Miniatur Wunderland, Hamburg

Burning the tax office, Miniatur Wunderland, Hamburg

Sarah and Wendell took us to one of Hamburg's top tourist attractions- Miniatur Wunderland! It was brilliant! There were rooms and rooms of model towns, the whole of Hamburg mapped out - including the airport with a live departures and arrivals board. They also have the biggest model railway in the world, I haven't been much of a model maker in the past but this was quite phenomenal. Other models included the Alps, central Germany, Rome is under construction, Area 51, and visions of the future for each German political party and Hamburg through the ages. There were cycle races, traffic accidents, trains arriving and departing, people dancing the conger, a working river, and roughly every 10 minutes the lighting transformed day into night. Best of all there were lots and lots of buttons to press. The Linz factory actually wrapped chocolates and delivered one to you for tasting. You can't beat a free chocolate.

Then it was time for lunch (at a Christmas market, they open around noon on a week day!) sausage and hot chocolate this time, the boys both had double helpings. ((I didn't even mention that last night for tea both Wendell and Andy consumed one of each pork product on offer - sausage in a roll, followed by suckling pig in a roll, followed by thin slices of ham marinated in wine with onions in a roll. Followed by doughnuts.))

Then we made our way to the airport and caught our plane home, arriving to see snow on the hills. It's good to be reminded sometimes what can fit into a long weekend!