Hamburg

In Southern Germany, as we travelled along the Rhine the country had appeared to be an unending conurbation. As we headed further north however, woodlands and farmland replaced the omnipresent giant Mercedes logos and concrete. Dome shaped silos that reminded me of the original 'Command & Conquer' and the long

With the change in scenery came a restoration of good weather. From Brussels to Düsseldorf the weather had been rather grotty, with a leaden sky and dull rain present. As we progressed the sky turned first to a quilt of friendly white clouds with seams of blue, then returned to the clear azure skies of that morning.

The train's huge windows offered a great view of the sunset, before we eventually arrived at Hamburg. Arriving in the dark, the station's first impression was of modern design with its large elevated concourse, but this was soon revealed to be in a cavernous Victorian age iron framed canopy. I met a homeless man who asked for some food and drink, which I supplied before taking the short walk to my hotel.

Novum hotel provided a basic but pleasant enough little room, which the first physical hotel room key I've had in over 15 years. I justified bringing so much computing gear by connecting up to the TV to stream Picard before turning in.Read more