Hamburg is a very beautiful city, in many ways it reminded me of Venice because the city contains so many inner channels and canals. Hamburg is home to the second largest port in all of Europe, the cranes formed an endless skyline! Today we experienced the first “rays of sunshine” that we have seen since our journey to Berlin has begun; all before it has been very grey and cold…almost what I expected the weather to be like.
We visited a music school designed by the Spanish firm, EMBT, which we visited a few weeks ago; the building was extremely angular and “playful” in design. Hamburg is evidently one of the richest cities in not only Germany but also Europe; the finances that went into constructing the school had to be astronomical. The school’s facilities were very advanced and they easily surpassed the musical facilities I was exposed to in middle and High School; in some ways they even rivaled the musical facilities of the Brooks Center in Clemson. For example the school had multiple “Steinway and Sons” pianos…those are not cheap, in fact they are not expensive, they are ridiculously costly! The school is for students from the ages of 6 to 21, and they teach instrumental, vocal, and visual performance. A concept such as this would be very difficult to pass in America…the funding would literally and figuratively take an act of congress to occur. Everyone was very curious of the actual budget of the building, so Kathrin’s husband Thomas asked the principal what the exact budget of the school was; he responded with “Germans never speak of three things with people other than family, unlike Americans we do not discuss politics, sex, and money. To ask how much someone makes or how much something costs is very ‘scandalous’. So for that reason I wish I could tell you but not even I know the answer to that question”. So we never found out how much the building cost, but he did state that expenses were not a concern in the buildings construction.
Afterwards we walked around various parts of the old port section of Hamburg…it was another long day! I am really getting exhausted with all of the walking and traveling around but I still cannot wait for what each day holds…..
Kathrin was able to get us student tickets for 15 euro to see Zubin Mehta and the Berlin Philharmonic tomorrow night!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I cannot wait. Good night!.
Fascinating. I never knew Hamburg had canals. What are they used for, if they are still in use.
ReplyDeleteMost of the port activity occurs in the harbor, now they are more of a "tourist" waterway...various boat tours meander throughout the canals now.
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