Barcelona - Architecture

Le matin

Starting the week. 

Just a February day in Hamburg

On Friday I went to spent the day in Hamburg, with the set idea of discovering the northern part of the city. I walked all the way to the Isemarkt, a wonderful weekly outdoor market perfect for a morning stroll, buying some fancy cheese and having some coffee. From there I walked north, without a map or any idea of what I would find. I ended up in one of Hamburgs most expensive areas, Eppendorf. Taking Eppendorfer Landstrasse, I continued down to Eppendorfer Weg, which brings you to the area of Eimsbüttel, still posh but a bit younger. From the bigger streets I wandered around, discovering great little shops, cafes, cobbled streets and fashionable people. I ended my 4 hour long walk in Scahnze and the quiter part of Sankt Pauli. It was amazing to see how the city changed from north to south. 

During my next visit to the city I'll be staying in Eimsbüttel, and couldn't be happier with the decision. 

Walking around

Some pictures taken near my house in Göttingen. 

Köz Urfa, Altona - Hamburg

In the unappealing area that Altona main station is, the colours of Köz Urfa seem to perfectly go with the surroundings, being definitely a big part of it. This is no place for those unable to stand shiny, pastel-coloured, flashy, ostentatious decor, but it is the right place for those looking for a truly Turkey (does not) meet Germany experience. 

Having to queue will probably be your first contact with the place, but it is part of what makes it special, the whole turkish community is represented, and one can be overwhelmed by the greetings, the meetings of entire families, waiters flying huge plates filled with rice and smokey meat, and turkish and german being constantly and fastly spoken around you. 

Once seated, one can slow down while sipping the creamy and savoury Ayran, the quintessential turkish drink, and leaf thru the several menu pages. The generous amounts of food are as satisfaying as one can expect, and with every bite one can savour the distant and beloved Turkey, which never wants to be forgotten. 

A visit to Köz Urfa is not a trip to Turkey, it means understanding the efforts of a melancholical yet ambitious community to keep themselves rooted to what they feel is home. 

Art lived here

Empty spaces looking forward to a better future. 
In Kassel. 

A snowy morning in Alfeld

Yesterday morning was a sunny one in Göttingen, and although I had planned on staying at home, the bright morning couldn't be ignored, so I rushed into the train, and 40 minutes later I found myself in Alfeld. To my surprise, the sun was gone and I was welcomed by a snow storm, the most inappropiate weather to discover a city. But being positive, snow always makes things look prettier, so I ventured into Alfeld city centre. I had no previous knowledge of the city, I had just seen its industrial skyline from the train, so I was gladly shocked to discover a quaint Altstadt, with cobbled streets and old wooden houses. And a true, quintessential german provincial town. 

On the other side of town, the factories packed along the train rails, and one of them, the beautiful 1911 built Fagus-Werk by Walter Gropius. I'll be back to visit the museum and to have some coffee at the lovely, bright cafeteria. 

It definitely was one of my favorite excursions so far, because it was a surprising and unexpectedly pleasant one.