The Port of Hamburg, located on the right bank of the lower reaches of the Elbe River in northern Germany, less than 76 nautical miles from the mouth of the sea, and bordering the Gulf of Heligoland, is the largest port in Germany and the second largest container port in modern Europe.

The history of shipping in the Port of Hamburg is a history of European navigation. The people here love and are attached to the sea, and a large part of the city is painted as the Freeport Zone, which lives up to its reputation as the largest port. In modern times, half of the containers shipped from China to Western Europe are loaded and unloaded here, because Hamburg has the best and friendliest business environment.

Just like the climate here, Hamburg has a typical temperate maritime climate, with westerly winds blowing throughout the year, generally mild and humid throughout the year, and more rain in winter. The average temperature is about 4 degrees at the coldest time, and the hottest is only 20 degrees, the winter is not too cold, the summer is not too hot, warm and peaceful, quiet and comfortable, it is definitely suitable for human survival.

When we arrived at the port of Hamburg, it was dusk, and the sunset was slanting down, reflecting the sea and sky, orange and yellow. Seagulls fly close to the side of the ship, and the sound of their wings flapping to the gentle sea breeze is very soothing. The large and small ships in the port are either sending or leaving, just like the fish returning to the nest or leaving, and the whole port is like a quiet ink painting, tranquil and elegant.

The sailors and fishermen sang and shouted in harmony, and the attitude of the dock inspector was also very gentle, and we came out of the port with kind smiles all the way, worthy of being an ancient port city known as the "port to the world".

As we walked through the world's largest warehouse district, we were all amazed by the complex – although the Ming Dynasty preferred to build grand facilities, such as the Great Wall, such as the Forbidden City, it was the first time I had seen such a complex of civil facilities in a variety of styles, one city and one world.

Next to the lodging house is a bar called "Block Mary". We didn't know the meaning of the bar's name at first, and Wayne Nash didn't explain, just laughed and told us to try it. We pushed open the door of the salon that hung from our psoas and entered the bar. Surprisingly, it's not as smoky as the bars in the UK, France or Africa, but it's quiet and clean.

No one was holding a cigarette gun or straw paper wrapped in cigarette leaves to spit out smoke, and the bar was well ventilated, so I only smelled the aroma of wine when I went in, but there was no peculiar smell as I imagined.

The proprietress quickly greeted us and greeted us warmly to sit at the large table in the northwest corner of the bar by the window - there were a lot of us, and we were obviously outsiders, and this was a rare big customer, and the store was naturally very welcoming.

When it comes to hamburg, it's a sin not to eat a burger – it sounds like a joke, but in fact, when a city is named after a food, it must have a special meaning. The same applies to this bar, and when the hamburger, which looked like a little grinding disc — I mean no one, 30 centimeters in diameter and more than 10 centimeters thick — was placed in front of us, I immediately understood.

"Block mary" should be translated as "big piece of Mary", Mary is the name of the proprietress who served us, and block can be translated as big block - like the hamburger the size of a grinding plate in front of us, we were stunned and jaw-dropping, and we also heard the good-natured laughter of the boss in the bar.

Wayne Nash smiled and picked up the knife and fork, cut the hamburger into four pieces, picked up one piece and took a bite, and said vaguely: "Most of the consumption here is sailors and dock workers, and the physical exertion is great, and the appetite is naturally excellent." Therefore, the honest owner made the hamburger particularly large without increasing the price, so it was also particularly popular with sailors. ”

I cut off a piece of it, took a bite and it tasted good. It seems to be beef mixed with some kind of fish, with seasonal vegetables, and seasoned with tomato sauce and salad dressing, and it is slowly fresh in the mouth! Christina, who has been messing around in Europe, naturally knows the characteristics of the port of Hamburg, and instead of grinding a plate, she asks for a herring and bread, and eats it with relish.

If I don't love fish, I'll try it too!

When you have something to eat, you can't do without beer, and when you go to Germany, I ask for local dark beer by name!

When the hostess Mary brought us a large glass of home-brewed dark beer, I was almost intoxicated by the rich aroma of beer!

This dark beer, also known as a strong beer, is dark brown and resembles caramel that cannot be dissolved. The original wort content is 12 to 20 percent, and the alcohol content is more than 4 degrees, highlighting the burnt aroma of the malt, and the taste is mellow and slightly bitter, which is really a rare good product for beer lovers.

I picked up my glass and took a big sip, it was even more cold than I had imagined! It's almost like an ice fountain pouring down from above, and I shiver with excitement! The boss laughed again and said something loudly. I didn't understand, Nash laughed, "The boss is saying that their beers are specially made with ice!" If you're not used to it, you can get a cup of Thuringian Karstout! ”

I was so frozen that my whole throat and esophagus seemed to freeze! But I still smiled and nodded. Custer has a long history and a unique taste, and there's no reason why I shouldn't try it.

After a while, a large glass of Custer beer was brought to me. I touched the cup, it was not as "frozen" as just now, so I picked it up, took a small sip, the temperature was suitable, and then I took another big sip of the cup!

Wow! It's really cool! Unlike the cool and exciting brewing of the store's own dark beer just now, this castel dark beer feels much softer - maybe because of the right temperature, but in fact, this degree is higher - I feel that this one has a better and richer taste, the aroma of burnt and hops volatilizes more evenly, and there is a hint of sweetness in the aftertaste.

I raised my head, let out a long breath, and shouted at the boss, "Boss! Give me ten barrels of such beer! ”

Wayne Nash translated my intentions to the boss, who laughed and asked his wife, Ms. Mary, to come and explain to me.

Mary, a fat aunt in her fifties, looks very, very rich, and her waist is ...... But he was very bold, and he told me, in English with a clear German emphasis, that they also bought from Thuringia in batches, and if they sold me ten barrels at once, they might be out of stock in the near future. So sell me a maximum of five barrels. If I need more, they can buy more the next time they buy it, but it will cost about a silver coin per barrel to be transported.

Naturally, I have no objection. Let the Nine Ghosts give her two silver coins, which are our liquor money, as well as a deposit for the castel stout.

Naturally, it is easy for me to gain the favor of the store with such a generous hand, and I asked the Nine Ghosts to give her a few silver coins, using the usual "coin scattering * method" in the bar, and invited the drinkers who were doing it to drink, and naturally there was a burst of cheers.

Quite a few people started talking to us across the table. They would be amazed by our dark hair, black eyes, and yellow skin, and would ask us where we were from, what business we were coming from, and if we had any good shipping recommendations.

I answered them all with my glass, of course, the old principle - half-truths and half-truths. The navigators, sailors, and dock workers were confused, but they were happy.

I was drinking when an old sailor, who looked a little indifferent, suddenly asked in a loud voice, "Captain from the East, have you ever encountered pirates all the way here?" ”

I picked up my glass, raised it to him, and took a sip before I replied loudly, "Yes!" Especially after coming to the Western Ocean, I mean, the North Sea - there seem to be a lot of pirates, why is that? ”

The old sailor listened to my words, and seemed to nod, and he said with some indignation: "Because all the capable admirals have been driven home!" Without their management, pirates would naturally be even more rampant! ”

I let out an "oh" and pretended to be curious, "Anything else?" Isn't that self-destructing the Great Wall? ”

The old sailor asked suspiciously, "What is the Great Wall?" Is it your city to the east? That's pretty much what it means, for example, Admiral Addicon, he is a perennial good at suppressing bandits, but unfortunately he is now deposed! ”

A young sailor next to him smiled and said, "Old Harry, don't talk nonsense, Admiral Adikon is retiring voluntarily!" I followed him to the sea and fought, and he was not a deposed man! He left of his own free will! ”

Old Harry replied: "If it were me, I wouldn't fight with the sect members of the same faith!" said that he retired voluntarily, but in fact, he was forced to leave helplessly! ”

A black and short but very strong sailor said: "The Reinhardt family has been the official eagle dog for generations, but the heir of this generation believes in Protestantism and has gone to the opposite side of the official family, how can there be a place for him?" It's better to go earlier and feel comfortable early! ”

This was a little unkind, and old Harry and the sailor quarreled with each other in displeasure, not too loud, but not small, and their voices could be heard throughout the tavern.

I listened to it for a long time, and the general meaning was that the two of them were defending the dignity of the former naval bandit admiral, while the black guy was more inclined to the attack of the sect, it seems that they belong to different directions!

As it sounds, I basically understand the ins and outs of the matter, similar to what Wayne Nash said, the way is different, Reinhardt Adikin chose to break up with his old club peacefully. There's nothing wrong with that, at least I think so—at least it's much more harmonious than when I left the Ming Dynasty, isn't it?

The quarrel was stopped - at the price of one person and one barrel of home-brewed dark beer, several people happily carried the barrel and left. What faith, what hero, in the eyes of these grass people, may not be as real as a barrel of wine. That's human nature, nothing strange.

Leaving the hotel, I asked Wayne Nash to inquire about Adicon's accommodation, and soon the answer was met for the price of two beers – on the banks of Alsterhu, there was an elegant villa where the Reinhardt family had been their estate for generations.

I see, okay, then let's rest for the night. Tomorrow morning, I will personally meet the famous Bandit Admiral, Reinhardt Adicon!