Day 159-Miniatur Wunderland

   June 11-Sally slept well through the night and by the time morning rolled around was even able to eat a small breakfast.  We hoped that she had only reacted badly to something she had eaten and that she had not caught a bug that we would all have to deal with during the rest of our European visit.  Since she could travel, we decided to act on the advice we had been given by multiple people during the afternoon the day before.  We

Horst's job was to refurbish old railroad coaches, including
these, which are now part of a restaurant.

had the opportunity to see the trains and train track set-up at Frank’s, who is Mike’s best friend and who owns the other half of the duplex that they had built together.  After we oohed and aahed over that, we were told that the Miniatur Wunderland in Hamburg was a must-see, since it recreates scale models of Hamburg, Switzerland, Scandinavia, Las Vegas, and other places as well.  My folks had already heard about it and had hoped to see it while they spent time in Copenhagen, but that had not worked out, so they were already ready to go.  The kids were very interested as well, so it was an easy decision to make to go to see it. 

   We arrived in Hamburg early in the afternoon, found places to park the two cars, ate dinner, and then headed into the exhibition.  It was pretty amazing.  The recreations are very impressive and are much more than just trains.  Buses, vans, ships, and planes also move around in the various dioramas.  The vehicles drive up to intersections and stop when the light is red, turn on their turn signals, and then turn the corner 

The airport at night.

when the light changes to green.  When an accident occurs or a fire breaks out in an underpass, the fire engines and police cars leave their stations with lights flashing and sirens blaring and arrive at the scene.  Then, after a short time has elapsed, they leave one-by-one and return to the station.  Jet planes fly out of the wall and touchdown at the airport, taxi to the terminals, sit around a short while, and then taxi back out to the runway to take off back out 

Chocolate bars were dispensed from the chocolate factory.

 through the wall.  Meanwhile, red ceiling lights and then the blue ceiling lights come on, as the white lights dim down and then the red lights dim down and night falls.  As this occurs, lights come on in the vehicles and in the buildings and campfires spring to life in the dioramas.  There must be thousands of tiny human figurines as well, partying at a rock concert, going about their daily lives in buildings, making out (very explicitly) in forests, fields, and offices,

getting traffic tickets, spraying graffiti on walls, and drinking in beer gardens.  Each display also had at least one fantastic element.  A cavern in the mountains had cavemen in it and under the ocean in one diorama was a hidden civilization of ancient Egyptians.  All in all, it was a very impressive series of displays and the kids (and the adults) kept finding something to point out to each others.  We only left when the place closed down. 

These storehouses built by Hanseatic
merchants are still in use today. 

The whole family had a fun time In Hamburg,
although we did not see much of the city itself.

   We all got something to drink and then we headed back for Elisabeth’s.  We grabbed a quick bite to eat at one of the many Autobahn rest area restaurants and then had more ice cream for dessert at Elisabeth’s.  Sally and the kids hit the sack and the rest of us sat around and talked to Elisabeth for a while before we also went to bed.