Hamburg: The Gate To The World

They say you never forget your first. That's certainly true with Hamburg, the first city I ever visited in Europe. It'll always have a special place in my heart. I lived there for a month back in 2009 and have gone back three more times since. This is a slightly altered version of a story that first appeared in the November 2009 issue of Lifestyle Asia magazine.  

Written and photographed By Paul John Caña

Additional photos by Pedi Dela Cruz

Oh Hamburg

Three rivers flow through Hamburg, Germany’s second-largest state: the Alster, the Bille and the Elbe, while the North Sea borders it on the west. There are over 2500 bridges here—more than Venice and Amsterdam combined. 

The natural harbor in the center of this progressive and prosperous city serves as a busy port, the second biggest in Europe after Rotterdam, with ships coming in to pick-up and unload cargo from all over the world. There's lots to see and do in Hamburg, a truly international city worthy of a visit for anyone making their way through Germany.

A closer look at Hamburg's Rathaus

A stop at the Rathaus (or Town Hall) can serve as a jump off point in exploring the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg (the name is a reference to its membership in the Hanseatic League, a European trade monopoly during medieval times). Constructed from 1886 to 1897 the magnificent neo-Renaissance façade of the city’s seat of government is best admired from the Rathausmarkt or plaza in front of it. 

In a small tributary of the River Alster flowing adjacent to the square, graceful swans, playful mallards and other water birds compete for morsels from delighted spectators. A late afternoon stroll through the charming Altstadt district, with its high-end shopping boutiques and quaint side streets, is warm-up for a night-out in Hamburg’s world-famous Reeperbahn in Sankt Pauli.

A resident of the Binnenalster

Water fowls compete for morsels of bread from amused residents and tourists

First garnering attention as a notorious red-light district, Reeperbahn is slowly undergoing transformation through a gentrification process. Existing side-by-side with erotic attractions are museums, theaters, shopping areas and restaurants. 

Reeperbahn

Steel silhouettes of the Fab Four

A museum dedicated to the musical group The Beatles used to stand near Grosse Freiheit, but was closed back in 2012. Diehard fans know that it was in Hamburg, specifically the bars and clubs in Reeperbahn, where the legendary band first built a cult following before exploding into the consciousness of pop music fans everywhere. John Lennon famously said: “I was born in Liverpool, but I grew up in Hamburg.”

Me with the Fab Four

Sankt Pauli is where the party's at

In March, August and November of each year, Hamburg plays host to an enormous fair called Dom. Not ten minutes by foot from all the madness in Reeperbahn, the young and young-at-heart will delight in amusement park rides, various food stalls and confections and a general air of pomp and festivity.

Rollercoaster at Hamburg's Dom

Der Fluss, a sculpture by Aristide Maillol 

Once nicknamed the “Gate To The World,” Hamburg served as the port upon which millions of Europeans left for the New World in the 19^th and 20^th centuries. Today, tourists flock to Landungsbrücken to take in the sight of large tankers and smaller ferries scurrying about in the harbor, breathe in fresh ocean air and listen to the squawks of sea birds harmonizing with ships slicing their way through the water. 

No visit to Hamburg is complete without a boat trip, and many tourists might opt to take the ferry from here all the way to Finkenwerder and back.

Landungsbrücken at night

Bicycle riders in one of the city's tunnels

On the outskirts of the city, history buffs will appreciate a tour of the old concentration camp at Neuengamme. Used by the Nazis during World War II, the camp held over 100,000 prisoners from 1938 until the end of the war in 1945. Of this number, 55,000 perished. 

A museum houses a list of the known victims. Outside on a small grassy field, a monument stands tall next to a humanlike figure twisted in an odd angle lying on the ground, a symbol of the suffering and death that happened within the walls of the camp. It is a sad and difficult visit, but one that anyone needs to make in any attempt to understand one of the darkest chapters in human history.

"Your pain, your suffering, and your death shall not be in vain."

"Der sterbende Häftling“ (The dying prisoner) by Françoise Salmon 

Hamburg natives, or Hamburgers, will talk openly about Germany’s past, but this does not mean they are dour and irritable. On the contrary, most Hamburgers are pleasant and proud of their city. Tour guides will nonchalantly state the fact that there are more millionaires in Hamburg than any other German city (although I checked and it seems Hamburg ranks only third behind Frankfurt and Munich for most multi-millionaire residents). 

Forgot where this was, but it looks nice

Hamburg Hauptbahnhof (Central Train Station)

Altona train station

Pedi was nice enough to come visit from Spain while I was there

Perhaps nowhere is this more evident than in the charming suburb of Blankenese. Nestled on a gently sloping plain along the River Elbe, Blankenese was once a fishing village and is now one of the most affluent and picturesque communities in the city. 

The Elsa Brandström Haus in Blankenese was where I lived for a month in Hamburg

There is an amazing view of the Elbe from the house 

There are stately manors and sprawling mansions on either side of the street when you go on a casual drive. You can also get a feel of local life by enjoying a kaffee at the plaza outside the Bahnhof (train station). On summer weekends, Hamburgers will make the trip down to the river and set-up picnics by the riverbank while soaking in the rays. With a cold bottle of authentic German bier in hand, it’s not a bad way to spend the day in this corner of Europe.

I'm assuming these are residents taking advantage of the summer sun

Hamburg is where I first had a taste of Beck's which has since become one of my favorite beers (it's from Bremen though, not Hamburg)

The seal of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg

'Champagne Supernova' Dreams

Some of the concert reviews I've done over the years are no longer online, so I am reposting them here. This one--Oasis live in Singapore--is certainly one of the most memorable, especially since the band broke up a few weeks later. I also got to meet and interview Liam Gallagher before the show, which still sounds unreal even to me, today, six years later.

Oasis

Singapore Indoor Stadium

Singapore

5 April 2009

There were no hosts that went up onstage to welcome everybody to Oasis' big concert at the Singapore Indoor Stadium last week. No spiels inviting everyone to watch any new TV shows, no expressions of gratitude to corporate sponsors and no advertisements flashing on the giant screens prior to the show. When the band casually strode up the stage, there was just endless screaming – deafening and contagious – and a simultaneous rush by the audience to get closer to the stage.

Me interviewing Liam Gallagher

I was with a couple of friends with floor tickets to the show. We flew in a few days early to see the sights around the city-state, and also came to the venue bright and early for my interview with frontman Liam Gallagher (see main story). We managed to plant ourselves just a few rows away from the stage, close enough to actually see Liam, brother Noel and the rest of the band. When the lights came down and the first few strains of “F***in' In The Bushes” came on, there was complete and utter chaos. We were shoved around like life-sized rag dolls, elbowed and kicked by audiences hungry for Oasis and not being completely satisfied by the fact that they were right there onstage.

The airconditioning was working, as far as I could tell, but in just a few minutes, we were sweat-soaked and burning. But we didn't care. One of the biggest bands in the world were right up there just a few feet away from us, and, over the opening song, “Rock N' Roll Star,” it was insanely exciting to realize that we were experiencing a concert experience like no other.

The band played a mix of old and new songs, and the setlist is one that they've been using for most of the current “Dig Out Your Soul” tour. Earlier during my interview, Liam mentioned that it was Noel “who sorts out” the setlist. “We got some new ones definitely but certain songs are gonna get left out, which is a shame. People are always going to be disappointed that we don't play this or that song, and I know where [they're] coming from.”

Oasis!

While I was a bit bummed that they didn't do personal favorites like “She's Electric” and “Some Might Say,” the show overall was pretty solid and nothing to get cranky about.

Liam rarely ever conversed with the audience; he just stood there and looked all hip and glamorous, but he engaged his followers nonetheless with his trademark singing pose (arms behind his back, slightly bent forward looking up at the microphone pointed downward) and, in between songs and during solo instrumentation, striking a more rock-star pose: standing straight up, face serious, eyes fixed on a point far away, while hundreds, even thousands of digital cameras snapped away.

They were promoting their new album, Dig Out Your Soul, which sees them trying out a  much bigger, more lush sound than their previous efforts. On the newer songs, few in the audience could mouth the words along with Liam and Noel (big brother did vocal duties on a couple of numbers), but on old favorites, like “Shakermaker,” “Slide Away,” and the classic “Wonderwall,” it was easy to get swept away in the moment and just sing along with the band.

Liam was as cocky as you'd expect him to be

From where I was standing, I could see dozens of cameraphones twinkling like little digital fireflies, capturing the moments forever (or until they could upload it on YouTube or their own personal websites). I've always found it particularly strange that peole would much rather spend time during concerts focusing on getting a decent shot on their phones than just enjoying the moment clearly, without distractions and interruptions. But I suppose “living the moment” means different things to different people.

During the encore, Liam disappeared and it was up to Noel to sing one of the band's signature hits, “Don't Look Back In Anger.” I couldnt help but get all sentimental, it was a song I've listened to and sung countless times before: in the shower, while dressing up for school or work, in the car during rush hour traffic, in my old walkman and now, iPod. And there I was listening to it live. It was just too surreal. 

Has to be one of the best concert experiences in my life, ever

On “Champagne Supernova,” there was just a palpable sense of kinship and camaraderie amongst all the fans of Oasis that I felt like hugging everyone there, even the obnoxious guy behind us who kept banging himself to us as if we were willing participants of a mosh pit. And on the explosive finale, their cover of the Beatles classic “I Am the Walrus,” we knew we've reached the end of one gigantic head trip. My legs were rubbery and my voice was hoarse, and we had yet to put some sustenance into our growling stomachs, but it was all worth it. After all these years, Oasis have proven that they can still rock it, and I'm just over the moon that I was there to experience it.

No Need To Explain

A repost from my old blog. Because circumstances sometimes necessitate the use of somebody else's words to express personal emotions

The open road (Somewhere along SCTEX)

 The other night you gave me reasons

Why you felt nothing for me.
We struggled with words and wrestled 

with emotions
As if doing so would illuminate the darkness around us.
So why waste words and frustrating thoughts?

Why repeat what we already know 

and bring up what we don't want to?
I apologize for putting you through all that.
The only thing I want you to know 

is that there's no need to explain.

So there's no need to explain
What it is I have
Or don't have
That keeps me out of your heart.

If I don't have what it takes, there's no point 

in faking it
Because you should only fall for the real me.
If I find out it's something I have that I haven't expressed
Then you should discover it 

without having to demand.

There's no need to explain
Why you fall for these handsome, confident 

and heavenly men.
Why even those who don't last in your affections
Have had more time there than I ever had.

I don't want to be like them nor compare myself to them
They are drawn to you but never fully appreciate 

what they experience
I may be less confident, but it's because I'm nervous 

about screwing up
My once in a lifetime chance to be with the greatest person alive.

But I shall keep up and surpass them, as best I can.
Becoming a better man due to pure inspiration 

rather than to complaints
And even if you find someone better than me
If he is the better man it'll be OK 

because you deserve the best.

I see no need to explain
Why you should give me a chance
Why you should feel something for me or why I am worth trusting,
What I'm going to do to make you feel the magic you long for.

I should just
show you that I am worth a chance,
Sweep you off your feet, be trustworthy and never leave
And if I am unable to do so then I should just accept
that it isn't meant to be.

I will just enjoy
Being able to talk to you for hours till our throats
go dry
Blending in harmony and watching shows
Or simply sitting in the dark gazing at you by the
lights of the city

I just enjoy whatever time you give to me.
Whatever fun we have I seal in my heart.
I don't care why you spend any time with me
I just care that you do.

And if ever the day comes
That you finally see that no one else wants the job of
making you happy more than I do,
That you finally feel the magic and that yearning
That you feel that being with me is worth all the risks

Even though I'll be confounded, confused 

and even curious
About this sudden change of heart
Just come to me and let me hold you
And there'll be no need to explain.

-- Jamie Bautista (from the comic book CAST)

Berlin, Berlin

I've been to Berlin three times but I feel like I've barely scratched the surface. I hope I can visit again and stay there longer. This is a slightly altered version of a story that first appeared in Lifestyle Asia's May 2014 issue

Written and photographed by Paul John Caña

A portion of the Berlin Wall

Tourists and tourist draw near the Brandenburg gate

Germany’s capital city is also its biggest so one day is not nearly enough time to cover even a tiny portion of what it has to offer. For the first time visitor, however, it is possible to get a feel of Berlin. Professional tour operators have devised a way to see some of the best of the city in a leisurely walking tour. While most people call out the usual places—Paris, Rome, London and Barcelona—when asked about their dream European city, Berlin itself is steeped in history, culture and a fun cosmopolitan vibe, making it a worthwhile destination for those making their way around the continent.

Even for the frequent visitor, it never feels like one truly knows Berlin. Heavily destroyed during World War II, the city has been rebuilt at a tremendous pace, and today it is one of those places that is constantly evolving, with a kinetic energy felt by those who have chosen to call it home.

The Brandenburg Gate has become an iconic symbol of Berlin, and Germany

The Hotel Adlon, located in Pariser Platz just across from the Brandenburg Gate, has become known for being the site where pop star Michael Jackson (in)famously dangled his baby off the balcony

A walking tour of Berlin can start near the Brandenburg gate, an enduring symbol not just of the city but of Germany as a whole. Built in the 18th century, today it is located in Pariser Platz, a huge square that is home to important structures that include the United States Embassy, the French Embassy, the luxury Hotel Adlon, the Kennedy Museum and the Academy of Arts Berlin.

Just south of the gate is a curious area filled with what appears at first glance to be gray slabs of concrete. This is the Denkmal für die ermordeten Juden Europas or the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. The tour guide, an English chap named David, explained that there are actually 2711 concrete slabs and that there was considerable controversy when the project was first greenlit, and even more when it was finally unveiled in 2005. 

The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe

There are a total of 2711 slabs of concrete 

Walking amongst the slabs creates a sense of calm and foreboding

Ultimately, it is up to the individual viewer how he or she would like to interpret the memorial. From the outside, the slabs do form something akin to a cemetery, which is somewhat appropriate given what it is in tribute to, but venture deeper inside and there is a sense of calm and foreboding as the slabs slowly grow taller until they almost cover the sky.

A few minutes’ walk further down takes visitors to a rather ordinary-looking parking lot next to nondescript apartment buildings. It doesn’t look like there is anything of interest at this place, but a simple marker explains this is actually the site of the bunkhouse where Adolf Hitler committed suicide in the dying days of World War 2. It is a little crazy to think that only a parking lot now stands over a site of such a significant moment in history, but guides say that the government did not want the area to become a shrine for neo-Nazis or those who still believe in the tenets propagated by Hitler. It is also a powerful statement when one thinks about it: there is no sense in honoring a man who stood for so much evil and hate.

The tour continues towards buildings that were once the headquarters of the Schutzstaffel or SS, which was responsible for perpetrating many of the atrocities associated with the Nazi regime, and the Gestapo, Germany’s secret police during the Third Reich. 

Checkpoint Charlie is now a major tourist attraction

The next stop is Checkpoint Charlie. Once the only gate open to cross from East Berlin to West Berlin and vice versa, today it is a tourist attraction. Two huge posters of the faces of two soldiers—one American facing East, the Russian sector, and one Russian facing West, the American sector—stand perpetually on guard all lit up, the subject of countless photos from tourists from all over the world.

A portrait of a Communist soldier facing the American side at Checkpoint Charlie

And the American soldier facing the Communist side

After all that German military history, Gendarmenmarkt, the next stop, is a welcome change of pace. Three majestic buildings surround three sides of one of Berlin’s most famous squares—the Konzerthaus Berlin (home of the Konzerthausorchester Berlin), the Französischer Dom (or French Cathedral) and the Deutscher Dom (or German Cathedral). 

Gendarmenmarkt. I think this is the German Cathedral

One of the stately buildings in Gendarmenmarkt

After a leisurely walk down Unter den Linden, a major artery in Berlin’s Mitte or Central district, the tour ends at the grand Berliner Dom. Built in varying styles (from Renaissance to Brick Gothic, Baroque and Neo-classical), the Cathedral was first built in 1451 but has been restored and renovated through the years, most recently in 1993.

This intersection would be like our EDSA corner Ayala or Ortigas

The Berliner Dom

The English translation, "Pleasure Garden," is a bit less, er, erotic

The walking concludes on the steps of the famous Dom, overlooking the Lustgarten (Pleasure Garden), a public park on Museum Island. 

If you have more time, there are tons more to see and experience in Berlin.

The Berlin Wall

What was once a symbol of division and enmity has been turned into a gigantic canvas for artistic expression. For the best, most colorful artworks, head over to the East Side Gallery section of the wall in Mühlenstraße in Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg.

A portion of the original Wall was left standing and has been turned into a gigantic canvas where 117 artists from 21 countries painted different images onto the concrete

Chilling at the Wall

This painting of Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev and his German counterpart Erich Honecker has reportedly been destroyed by authorities to give way to restoration work

Two places at once: straddling the (former) East and West side of Berlin. That's the Spree river on the West side

The Reichstag

The building is where the German Parliament (or Bundestag) meets, but the Dome at the top is open to visitors with prior registration and has great 360-degree views of the city.

Visitors walk up and down the dome of the Reichstag

A view of the Dome from outside

A view of Berlin from the roof of the Reichstag

Currywurst

Berlin has a friendly rivalry with Hamburg about who invented currywurst, a dish of pork sausage smothered in ketchup and curry powder. In Berlin, the most popular seems to be Curry 36, with several branches spread out across the city.

Curry 36 is one of the most popular outlets in the city that serves the famous currywurst

We had to contend with this long line before we could sink our teeth into the currywurst

(HEAD) German Historical Museum

If you can’t get enough of German History, head to this museum along Unter den Linden. They have fascinating special exhibitions from time to time, including one back in 2010 that took on Hitler’s influence on the Germans.

The German Historical Museum

I made sure to visit it back in 2010 for that fascinating exhibit on Hitler and the Germans

As I write this, I can't help but think about that famous quote by John F. Kennedy about this strange, wonderful, dynamic city: "All free men, wherever they may live, are citizens of Berlin. And therefore, as a free man, I take pride in he words, 'Ich bin ein Berliner!'"