After more than 13 years, for the very first time again, the Alster is frozen and can be crossed by foot.
There are only 2 centimeters of ice missing, before the city's environmental ministry allows for the famous Alster fair, a market, which sits on the frozen lake, selling hot wine and sausages.
The ice measures now 18 cm. Shame, we will miss the hot wine on ice, but at least I can walk the lake.
Apparently, in the 70's the Alster froze every winter, but with the arrival of the 80's winters just kept getting milder and milder. 1997 brought a short spell of cold and the Alster became a frozen fair.
Which makes me wonder once again.
The big warming or the big chilling coming up?
My hometown, close to Berlin, has been white since mid December. The very first time for such long and cold winter in 40 years!
I guess only time can tell, so let's wait till December 2010.
Prince orders some coffee and a lot of milk, which arrives the other way around. A lot of dark brew, and a tiny cup of white. Never mind. Let's go.
A look in our backyard shows heavy skies and snowfall.
I am ecstatic.
Prince is not.
The snowfall has thickened and the wind is picking up. Even dressed warm and layered I can feel the cold. The wind is biting my cheeks and I am loving it. But poor Prince does not look too amused. He is a summer boy and not a great fan of the cold.And then we arrive at the lake. We can only see a few meters across, as the air is filled with snowflakes and so are we. Prince looks like a snowman on feet and me, well I can't see anything. Like Mr. and Mrs Bean we hold on tight and start walking the ice. I am full of giggles, as we make our way slowly across the Alster, heading for the ATLANTIC hotel, our lunch spot.
We made it!!!
We are on the other sight. Cold, white and wet we arrive at the famous Atlantic.
I remember...long longggggggggg time ago, I spend a New Year's party here with old-rocker Udo Lindenberg and the Scorpions. Udo actually used to (not sure if still today) live here. Who needs a flat if you call the Atlantic your home? Stylish option and pretty convenient.
The entrance is grand and posh, especially with the sight of a top-hat wearing porter, shoveling snow.
The original wood works have been replaced with typically German style mahogany, which looks shiny and somewhat cheap. I am quite disappointed, as the ATLANTIC stands for the ultimate Luxury. Or so I thought. The place resembles something like an aged 70's government retreat. But we are here now, let's eat. The restaurant is empty, again lacking that certain class and style, but the window table, with the Alster view in the snow swhirls, makes up for everything. I feel almost like, as if I am staring at an oversized SNOW-GLOBE after shaking it too heavily.
Heavenly***
By the way, our plane is scheduled to depart in 3 hours and I am praying for it to get canceled!
I order a goat cheese salad and the pork liver.
Prince goes for a chestnut veloute followed by veal.
An amuse-bouche arrives, a foie gras brulee - OUT OF THIS WORLD!!!
And so is the soup and our main courses. I am flabbergasted!
What a word to use... and what a kitchen surprise.
I have to get the Chef's name:
Oliver Pfahler, 34. He worked under the wings of a few notable chefs, but much more I don't find on him.
Maybe worth a watch and a taste!
Prince's berry rings and it's Moneypenny. "Sorry", she whispers (afraid of his burst outs). "But your plane has been canceled".
Prince stares at me and I know, even though I did not hear Moneypenny myself.
Am I bad for feeling happy?
Yippppppppie...
My prayers have been answered and the snow globe is magic after all.
The next plane leaves at 6, connecting via Frankfurt.
Okay, Frankfurt sucks. I am honest. I always choose Munich, if I can. But if Frankfurt means 3 more hours in the snow-white Hamburg, I take it.
So... no worries, no rush and another few hours in the winter-world.
Our top-notch waiter brings the dessert menu, but sadly I am too full to taste anything sweet.
It's green tea time, which does arrive with a platter of chocolates. My resistance does not hold long and soon, all but the white ones, have disappeared.WHERE DID THEY GO? I wonder...
Time to say goodbye to the Atlantic. I need an urgent release visit to the bathroom, when I discover UDO still rocks. He is now a painter? Or maybe he just gives back something, to the Atlantic team?
His funny drawings are framing the walls (by the toilets only...is that for a reason?) and I see he still has that dry humor that made him UDO. So I guess, he still lives upstairs. That guy got something going right. Even with the few beauty hiccups, the hotel is a pretty good address to have.
Since time is on our side now, we just take it easy, strolling back towards the 4 Jahreszeiten, on real land this time. The wind has dropped just a bit and so has the snowfall. Which means our next plane will probably be leaving right on time. I will accept it and not ask for another favor from *upstairs*. I am thankful for the delay we got... THANK YOU dear UNIVERSE... For the snow, the frozen lake, the food, Secondella, Prince and the delay and everything else that makes this world go around with smiles.
By 4.30 we collect our suitcases and jump into a cab, heading to the airport. Little did we know, that the traffic was an absolute mess. The snowstorm (while we lunched) apparently was much bigger, than we had expected. The roads are now a never-ending metal snake, barely moving at all.
OHOH.
Trouble!
My worries are not really a lost flight, but my stressed Prince. I try and keep him calm. I try to convince him, that the fault is not our driver, but the weather.Sometime later, just like that, the lazy snake dissolved and we speed to the airport, arriving just in time.
Just in time..
Dean Martin, wasn't it?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1l4aAo5rFU
Ahhhhhhhhhh...yes....yessssssssssssss
Sometimes I wonder... Am I the only girl loving, living the past???
And with that we take off... Frankfurt and Athens at Midnight.
KALI NICHTA (a Greek good night)
***
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