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One year of Leather and Abel.com
Happy Birthday to us… So, our blog is officially one year old. I wouldn’t have thought one year ago that we would have so many people from all over the world reading our posts and getting involved with our story. 365 days ago I was working with a Japanese TV company in London. I had just handed in my notice and I was nervous about the future. I was about to turn 30 years old and about to be unemployed. I dyed my hair lighter and waited for our adventure to begin. And it has been amazing! I didn’t think I would ever live in Germany, but here we are…
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Tunnel under the Elbe
I’m going deeper underground… When travelling to Hamburg, I would recommend you take the free walkway under the river Elbe. It’s a long tunnel for pedestrians and cyclists only. The stairs are a little scary, but once you get to the bottom, it’s really fun. Walking along and imagining you are under a river is pretty surreal. It reminded me of the Greenwich Foot Tunnel, which I remember walking down as a child. You get a very different view from the other side of the river and the lift that takes you up the stairs is a fun experience too. Put this on your to-do list immediately!
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Happy Monday BUMBUM
I scream, you scream, we all scream… for ice cream! I know it is childish, but when I saw this ice cream I knew I had to have it. It has the best name ever (BumBum!!), which is hysterical – and slightly off-putting if you think about it. Anyhoo, it is currently in our freezer waiting for the perfect moment. I have heard rumours that it actually has bubblegum inside, so I’m pretty excited!
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Eating fish in Hamburg
Once I caught a fish alive… Obviously the fish market is THE place to get fresh fish, but if you aren’t around on a Sunday morning or you are in recovery from a crazy Saturday night out, then the Daniel Wischer Restaurant is the solution. They have all kinds of fish, from herring to fish and chips – the hardest thing was to decide which fish to eat! We were a big group and every single one of us loved the meal. It’s bang in the centre of town, but luckily it’s not full of tourists. Cannot recommend this place enough!
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The magical vegetable called Spargel
nom nom nom nom nom… Okay, I am going to digress slightly from our Hamburg posts, but there are more of those on the way soon. Right now, I just have to tell you all about Spargel! I came to Germany by myself to visit friends as a teenager and I still remember my friend’s mum bringing out a dish of Spargel. I had never seen the vegetable before, but I like to try everything once, so I tucked right in. I can still remember the white sauce dribbling over the stalks and as I ate it, I thought: “Wow – what on earth is this yumminess? And why haven’t…
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From Hamburg to Mongolia
When in Hamburg… I was looking on AirBnB for some accommodation in Hamburg, but because of the Hafenfest taking place over the weekend, there was not a lot to choose from. As we had a car, I looked a little further outside the city and came across a Mongolian Jurte. Years ago I watched a documentary about Mongolia and how they pack up their homes within an hour and take it over the mountains to the next place they will call home. Since then it has been on my list of places to go and here was my chance! You need to see the photos to believe it, so here…
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Treppenviertel in Hamburg
Stairway to Heaven… After living in Berlin for about eight months, you really notice when you arrive in a place with hills. Hamburg has a beautiful area called Treppenviertel (‘stairs quarter’) and you go up and up and up. The houses are all different and absolutely adorable. Their are no cars, just winding roads that lead higher and higher. It’s very cute and a lovely walk. It would have been nicer in the sunshine and the summer months, but it is pretty all-year around and highly recommended to all who go to Hamburg!
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The beach in Hamburg
A sailor went to sea sea sea… One of the main reasons I wanted to go to Hamburg was to pick up some stones. I have been all over pinterest (dangerous!!) and found a cute craft project – basically you draw on stones. We looked around Berlin for nice round stones, but found nothing at all. Hamburg however has beaches, so it felt like the right place to go for flat and round stones. The beach we walked to from the centre of town is actually a sandy beach – haha! We did end up getting some stones, but I think we might end up at the garden centre to…
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New bins in Hamburg
What a load of rubbish… These bins have been making the headlines recently: They cost an astounding €5000 EACH. They are pretty big and you can see on the screen how much of the bin has been filled – but what a waste of money! There are many people in Germany who make money from collecting plastic and glass bottles from bins. These can be dropped off at most supermarkets for small amounts of money called a Pfand. This money often helps people to gather enough money for a meal. These new bins make it impossible to search through the bins – meaning these people will now have less money…
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Hafenfest in Hamburg
Oh I do like to be beside the seaside… We were lucky to have a friend in Hamburg who offered up his tour-guiding services. It was nice to be guided around instead of guiding people around the same sights of Berlin all the time – haha. Did you know that Hamburg is known for constant rain. It sounds similar to London, where you need an umbrella at all times, even if the weather forecast predicts 30 degrees sunshine. Hamburg lived up to its name. It rained. Actually it poured. All day long. For the entire weekend. Ugh. It was proper grimmmmm, but in hindsight it was probably a lucky thing…