HAMBURG 

Hamburg has always been a big port city. Here's part of it.
Just because it's a German port doesn't mean you can't market American films. And a great big picture of Halle Berry in a cat suit is surely more interesting to look at than some freighter.
Yup, a church. What kind of vacation would it be without photos of churches. Besides, on these excursions churches were almost always visited. This is Michaeliskirche or Church of St. Michael. There were plaques to Felix Mendelson and Gustav Mahler inside. I believe they were both musical directors at some point.
I guess this is St. Michael. He looks to be standing on a demon about to stab it in the back with a staff. Somehow that doesn't seem right.
The inside of the church. No pictures were supposed to be allowed, but plenty of people were snapping them. I don't know why it's a little blurry.
The big organ. Heh, I said "big organ".
The street outside the church.
The Aussenalster. It is a nice lake in town. I think it was man-made. It is along the shores of this lake that there are many foreign embassies and homes of the rich and influential.
More of the Aussenalster with the spires of several churches in the background. I wasn't able to get a shot of it, but there are the remains still standing of one church that was bombed to smithereens during World War II that looks interesting. Later on we'll see a similar church in Berlin.
If you know anything about my little photo travelogues you know my fondness for snapping shots of strip clubs and sex shops in other countries. Here are a couple in the red light district of Hamburg. It was in this area of the city in which the Beatles used to play in various clubs.
The Rathaus, the city hall. Somehow a government building named rat house seems appropriate.
There was a rock festival in the courtyard in front of the building, the Rathausmarkt.
The Alsterfleet Canal.
This is a tiny little alley lined with touristy shops.
I don't know if this is a city bus or the actual bus for the FC St. Pauli soccer club. But the bus is divided into defense, midfield and forwards. I just thought it was pretty cool.
This is the Patriotische Gesellschaft. The building dates to the 1840's. The society that the building was built for originated in 1765. I think this is correct. I picked up a booklet that explains the history of the building, but I don't know German so I can't tell you if I'm right. There is a restaurant on the first floor in which we ate dinner.
In a hundred years or so will we have streets named after Jewel and Jay-Z?
A German bum.

TO BERLIN