I had an appointment in Hamburg the other day and since it has been so warm, sunny, and summer-like (yes, 70° and sunny is pretty much borderline spring/summer in Northern Germany, ha) here, I couldn’t resist a mini stay-cation. The kids were at my in-laws’ place for the afternoon and my appointment was over in no time, so I got to have some downtime and enjoy that part of town like a tourist! A very relaxing thing to do – it always feels good to really soak up some life where you live and be thankful for what is around you! It’s too easy to get caught up in day-to-day life and forget to take a look around and really appreciate where you are at!

So I prolonged my trip back into the country for a short walk through Eppendorf, an affluent district of Hamburg. Full of canals lined by old apartment buildings, coffee shops, and specialty stores, there is lots to leisurely peruse and people to watch!

Found this bookstore, which had an interesting assortment of non-standard and artsy books for all ages as well as postcards and small toys/gifts.

Of course I had to stop and get some handmade chocolate pralines for Easter for my husband, who has a major sweet tooth, at this chic shop:

Hamburg supposedly has more canals than Amsterdam, a little known fact. Don’t know how that is determined, but the canals, especially in Spring, bring me back to walks through town when I first arrived – so green and European!

Needing a little pick-me-up, I stopped for a coffee to enjoy the sun, watch passers-by, and read a few pages of my book, just like I often have on my travels or when I was a student. You could say a throwback to the old days!

This is the scene for those who still can’t quite pictue it: I must be someone who looks approachable because people always seem to ask me for directions or for help finding a street. One girl asked me to watch her bag while she got a coffee too, ha. Pretty trusting for a big city, but then again, it is Eppendorf. At another table there were two well-dressed, older women who stopped for a chat, at another table a 30-something man in a T-shirt, jeans, and had stubble, someone who appeared to also have some free time to enjoy a coffee, an OJ and the newspaper. Besides the two friends sharing coffee and cigarettes, there was also a table of high school aged kids who were sitting eating ice cream, promptly told by the waiter that they needed to leave since they had food from another store. Walking by were a few mothers with their kids, a few young professionals with ice cream cones, and the occasional hipster couple. You get it now.

With my caffeine tank full and some sun on my skin, it was time to head back to family life and the country, and to try to remember where I parked my car. Right, next to this place:

The sun was shining all over town, but it seems to shine even brighter in this well-to-do and uniquely European neighborhood. Worth a stop to tank up on some Hamburgian city life! Don’t forget to take a step back once in a while and find some new spots where you live!