Hamburg: A windy Scandinavian affair
Hamburg does not lie in countries officially described as Scandinavia, but despite its parentage, she always had an eye for the north. She innocently flirted with her strategic location and river Elbe, but she enticed the rowdy Vikings. Despite the sieges, loots, burning, and destruction, Hammaburga continued her affair with the Scandinavia. Scandinavia brought her gifts of the trade and lent her a minimalistic aesthetic. She grew up an ambitious coquette attracting travelers from the sea. She was sassy enough to ignore the trends of her parent country and also those of the invaders. Finally, she embraced a great Scandinavian love and its minimalistic ideals. All in all, I found Hamburg to be a truly delightful encounter.
Hamburg was my entry point to a long awaited trip to Europe via a stop at Helsinki airport. A glimpse of the Scandinavian imagery — and all the lifeless pixels and letters from everything I had ever read about Scandinavia sprang to life. I have always stayed in places limited by space because of being adjacent to the mountains, the ocean, or political boundaries. The vastness of the Finnish landscape struck me.
The exploration of the Hamburg city started with a very beautiful neighborhood called the staircase district, Treppenviertel Blankenese, Hamburg. It is a district on a high land sloping towards coast of river Elbe. It is filled with gorgeous mansions and meandering cobbled stair-cases offering nice views of the river. We began our descent towards the river with a stop at a cute café in an old home. The café had an old-world charm, with vintage furniture; with sunrays penetrating the parlor-like rooms; with walls full of photographs of good times of the bygone era; with smells of lovely baked goods. It fit snugly in my fantasy about old-timey cafes! Getting down the steps, my first few hours in this idyllic German district did not disappoint.
It was a blissful late afternoon in a warm and toasty June at a ferry point on Elbe when I realized what long summer days mean. I was waiting for the birds to come back flying to their nests, for the street lights to spring to life, for the hot sun to sink and sizzle in the Elbe giving way to the serenity of the night. But it was late evening and the sun was reluctant to go down. Finally when it did happen, the sundown brought with it a mix of light breezes and naughty gusts of wind. It was a perfect end to a perfect day on a boat on the Hamburg Harbor.
The boat tour showed us all the new and old developments witnessed by the Elbe river. Furthermore, we also saw enormous container terminals loading and unloading cargo to and from ships. I had first seen this activity at the Singapore port and marveled at the enormity of the trading operation. Coming across a familiar scene of trade and transport thousands of miles away, I felt a strange oneness with human activities across the globe. Workers on ports of the world were carrying out similar tasks, operating similar machines, facing similar difficulties to bring a fresh batch of mushrooms or chocolates to your house. It made me realize that the entirety of mankind marches forward together with each invention. In that moment, I was witnessing a rigorous effort by man to remain connected with the rest of the world.
I shared many of my first experiences with Hamburg. FOr my first walking tour, I had absolutely made up my mind to absorb every word that came out of that tour guide. Then there was the Ironman Triathlon happening in Hamburg that day. I had never witnessed a collective sporting event before. The air was electric. The participants and their cheering squads were ecstatic! Visited an ancient church, climbed up its bell tower, saw people sunbathing — all new experiences, very European, extremely foreign, and very much amusing. In the evening, I went out by myself and visited my first art museum housing works from the old masters. I felt an enormous thrill in my gut and the crisp air on my cheeks as I walked out of that hotel leaving my lifemate behind to attend his conference. I had poured over the map of Hamburg for hours, and had taken loads of recommendations for sites to see. Hamburg seemed humane, alive, and elegant.
Hamburg is one of the most ancient ports in the world — used by the Vikings themselves. The naval museum educated me about the intriguing history of the water transport and ships pioneered by the Vikings. I learnt that the maritime exploration have propelled many scientific and engineering advancements, fueled the curiosity of many a voyagers, incited a thirst for power amongst a lot more rulers. The shipping industry’s influences found their way to kitchens with new and exotic ingredients from far away lands. Man’s conquest of the high seas found expression on canvases and in print media as the sailormen witnessed newer landscapes and life forms.
What might a sailor feel when he is alone surrounded by the endless ocean? Separation from family and friends, no greenery for as far as the eyes can see — just a vast expanse of saline water and the stars in the far away night sky. The life forms surrounding us in our society constantly feed us new and engaging thoughts. With no or limited living beings, I imagine the conversations would quickly dry out. Within a brief period of time, the fellow sea farers need to develop a bond so intimate that their very life and sanity depends on it. I read about a legend that the seagulls carried the souls of drowned sailors, so no one was supposed to kill these birds. A death at the sea! I cannot imagine the sadness that would threaten to engulf the ship when someone so intimate died. There was also a painting of a ship on grey seas under the moonlight. It was serene and melancholic. Absolute trust in the ship’s design and its maneuvering might help in overcoming the helplessness that came from being at the mercy of the temperamental seas. The certainty of the ground beneath me filled me with a sense of security like never before. Although technology removes the romance and mystery from almost all the professions, I think the extreme and open vulnerability has kept the romance in this industry still alive. There are rituals when the ship first enters the water, there are myths and legends told by the sailormen, and there are omens believed by the coastal communities throughout the world. All these are man’s attempts to appease the gods of the sea, a testimony to man’s surrender to the might of the ocean.
Not only the sailors, but also the traders, goods, and slaves from all over the world poured in through this port throughout the ages. They shaped the city and have left their imprint. The traders and businessmen needed warehouses to store and count their goods. Apart form their functional requirement, buildings were also a way to demonstrate the wealth. The grandeur and artistry in the buildings was a statement of power. There are many such Kontor Houses built around Hamburg. Like most of the Europe at that time, the conditions of the workers inside might have not been exemplary, but these were really gorgeous red brick buildings. The lattice created by the bricks are used creatively in designing buildings of various shapes and form. I learned that this style of art was called Brick Expressionism. To search for these buildings became one of my absolute favorite activity in Hamburg. Once found, I would set off on a treasure hunt and spend hours craning my neck to find art embedded in their nooks and corners. Traditionally, grotesque faces and figures adorn the entrance to any important building to ward off evil. These warehouses replaced them with slaves, craftsmen, and people of various occupations. People whose products were traded within the walls of the building, whose skills brought the wealth and made the construction possible. Chilehaus in the shape of a ship’s bow was the epitome of the brick architectural beauty.
In an attempt to explore another uniquely European experience, I signed up for a tour of the chocolate factory. And boy was it enlightening! The history, the technology, the pain and suffering of the slaves on the plantation — all for the love of this magic food called chocolate. The journey of cocoa throughout history has been truly bitter sweet. Just like the ill fated lovers in romantic tragedies, cocoa and sugar were brought together only after enduring the pain and suffering by the European colonialism.
This city made many of my dreams come true, but the most cherished one was a musical one. I had always longed for an opportunity to witness a live symphony orchestra. Any live performance is sacred. I always feel more humbled when I witness a live performance of any sort. The artist spends years of his or her life honning a great talent to shed his own emotions and problems for a moment in time and step into the demands of the drama and music. A musician, an actor, a sportsman, all the off-stage artists — everyone who can create a reality that is alternative to his own reality is a powerful god. They have the power to exist in multiple dimensions. But at the same time, they are at the mercy of the fate on the stage — a small mistake and they tear the delicate fabric of a carefully constructed reality. A powerful magician is a mere entertainer after all. Shakespere said “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts.” The artists can make the audience feel this ultimate truth. To witness this divine reality, is a sacred privilege, to follow the creators in the alleyways of their creation is a form of my worship, and an attempt to understand and respect its essence is my humble offering.
In the spirit of this absolute adulation, I decked myself up for a wonderful performance by Hamburg Symphony Youth Orchestra. The cherry of the top of the sweetest ice-cream cake was the Lion King Musical. I have listened to, watched, and lived by the Lion King music throughout my life. More than the characters and story, what speaks to me are the visuals and the truly celestial music by Hans Zimmer, John Elton, and the team. When I finally got the opportunity to attend the Lion King musical, I pounced on it. It was a crowning achievement of mine to witness one of the absolutely amazing creations of mankind with my lifemate. The language barrier did not matter. Just reliving that moment and my heart is full.
