Theater an der Maschnerstrasse

the poster

First off: Yes, I went to a theater. Usually not my favourate thing to do, but I thought I'd give it a try (even more so because I'd won several tickets at a pub-quiz in the Finnegan's Wake...). So I arrived there being quite sceptical about what was awaiting me. That night's show was Robert Harling's 'Steel Magnolia' directed by The Hamburg Players.

Well, the theater itself is a very cozy place and apparently a must-go for English teachers, for they outnumbered the general theater visitor. One reason for that might be the English learners books that are for sale there at rather low prices and of course the play being in English. Another possible reason seemed to be the small stand where they sold authentic British snacks like 'Skittels', 'Walkers Crisps' and 'Cadbury Crunchy Bar'. If anyone is not into those savories and sweets (which is highly doubtable) there is a bar next to the stand, where they sell German snacks, Bretzels and of course all kinds of drinks from cocktails and long drinks to beer and all sorts of soft drinks.

So after getting ready with some snacks and beverages for the show, I entered the theater and looked for my seat, which was not that big of a deal as the theater is rather small. But that does not affect the atmosphere that seems to be inherent there: As soon as the lights went out and the announcer took the stage, one forgot about the size of the theater and got lost in the brightly lit up stage and its actors. The acting itself was amazing and really convincing and charming. But as far as I am concerned I genuinely disliked the play 'Steel Magnolia', for I believe that the plot does not really aim for something, but instead just stays at the same level of drama. It lacks a clear climax and fails to develop during the duration of the play. Next to Shelby's personal story there is none other worth mentioning. Yet, the play had its fair share of witty and quite amusing scenes, which was due to the actors.

Great view from every seat in the theater!

All in all I can totally recommend going to the Theather an der Maschnerstrasse and having a glimpse of that brilliant acting (that being stated by someone who is not really into theaters..)! But I believe one should catch another play than 'Steel Magnolia' as it is not that well constructed.Coming up next is a classic: Bernarel Stowan's "Arms and the Man".

Lee

The (new) Finnegan's Wake

My absolute favorite place to be in Hamburg is most certainly "The Finnegan's Wake" pub near the Hamburger townhall. The pub in question is an Irish pub ("Finnegan's Wake" alludes to the Irish author James Joyce's novel "Finnegans Wake" published in 1939) and it does not fail to deliver that kind of atmosphere one would expect of an Irish pub. Most of the staff are English native speakers and help to create that original pub feeling by speaking in their British, Scottish and of course Irish accents, although they are more than capable of speaking German. Furthermore, they are always up for a chat and really look after their guests! So if you're an English student and looking for some practice, or are just in for some delightful conversations, this is your spot.

Last time's champions: Team "Bud Spencer"

What adds to that is that they serve British/Irish food and drinks, such as the famous Fish n' Chips and Guiness draft, as well as cider and Kilkenny (not to mention the wide range of whiskeys..). Also, they show most of the American Football, Bundesliga and Premiere League matches, as well as snooker, darts and olympics, which makes it a great place to watch your favorite sports. They also feature live music (mostly accoustic Irish folk) and other events such as whiskey tasting. The most fun and interesting event is the weekly Pub Quiz, which is held on Sunday's at 8.30 p.m., where people form teams and compete to answer all kinds of questions. Most of the time the winner gets free drinks, but lately they have also been offering theater tickets or other things that come up.

Free drinks and theater tickets

If you're interested you might want to check out their website: http://finneganswakeirishpub.com/

Concerning the "new": The Finnegan's Wake moved from its original place 10m further down the road to the "Fleetenkieker".

Your second living room

Most comfortable seats in Hamburg!

"Home sweet home" is a commonly known phrase, almost everbody would agree with. But sometimes you might want to get out, sometimes you need a change of scenery and then you need a place apart from home, where you can settle back and linger in a relaxing atmosphere. This is exactly what "Zoe II" and "Zoe III"  are for. You will find those two bars in the Sternschanze, located at Alter Pferdemarkt 17 and 19. These two bars technically belong togther, as you can tell by the name. Nevertheless, Zoe II already opens at 2 p.m., while Zoe III doesn't open until 8 p.m. I payed my last visit to Zoe III with a friend a week ago, on a Friday night. Although we arrived only 5 minutes past 8,  a lot of the seats were already taken, but you will almost always find a cozy spot for you to sit. While some of the guests spend the whole evening here, a lot of people only stay for a drink and then leave, so you can be sure that even if you cannot find a sofa at first, you will not have to wait for a long time! Talking about the sofas, this is what makes those two bars so wonderful. the whole place is stuffed with old, but beautiful baroque style sofas that literally make you melt into them the moment you sit down. You won't want to stand up and order a drink at the bar, you even  won't want to get up ever again. Trust me, those sofas are amazing. Of course, the rest of the interior fits perfectly. Big lamps in the middle of the room lite it dimly and there are also baroque style mirrors on the walls, all in all the atmosphere is very appealing. Also the prices are absolutely acceptable and the service is very pleasant. In case you cannot do it without smoking, there is a special room for smokers in the cellar, so you do not need freeze out there in the cold evenings!

So many free spots! Go get them!

To sum it up: Go there! Plan a visit! Do not miss that awesome bar! It is really worth it and if you want, it is perfect to hit the clubs afterwards, as the "Schanze" is not very far from all the clubs in Hamburg!

A walk through the "Alter Elbtunnel"

The tunnel

We already mentioned the harbor several times in our blog. That is not because we lack of creativity, but because the harbor is a central point in Hamburg and one of the things this city is famous for. It is the third biggest harbor in Europe. Altough it looks interesting by day, it is not very beautiful. But if you want to see how it changes when the sun goes down and the lights turn on, you should visit it by night. You will see that in fact, it isn't so bad after all! The best possibility to get a good view of the harbor at night is to connect your journey with a walk through the Alter Elbtunnel. When you get out at the U3 station Landungsbrücken, you simply go to the end of the Landungsbrücken to the building with a big dome-shaped roof. This is the entrance to the tunnel. Either you can choose to go down taking the steps or the elevator. Personally, I would recommend to take the steps only when you are going down, and the elevator when going up, because you have to go down almost 24m! The tunnel is 426m long and had his 100 years anniversary last year. While walking through the tube, which is quite calming I think, it is amazing and sometimes even a bit scary to think of all the water that is above you. But although the tunnel is 101 years old, it is in a really good state (they are also refurbishing it right now). When you get to the other end and take the elevator up and go outside the building, you will find yourself on the southern riverbank, where a viewpoint was established. You can see the skyline of Hamburg and the Hafencity, beautifully illuminated. So take your time and maybe a camera, to enjoy this great spot with an amazing view!

Plate marking the middle of the tunnel

Sweet treats!

Truely delicious!

Probably you have already seen and eaten them, the cute little cupcakes from the USA. But probably you haven't found a place here where you get fresh and handmade ones! There is a small shop at Eppendorfer Landstraße called "Happy Kappy Company" and they offer the most amazing cupcakes you will get in Hamburg. You can pick a cake from a menu of suggestions or customize it and tell them exactly how you want your cupcake to be. You can choose the dough of the cake, the filling, the icing and what sprinkles you want to have on top of it! This way you can be sure that you get the perfect cupcake.

Customized Cupcakes!

Also, the interior of the shop is so cute, I start squealing everytime I enter it. You not only want to eat the cupcakes, but basically everything inside the shop. They also have a few seats to sit down and if you are lucky and the weather is good, you can sit outside and munch the tasty little cupcakes outside on some benches in front of the shop!

The owner of the shop, Conrad, is American and when he came to Germany he decided to bring the joy of cupcakes to Hamburg... and I think he has done a very good job!!

A cup of coffee?

Bleichenfleet

Some latte art

Just take a look outside the window... what do you see? It's dark? Windy? It's raining? Here is a suggestion how to fight the first freezing days of autumn: drink a cup of Hamburg's best coffee! Located at the Poststraße you can find a cozy café with the simple name "the coffee shop". Their slogan promises "nothing but great taste", and this is exactly what you get. Drink your favourite espresso speciality, tea, hot chocolate or simply juice while enjoying the beautiful view at the Bleichenfleet. The coffee shop is on the first floor, so if you choose a sofa near the window you can also peek at the crowds shopping or presenting their idea of "style". Anyway, when I said that this is the place where you can drink Hamburg's best coffee, that's what I meant, because their espresso won the prize for "best espresso" in Germany this year! Also, they offer some delicious sweets and bagels. If you are really in need of something chocolatey, you should go for the chocolate melt, a small chocolate cake, which is almost molten inside. If you prefer to eat some vitamines to brace yourselves against the coming winter, they also have fresh fruit-joghurts! You can easily spend a whole afternoon in this café because although it is in the heart of the city, the fact that it is on the first floor, on top of a clothing store, makes it a bit hidden to the masses you can find in other cafés. So, unless you go there on a Saturday, you can almost always be sure to get a comfy sofa with a nice view where you can enjoy your favourite coffee. And if you are lucky, you might even get some latte art on it!

You gotta love it!