea of not owning items.
My favorite moment of this trip was getting to visit Airbus and see the different stages of how they built and tested the planes. It was interesting to learn about how they tested the plane being able to handle different levels of pressure and how they checked whether it was airtight or not. It was also great to see the different types of aircraft they’ve developed over the past century. We even got to see a beluga cargo plane take off during the tour. Also I enjoyed playing foosball with some of the guys on the trip and getting to know them better. I will not name any names but a few of you guys need some practice.
I would like to give a shout out to Michael who was our guide for the food tour in Hamburg. He was very enthusiastic in what he told us and he clearly knew a lot about the city. It was also great to just see different types of cafes, stores and restaurants there and get a little bit of that Hamburg experience. I liked the first cafe we went into where they served us cake and coffee as it felt very boutique and sold food and candy related to the city.
I would love to explore more of the city and learn more about its history. It has a history of over a thousand years and still has amazing architecture which has stood for centuries. Hamburg is also known for its bridges with over 2,500 built across its canals and rivers. I would have also liked the chance to experience its nightlife and try some more of the food there. It is definitely a place which is worth visiting for more than two nights. They also have a huge football (soccer) culture so if Hamburg FC makes it back to the first division I would love to watch a home game.
#Hamburg
