We arrived in Hamburg later than planned. The Intercity-Express was delayed, which honestly felt like part of the authentic German travel experience at this point.
By the time we got to the hotel, it was already afternoon. We did the usual, dropped our bags, freshened up just enough to look like we had our lives together, and headed out again.
Dinner was at Neshan.
I had every intention of taking photos. I really did.
But then the food came, and suddenly photography was no longer a priority. Survival was.
It also happened to be Nowruz eve, the Persian New Year, which made the whole evening feel a little more meaningful.
I hadn’t had proper Persian food in years. And it hit me halfway through the meal that I used to celebrate my birthdays like this all the time, in Persian restaurants, back when I was still in the Philippines and my life looked very different.
Funny how food can do that. Just quietly drag memories out of you.
Choosing that restaurant wasn’t random either. I’ve always supported the Iranian people, and right now, that feels more important than ever. I keep hoping things change for them soon. That maybe one day, I’ll get to go there myself and write about Iran instead of just thinking about it from a distance.
After dinner, reality set in.
We were tired. It was cold. Motivation was low.
So we did what any reasonable people would do. We went back to the hotel and called it a night.
The next day was my birthday.
We started at the Hamburg Dungeon, which sounded like a good idea at the time.
And it was. Mostly.
It was fun, chaotic, a little unhinged, and yes, I did get scared. Not dramatically. Just enough to embarrass myself in front of strangers.
After that, we went to the HSV Fan Shop.
My boyfriend is a fan of Hamburger SV, which, if you don’t know, is one of Germany’s most historic football clubs with a very loyal fanbase.
He got two scarves.
I asked for a müsli bowl and a toaster.
Yes, a toaster.
Now we own a toaster that stamps the HSV logo onto our Toastbrot every morning. I didn’t know I needed that in my life, but here we are.
Lunch was at Mr. Kao.
Korean BBQ. Samgyupsal. The kind of meal where you think you’re about to make good financial decisions and then absolutely don’t.
We paid €39 for the buffet and got full way too fast. Not our best performance.
But it was my birthday, so they gave me a tray of wagyu beef for free, and suddenly everything felt right again.
We went back to the hotel after that to rest for a bit. By early evening, we were back out, heading to the Reeperbahn for a photoshoot. It was cold, but it was fun. A little awkward at first, but then you kind of get into it. The photographer said the photos will be ready in about a week, and I am already mentally preparing to overanalyze them.
After that, we didn’t have the energy for anything big. We had dinner at KFC, which feels like a luxury when you don’t have one where you live. Then back to the hotel. Again.
The next day, Sunday, we started late. First stop was the Panoptikum, a wax museum that is equal parts impressive and slightly unsettling.
At one point, I almost took a photo of an older couple because I genuinely thought they were wax figures.
They were not.
I still think about that.
After that, we went to a Filipino café.
Ube cake. Ube latte macchiato. Immediate comfort.
From there, we walked about fifteen minutes to the Iranian Embassy Hamburg.
It was closed. Completely empty.
I won’t lie, I was a little disappointed. I had hoped to see people there. Something. Anything.
But there was nothing.
We moved on to the Port of Hamburg and did a one-hour boat tour.
That part felt calmer. Slower. Like the city finally gave us space to breathe.
After dinner, we stayed by the harbor and just walked.
No plan. No rush.
That’s when I got some of my favorite photos of the trip.
We ended up back at the hotel not long after. Morning came too soon. We packed quietly, zipped everything away, and left the city much like we arrived, a little delayed and not in any rush to change that.
Sehnsucht in Sepia 
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