Travel day 22 is wiped out because not only is there heavy rain, but I need to put down a hacking cough that’s clung on the last couple of days. Thankfully I had the foresight of getting a comfy apartment weeks ago, and picking up groceries at the nearby shop and some medicine at the apothecary yesterday.
This is an opportunity to look back at the evening return on travel day 18 of the Halunder Jet catamaran, from Heligoland to Hamburg.
The cool open breezes over the North Sea have been left behind for the Elbe. The return voyage brings us back into Hamburg’s river harbour and its bustling port facility by the fading light of a warm late-spring day. From childhood proximity to the Port of Vancouver, I’ve always been fascinated by the sights, shapes, and sounds from a harbour and port facility.
The city-state of Hamburg celebrated the 835th anniversary of its harbour in 2024.
The port of Hamburg is Germany’s largest seaport facility. By TEUs (20-foot container equivalent units), Hamburg is 3rd in Europe, after Antwerp and Rotterdam; and in the world’s top-20.
2017 container ship “Delphis Riga” (IMO 9780665, MMSI 477234800) registered in Hong Kong.
2010 Concordia-class cruise-ship “Costa Favolosa” (IMO 9479852, MMSI 247311100) registered in Genoa, Italy. Maximum passenger and crew totals at almost 5000.
From left to right a sweeping view of St. Michael’s Church, St. Pauli’s Landungsbrücken (“jetties”) public ferry docks, and Elbe Philharmonic Hall.
I made all images above with an iPhone15 on 25 May 2024 (T18). This post composed with Jetpack for iOS appears on Fotoeins Fotografie at fotoeins DOT com.
It’s entirely possible a title of a music album prompted my curiosity about a place, way out in the middle of an open sea.
I’m on FRS Helgoline’s Halunder Jet catamaran from Hamburg to Helgoland. It’s a 3.5-hour journey that goes downstream on the mighty Elbe river before entering the North Sea.
During the cruise, the forward upper-deck is closed (to minimize traffic and, frankly, wind), whereas observation decks aft are open.
Helgoland (Heligoland) is a piece of red rock jutting up and out of the North Sea, about 155 km (96 mi) and 63 km (40 mi) to the northwest of Hamburg and Cuxhaven, respectively. The island is only 1.7 square-km (0.7 sq mi) in area with a population of about 1500.
The album in question is “Heligoland”, by Massive Attack, released in 2010.
Halunder Jet catamaran about to dock and take on passengers. The Elbphilharmonie (Elbe Philharmonic) building is at upper left.
The 2018 ship: 56 metres (185 feet) in length, top speed of 36 knots (41 mph, 67 km/h), and maximum 690 passengers.
Upper deck, premium class: available at no charge non-alcoholic beverages and fresh fruit.
Coffee was the first thing I chased down after finding my booked/reserved seat.
The lead story in today’s edition of the Hamburger Abendblatt newspaper is the 75th anniversary of the Grundgesetz (Basic Law) for the Federal Republic of Germany, first established in 1949.
Other food options are available to order and delivered to seat; I got currywurst with potato salad.
On approach to Cuxhaven.
“Maersk Brani” container ship (IMO 9409352, MMSI 564399000, registered in Singapore): leaving the Elbe for North Sea, en route to Antwerp.
Stop in Cuxhaven to pick up more passengers. Many on board are day-tripping to Helgoland; same-day cruise times are designed for about a 3- to 4-hour stay.
Leaving the mainland behind with Cuxhaven’s Kugelbake structure at left, next to the beaches at right.
“Hudson Express” container ship (IMO 9349564, MMSI 368359000, registered in the USA) for Hapag-Lloyd: leaving Elbe for North Sea, en route to London Gateway (Thames).
About 5 km from destination: Helgoland and Düne, at left and right, respectively.
Helgoland’s main harbour.
With many disembarking, I’m last to leave, which means I have this view from the ship’s upper deck to the brightly-coloured former fishing shacks.
I made all images above with an iPhone15 on 23 May 2024. I am not sponsored nor supported by any organization for this post. This post composed with Jetpack for iOS appears on Fotoeins Fotografie at fotoeins DOT com.
I feel every hour of every day more keenly, especially as some of my contemporaries have recently died far too early. As children, we all felt we were held back, against the sluggish crawl of time. Today, we’re holding on as hard as we can, engulfed within the surge of time. Is it better to give in to the flow, or is it better to stand and making turbulence in the tide?
Along the Elbe river promenade in the east German city of Magdeburg, a sculpture appears to keep track of time in a neighbourhood not far from the city’s Cathedral.
After identifying a number of places to view Prague at night, Dresden is equally worthy to photograph after sundown. With its nickname “Florence on the Elbe” (Elbflorenz, Florenz an der Elbe) leading the way, I highlight these four places to photograph the city at night.
Fotoeins Fotografie 