The City of Endless Possibilities

I so declare it impossible to be bored in Hamburg. Anytime of any day there is a plethora of options to choose from. My list has more checkmarks than ever and continues to grow...quickly. I have found something new to experience each day and I haven’t even shopped yet! (Believe it.)

A recent discovery was one I had been eyeing for some time, but couldn’t quite figure out how to get to. Its top is not difficult to spot, being that it is 482-feet high, but being able to find its bottom half was another story. On one of our many excursions into new territory Reggie helped me locate the bottom half of the gothically gorgeous St. Nikolai Church.

I know, I know…”ANOTHER CHURCH ?!” you say. I have to admit I never realized how much I liked looking at them until I started traveling abroad. Though one of many stellar churches in Hamburg, St. Nikolai deserves recognition. It’s original structure dates back to the 12th century and the current building was completed in 1874. This handsome thing was the tallest building in the world for several years in the 1800s and is still the second tallest in Hamburg.


St. Nikolai is now in ruins as a result of WWII air raids. It will remain that way to recognize the magnitude of that horrific chapter in our history. A friend suggested I go see “the broken church,” and though probably not kosher, that’s a pretty-fitting nickname for this splendid site.

Now that I’m an avid market-goer I’ve discovered that delectable edibles aren’t the only enticing things offered by the talented Hamburgers. This weekend Reggie and I discovered a flohmarkt (flea market) a few stops from our apartment. Similar to most public events here, this one was chock full of excited folks, turning me into one excited German-speaking-bargainer-wannabe.

We came home empty-handed, but I had my eye on a few great finds:

I wouldn't know, but I imagine this is lots of fun to play.

There have been two days in the past six weeks that I have left our apartment without the camera. Both times I came across this man’s spectacular chalk art. (Yes, it was horrible.) This time I was armed with my camera and wasn’t leaving without many, many pictures.

If I was to make up my own name for this beautiful piece, I would call it (predictably) Global Appreciation. On a more exciting note, I am proud to say I can now recognize danke.

While St. Nikolai is cryptic and oh-so-fun to look at and The Feldstrasse Flohmarkt is a perfect way to spend a Saturday morning, Meridian Spa takes the cake for the best way to spend your day. Our new “gym” is no ordinary health club. Lucky for us, Germans take wellness seriously enough to offer a health club for the stars. Meridian Spa has all you would expect in terms of a gym, including great cardio and strength-training equipment, but it is the wellness center part of the club that initially caused me to have an extreme jaw-drop experience. The wellness center boasts a gorgeous pool and hot tub, not 1 but 3 saunas, a steam-bath, an ice bath (yikes), bars (adult beverages included), and a restaurant. Two words in the sales pitch caught my attention more than any others: unlimited yoga. I could hear bells ringing and birds singing at that moment. Where do I sign?

Now, there can't possibly be a better way to motivate oneself to get healthy than to join this place. Certainly, wellness is an important part of the German culture and I couldn't be happier about it.