Opera loft in Hamburg and Hildesheim

In the afternoon, we arrived in Hamburg and managed to get a spot at the motorhome parking area by the fish market. Here, we can spend the night with a view of the water and the harbor, unless it's Sunday when the fish market is happening.

For the evening, we had tickets for the Opera Loft, which is just a short walk away by the water. We watched the crime opera “Shots Before Shanghai,” where classical opera pieces are mixed with popular hits to create a rather amusing crime story.

During the performance, we were right in the middle of the action as we had booked seats on “deck chairs,” which turned us into extras of the piece. At the beginning, we were served a cocktail, but we also had to participate in a little dance routine during the “rescue exercise.”

The next morning, we drove to Barnten, where we spent the night at the “estate” next to some old farm animal breeds.

With the S-Bahn, we quickly reached Hildesheim, where we found some information at the travel fair in Hamburg and wanted to finally take a look at it.

The city was attacked by British-Canadian bombers on March 22, 1945, and largely destroyed. Sadly, you can still see this today, as large parts were built in the not-so-beautiful architectural style of the 1960s.

However, the market square was historically rebuilt in the 1980s.

Only two houses remained as burnt ruins; the others were reconstructed or fitted with a historical façade to restore the overall impression of the square.

We learned this and more about the history of the city during a city tour that started at the market square and then continued to St. Michael's Church and the cathedral.

These two churches have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985.

In the early Romanesque St. Michael's Church, the monumental ceiling painting from the 13th century remains intact, made from 1300 oak boards, because it was taken down and secured in 1942.

Next to the cathedral grows the legendary 1000-year-old rose bush, which is said to have indicated the place for its construction to the founder of the church.

After our tour, the weather became increasingly unpleasant, so we only warmed up briefly with a hot drink before making our way back.