A very pleasant rail trip (4.5 hr) although there was a long delay of about 2 hours (we were told the problem originated from the train’s origin in Budapest).  Anyway we got to know the railway station there quite well – plenty of places to get drinks, snacks or a light lunch so that filled in time.  The Architectural upgrade of the station is interesting (see photo).

It was a short taxi ride from the station to our apartment in Hamburg – Adina Apartment (4 nights).  A modern 1 bedroom apartment – centrally located & easy walking distance to restaurants, supermarkets, the harbour, museums, The Portuguese Quarter etc.  If you’re there on a Thurs, Fri or Sat book restaurants well ahead, especially in the PQ, as there are many locals and tourists who go there.  It’s worth checking restaurant guides & reviews as we found the food and service average although it was a Friday and Saturday so that explained the crowds.  There was a vibrancy with people and music spilling out onto the streets – we just found the quality of food seemed to be more about feeding the masses in a hurry.  

So many interesting things to do & see in Hamburg…will return to this as we have a friend interested in Bordeaux (they’re going next wk).