A German friend of mine recently told me that Hamburg is the greenest city in Germany. This claim intrigued me and I have since learned that 50% of this stunning urban zone is dotted with parks, waterways, forests, and casual green spaces and that 8% of the city's total area is protected. Some reports suggest that Hamburg actually has more trees than people. (Did someone really count?) In our three weeks here I have come across many of these green spaces, sometimes planned, but mostly when I've misplaced myself. Luckily, these discoveries make being lost a lot less discouraging. Even more than for being green, Hamburg is known for being a harbor city, and is actually the second largest in Europe. Altona's Balcony, a nickname for a casual green space on the harbor in the burrough of Altona, is a perfect arrangement of Hamburg's green sites and harbor sites. Referred to as a balcony because it offers a view of the harbor filled with larger-than-life equipment that is surprisingly nice to look, Altona's Balcony is a great find.
No green space would be whole without a cafe or biergarten, and lucky for the many happy citizens lounging in the park, Altona's Balcony offers both.
Eateries display their daily specials on chalkboards outside their doors. On this day, Altona's Balcony was offering organic dumplings with greens and pesto, sausage with butterbread and potato salad, cheese-filled tomatoes, gemachte (a noodly, oniony, cheesy sensation all mixed together in a casserole dish and baked until golden and bubbly), and mozzarella, tomato, and greens salad. Two words: yum-o.
2:00p.m.
Now this is what I'm talking about.
Who could argue that this strip of green, directly across the street from the City Hall in our burrough, is a perfect place to sunbathe?
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