Another day, another walk. Tea in flask and of we go.
Hamburg from the Binnenalster
Besides the river Elbe Hamburg also has two lakes to make the city a bit watery. The Binnenalster and the Außenalster are artificial lakes around which the city expanded.
(Warning: this post is photo heavy. So it might take a while to load)
Round the Binnenalster to the first stop: “Colonnaden Tea Contor”. A place already mentioned by Lahikmajoe on his blog. From the outside this place looks a bit like a standard souvenir shop. But we are deceived. Inside is a proper tea shop containing a nice selection of pretty good teas. After smelling and looking at several teas I left the place with only 5 teas, a tin and the wish for more.
Colonnaden Tee Contor. A tea shop worth visiting.
After being surprised by a friend that happened to be in Hamburg instead of Afrika I went on to Planten und Blomen to visit another part of the park.
Planten und Blomen revisited
The entrance of the park at this end
Green
More green
Path trough green
Through the Japanese landscape garden.
More path
Water in the Japanese landscape garden
Green on water
Flowers
Another flower
Is that all? It feels bigger in reality.
Japanese Garden
At this side of the park there is a Japanese garden. It was added to the park in 1991. The water runs 230 meters and falls 4 meters. According to the text this 18000 sqm garden is the largest in Europe. The most important part of the garden is of course the tea house.
Lantern marking the entrance to the Japanese garden
Water tea house and people seeking refreshment on this hot day
Closing in
Closing in
The trees are beautifully coloured
Gate to the garden
A small low path to walk through the plants
They are playing some tradeable cardgame
Water falls
Teahouse through the window. Looks good
Onther angle into the teahouse through the window. Looks great.
Lantern lighting the water
Stones below where water falls
A great place for a cuppa
“Excuse me. Should not the tea house open on 3 O’clock?” asks someone of me. I do not know, but considering it was almost time I postponed my moving on.
Making tea
The tea house through the open door With the scroll of the day (what does it say?)
The flower of the day
And indeed my wait was rewarded. The teahouse was opened and I had a nice cup of Genmaicha. Yes, indeed a nice cup of Genmaicha. If all Genmaicha was like this I might even like it and drink it regularly.
Cup with Darjeeling meets cup with Genmaicha
This was a place where I could have stayed a long, long time. However I had other plans. So after a few cups and a small donation I moved on.
Bye, bye tea house. Thank you for the great moment and memories. Time to move on.
A small stream to where the water falls
Another view of the water
This is where the water falls
A last glimpse of the tea house from where the water falls. Time to go back to the world.
TV tower, water and another type of place to drink
The Rose garden that used to be on the place of the Japanese garden
Building in the Rose garden
The wall in the Apothekersgarten
A lot of balls, luckily not in my tea
Out of the garden
Exit the garden and going right.
TV tower from down under
How could I have known that slightly more than a week later I would be down there in a much delayed train?
Going a long way around I reached the front of my destination.
Museum für Völkerkunde Hamburg
Followed by the other side of the building.
Side view
Chinese tea house
This is a replica of a tea house in Shanghai. The sister city who gave this building as gift in 2008 to Hamburg to improve relations between the cities. The tea house is located at the back of the Ethnographic Museum.
Water, firsh and another place where water falls
Entrance to the tea house and part of the restaurant that was under construction
The tea house
A pot of Dragonwell and the snacks that came with it
The way back
But alas the time to stay at this great place has also passed. Time to go back to the hotel. Passing the place where I ate a few times during the conference. This place was really close to the tea house. And passing my old hotel and the University building where the conference took place. Back to the centre of the city.
Passing Colonaden Tee Contor again and the city hall that is around the corner
And a nice street painting
And another one
A candy store
So many beautiful pics Bram – they’re a visual delight. I hope this series never ends 🙂 Reminds me a bit of @amyoh‘s posts.
Anyway, I also wonder what it says inside the Japanese tea house…Looks like a fantastic trip explored with your trusty flask of tea. Just like @lahikmajoe used to do.
The series will end, so will the Stockholm series. I hope to end them before I discover whether Bratislava has its own stories to tell. But for now: more to come.
My Japanese is not good enough and it is also calligraphy so I don’t know what it says.
Thanks, those were some really nice pictures!