My American friend Sally and I decided to have a ‘Girls’ Day Out’ here in Hamburg, a day which is otherwise defined as ‘shopping without men’.

The excursion marked my first trip on Hamburg’s metro system. There are two primary systems, called the “U-bahn” (below ground, but not all the time), and the “S-bahn” (above the ground, but not all the time either). To further complicate matters, there are also some regional systems called the “A-bahn” and the “R-bahn”.

For starters, we scoured an centrally-located indoor mall right near the Gänsemarkt metro stop, then headed with purpose down some great outdoor shopping street, including the popular Monckerbergstrasse. Our initial shopping interests were cooking stores, as I continue to stock my Hamburg kitchen. I acquired an eclectic assortment of items including a mortar & pestle, a pepper grinder, some multi-colored glass votives, a bud vase and a foot reflexology board. Sally got a nice baking dish that I hope she uses to make me some more brownies!

One of my particularly favorite experiences of the day was a visit to the hoity-toity Alsterhaus department store. I was surprised to see a genuine crown jewel exhibit on the ground floor. Pieces from the collections of Queen Victoria, King Edward II, Queen Elizabeth II, and many Russian monarchs were on display. I picked out which crown “I would wear” and snapped a photo for future reference. I think some Japanese tourists were trying to buy the crowns, but I couldn’t be sure…

Up in the linens’ department, I was astonished to come across my *favorite* French brand of tablecloth, Garnier Thiebaut. These are priced for royalty, but worth every penny. The fabrics, designs, and color combinations are totally exquisite. I had to leave the department quickly or risk leaving a lot of euros behind.

The top floor of the Alsterhaus has a gourmet food department, a well-stocked wine bar, and a very upscale cafeteria (surely there must be a lingual upgrade to a 5-star word for ‘cafeteria’). Many of the products are imported from France and Italy, presumably because Germany does not seem to have any gourmet cuisine of its own. We checked out the vinegars, olive oils, sauces, olives, pates, etc., and settled on a risotto-and-wild-mushroom mix for 5 euros.

The eye candy in the cafeteria’s inner dining room is the jaw-dropping, multicolored stained glass window covering the ceiling. It is a modern representation of the constellations and can really give you a crimp in your neck if you stare too long.

Although the cafeteria’s selection was very tempting, we weren’t particularly hungry yet so settled on some iced tea and pumpkin slices. We lounged in the outer dining room overlooking the Alster lake, where we could view some crew exercises (fitness boating) in progress as well as the usual flat-bottomed tour boat cruising by the big central fountain.

Following our brief refreshment we headed for Sally’s favorite shoe store, passing over a bridge spanning one of the many canals feeding the lake. We paid tribute to Hans Hummel (whose wildly painted statues are everywhere in central Hamburg), greeted the ever-present swans, then had our photo taken in front of the Rathaus by an Armenian passerby.

After a satisfying 45 minutes at Roland shoe store, we emerged 3 pairs of shoes richer. Our appetites were substantial by now, so we took the Ubahn (or maybe it was the Sbahn.. who knows?) back to the car and set off past the Hauptbahnhof and across the Alster to the university district for dinner at a popular Turkish restaurant called “Arkadash”. The plate of mezzes and the lamb and vegetable main courses were totally delicious!

I dropped Sally at home then headed to the airport smelling like a Turkish garlic factory, just in time to greet Soenke upon his return with a big kiss !!

Photos of our day:

Sally loiters outside the Berliner Tor U-bahn/S-bahn station:

Strolling down one of Hamburg’s many shopping streets:

The Crown Jewel exhibit at the Alsterhaus:

My own personal crown:

A French table linen (the photo doesn’t do it justice!):

The ’stellar’ ceiling in the Alsterhaus dining room:

A view of the cafeteria itself:

Hello to Hans Hummel, the city’s legendary watercarrier:

Passing in front of the Rathaus:

Greetings to Hamburg’s swans: