Day 16: Hamburg

Date	17 Dec 2025

Total Spain 2025	245 miles.
Total Germany 2025	97 miles.
Total This Camino:	255 miles.
Total All Caminos:	2450miles
Lodging:	Jugendherberge Hamburg auf dem Stintfang @ € 47
Total Lodging:	$ 1089

Total Airplane(s):	$ 1020 / $ 132
Buses / Trains / Taxis & Rides:	€ 8 HVV Day ticket
Total Transportation:	$ 169
Food:	€ 9 Fischbrötchen & Beer € 14 Xmas market. Almonds, glühwein, Kartoffeltüte € 8 Krakau & Bretzel
Total Food:	$ 448

On the Road

8:00 a.m. In the youth hostel cafeteria eating breakfast.

Checking in for my flights. Completed and have seat assignments.

From Hamburg to Madrid I have an aisle seat.

From Madrid to Boston. I have a window seat.

8:30 a.m. Sunrise. I just could not get used to these kinds of hours. Sunset is around 3:50 p.m. today

Scientifically, I understand the reasons for it.

Rochester, New York sits on the same latitude as Northern Spain.

Whereas Hamburg Germany sits on the same latitude as, incredibly, the lower half of the Hudson Bay.

When you're that far north, you simply have less time for the sun to show its head.

10:00 a.m. Souvenir shopping finished

10:30 a.m. I thought, for the heck of it, I'd ride the ferry one more time up and down the river Elba.

The sun is out with blue skies.

When I did it the first day I was in Hamburg, there was no sun with 100% cloud cover, totally gray.

I'm loving this ferry ride. The pilot came in hot on one of the docks, while there was a boat docked. The owner of the other boat came over. He and the pilot got into a really big shouting match over docking procedures. My first opportunity to watch a real German fight in German between Germans. lol

Excellent ride this morning. On the way back we had four boats in the channel, including us. Three were headed inland and one was outbound. But we're all in the same part of the channel at the same time, heading in different directions.

And then right behind us was, what I presume were the rescue teams drilling. They were in four speed boats, tearing up and down the river. Super cool adventure.

Later at one of the ferry stops, a lot of people were trying to get off while a lot of people were trying to get on, all at the same time. The Captain came on the loud speaker to tell everyone on shore to wait till everyone on the boat got off.

I decided to take a second ferry boat over to the philharmonic hall. Just to enjoy how much the sun is out this morning.

12:15 p.m. Back to the hostel and don't you know the room is made up again with the sheets removed.

Finally straightened it out at the reception desk.

It's a confluence of events between the elevator being out, which means a change in procedure for the cleaning staff, and an expectation on the guest to carry more linen up which I never fully understood.

Hence, the room was left in a condition again that looked like nobody was spending the night.

So they did a deep clean.

And that is undoubtedly what happened to my European adapter and American USB-C cable yesterday.

But I think there's almost no chance of them turning up.

It's not inconceivable that the person that was in the room the first night I was here, simply lifted them on his way out the door since I left the room first.

Got my fischbrotchen sandwich - cold smoked salmon. Unfortunately I bought it from the kiosk at high-speed rail station. So it's probably not the best cuisine, but it is one more of my checkmark items ticked off.

3:00 p.m. A staff member just came by to tell me that they finally located my european adapter and pixel 8 charger and cable. So I have them back. Great news.

3:45 p.m. Headed out for the Christmas markets at City Hall. On the way I thought I'd ride the subway three stops farther to the rapid transit line, just to walk around. It seems like a typical urban neighborhood of offices and apartments and residences and ground floor businesses like places to eat and barbers/hair dress and small stores.

5:00 p.m. Been enjoying the City Hall Christmas market and the the Jungfernstieg Christmas Market.

Just walking around taking in all the lights and the activity and the people and the music and the spirit.

Stopped in a bookstore and decided to buy myself a book in German, which translated to English is called "The Bird in Me Flies Where It Will".

I think it'll be a good read. LOL it looks easy

Having a Christmas Market supper. Gluühwein, Kartoffeltüte (potato pancakes with applesauce) and sugared almonds. Couldn't be more unhealthy!

6:00 p.m. Back at the hostel.

7:00 p.m. One more trip out just to get a little more of the experience here.

For the heck of it, I went to the main train station. Good choice because when I stepped outside, I found a major pedestrian-only walkway with many of the designer retailer stores along it.

Of course that means lots of lights and people and excitement and hustle and bustle.

Also, I became blase about using the rapid transit system. I had acquired the cultural knowledge of where some important stations are, and how they relate to each other.

This meant that I could figure my way around with confidence. I remember that first day in Hamburg how often I seemed unable to parse which side of the platform I should have been on to catch the appropriate train for my destination.

Tonight when I asked someone for directions or was I in the proper place, it was solely for practice of my German.

9:00 p.m. Back in the hostel where the bratwurst that I'm eating is part supper and part breakfast.

Just need to line up some final details. And I'll be headed to bed.

I'm planning on a 3:30 a.m. wake up so that's an early day.

Meaningful Moment

One of the little things I've learned out here is to let go of the small things.

Actually, I've learned that many times, but it's an easy lesson to forget.

Right at the beginning, I lost my European power adapter. So I just went to a store later in the day and bought another one.

Then I lost my day pack. After about a week, I finally located it, back in the hostel in Flensburg, I arranged with the staff on a way to ship it to the USA. LOL at my cost.

On my second day of hiking, I took my glove liners off and put them in my pants leg pockets or so I thought.

All of a sudden they weren't there anymore. Not a big deal.

When it got really cold, I stopped in a store in Kappeln spontaneously, and bought some new liners for €5.

Then about a week ago, one day in the rain I lost my hearing aid for my left ear. Although seriously annoying, I realized that rather than letting it ruin my experience, I could just check with the VA when I get back and work something out. Lol, no doubt it will be at my expense.

Then finally I lost my next European adapter and charger due to a misunderstanding with the hostel cleaning staff in Hamburg.

With a little bit of patience and some assistance from them, within 24 hours, I had them back.

Two observations from this meaningful moment.

One. I kept saying "lost" when I should have said "left behind".

Two. I kept a smile on my face while dealing with people rather than a frown to show my annoyance.

I think that made folks want to work with me, and maybe go just a little bit further than they would for some "so grumpy" customer.

That is some life's lesson, that is easily lost in the hectic to and fro of daily living.