Hamburg!

With the high-speed ICE train Hamburg is less than two hours from Berlin...We went for a weekend for the Halbmarathon and to see my friend Klara and Lars, newlyweds :) They took us to the Alsterstrand for a little Grillparty, a gorgeous beach along the Alster, which goes from the harbor city of Hamburg out to the North Sea and then to the Atlantic... We couldn't have had better weather, and I think the German beer and Wurst ended up being good marathon fuel.

below: would you ever guess Hamburg, Germany if I showed you this picture?! :)

below: German beer refrigeration

We had this little stretch of beach all to ourselves, between willow trees which reached down to the water. You could definitely notice the tides, as the beach got much smaller while we were there, and then larger again. Kids had a great time playing on the branches. Beyond where we were is the FKK stretch of beach, where you may sunbathe if you prefer au naturel. :)

And after a day of beach-ing and beer-drinking and soccer-watching we were fit to run 21 kilometers through Hamburg...That was the sightseeing portion of the trip. :) Finished strong, Klara and Lars met us at the finish and treated us to some delicious ice cream.

The run started on the Reeperbahn, the famous (infamous?) red light district. By day it looks pretty normal, if not a little dirty. That stretch twice, then down along the harbor (lots of tourists who happened to be there and joined in with the spectators), then along the Binnenalster, through a district with lots of nice villas (and more shade!!). Kilometers are more fun to run, as they tick by faster. :)
post-race lunch...tired smiles :)