Lüneburg, 8 December 2012
It was the second Saturday of December and the day of our monthly hike with the Church Walkers of Hamburg's English Church. The temperature had dropped several degrees below zero and the cold was biting into my legs, when I stepped out into the morning ready to meet my fellow walkers at the Central Station. Lüneburg was our goal today, a lovely town half an hour train ride away from Hamburg. When we got down to the plattform the place was alread overcrowded and we had to fight our way to the end of the train to find a waggon with sufficient free seats for us. Lots of people seemed to have had the same good idea to spend this dry winter saturday with shopping presents and strolling over the Christmas market in the lovely town center.
Lüneburg is an old Hanseatic town. It was an important supplier of salt for the fish industry in Lübeck, Sweden and Bergen, Norway. Skew-whiff brick houses lean in all directions. Massive walls hallmark the old traders's houses. Little shops are inviting the passers-bye for a closer look at there wares.
Chamber of Industry and Commerce
The streets were bustling with people. Bonnets tight over the ears, red noses peaking out above thick skarfs, many were tempted for a hot coffee or a glass of mulled whine alread before noon. Our hike started very slowly due to the many nice distractions along the way.
St. Nicolai church
Finally we managed to get through the throng of people on the Christmas market and shortly afterwards reached the old town wall on which we continued our walk. It was a wide rampart fit to carry canons and other big weapons to defend Lüneburg. Nowadays it simply offered a nice view over the roof tops and into the alleys and streets.
On top of the Bardowicker wall
St. Michaelis church
Children's laughter filled the air. A couple of families had retrieved their sledges from their cellars. The kids tobogganed down the little hill with joyful screeches while their parents waited on the top, rubbing and blowing warmth into their chilled hands, tramping their feet to avoid freezing up with the ground below their shoe soles.
We walked around the little park, enjoying the lively scene. One of our ladies got so infected that she could not help using the slide on the playground a couple of times. Not a true compensation to sledging, but still enough fun.
A little later we left the park and proceded to the Kreidebergsee (= Chalk Hill Lake). We only had to cross a road and walk down along quiet street to reach our next on our walk. At the foot of the lake a group of swans and ducks greeted us in hope for food.
The swans were doubtlessly trained pickpockets who did not hesitate a minute when it came to putting their bills into our coat pockets and bags in search for goodies.
Kreidebergsee - Chalk Hill Lake
From the edge of the chalk cliffs we had a really good view of the town
Brambles
Our path led through colony gardens, which were a haven of winter impressions. Daintily frozen leaves, iced-over apples, glazed rose blossoms, the last survivors of the season. Tiny cabins, garden deco sometime queer competed for our attention.
Espalier fruit - apple
Green cabbage / curly kale
More apples
On the way back to town we had a last glimpse of the chalk cliff. It was already early in the afternoon. Most of us were longing for something warm to eat and drink.
We headed on the shortest way back to town, but as everything was overcrowded we split up in smaller groups to fill our stomach and have a cup of mulled whine to warm our hands and throats.
