Beatlemania

Most of the people think of the Beatles as being a quintessentially British band. However, they got their start in Hamburg, performing in clubs along the Reeperbahn back in the early 1960s. Their famous mop-top haircut was also inspired by the hairstyle of a guy they saw in Hamburg. Beatlemania, a museum dedicated to those early years of the band, opened its doors on 29 May, 2009. On its five floors, rare memorabilia along with original objects from the era are displayed, featuring several interactive stations that take visitors back to the Beatles' heyday to re-live the unique atmosphere of the sixties.

Shore Meal

Fish and chips began as a cheap, working-class take-away food. Just think of that episode of 'You Rang, M'Lord?', in which Lord Meldrum invites his factory workers to a dinner of fish 'n' chips, in an attempt to please them and make them feel comfortable. It has come a long way since then. Today, no seaside walk is complete without having some fish and chips, not even in the Netherlands. The fish on the menu of Vispaleis in Hoek van Holland is very local, they use lemon sole instead of the staple fish of British chippies, cod.

Save the Bears

I have never really wanted to collect teddy bears. I just could not resist saving them when spotting a cute one at flea markets or thrift stores. Over the years, I have built up quite a collection of them. They come from budget brands (e.g. The Bear Factory, Keel Toys, Cuddle Crew, Bukowski, Sun Kid) and none of them cost more than EUR 3.5.


If you are after quality teddy bears with jointed arms and legs and a growler, here are the best brands to choose from:

Steiff - classic German bears
Dean's - Britain's oldest teddy bear company
Boyds - collectible resin and stuffed teddy bears
Hermann Teddy - the second oldest teddy bear manufacturer in Germany
Clemens - a fantastic collection of limited edition bears
The Cotswold Bear Co. - collectors bears
Charlie Bears - collectable teddy bears from Cornwall
Canterbury Bears - a fine creation of collectable teddy bears

Herr Max

For a delicious, "good-for-you" cake in Hamburg, Herr Max is a great place to go. It is a quirky, laid-back cafe with great, organic cakes and drinks. I adore how they have created their signature look with mix-and-match vintage chinaware and found objects. On the flip side, some of the interior solutions look a bit more shabby than chic and considering the reviews read, I have expected a larger selection of cakes.

The Big Bird Count in Germany

The Stunde der Wintervögel 2011 (Hour of the Winter Birds) takes place Thursday, January 6, through Sunday, January 9 all across Germany. It is a bird count initiative that engages bird watchers in counting birds - for just one hour on each day of the event - to capture a snapshot of the status and distribution of winter bird populations nationwide. The counts can be reported through an online checklist at the NABU (Naturschutzbund Deutschland) website. The initiative has been inspired by the Big Garden Birdwatch organized by Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), UK.