Hannover - Day 15
Amazing view from my hostel…
The view from our hostel wasn’t anything to write home about—definitely not Instagram-worthy—but hey, it was affordable, and honestly, I wasn’t planning to spend much time in the room anyway. Funny enough, Jonas booked the same place and we ended up on the same floor. I think his view of the construction next door was even worse than mine—lucky him!
Jonas and I ended up staying up way later than usual back at the hostel, just hanging out and having drinks. Normally, 9 p.m. is my bedtime, so being up until 2 a.m. was definitely pushing my limits. I gave Jonas a fair warning that I do not function without caffeine and that he shouldn’t expect me to make any decisions in the morning. Of course, it turned out to be a holiday in Germany, so most coffee shops were closed. We wandered around for a bit, bleary-eyed and caffeine-deprived, before finally heading back to the HBF to grab breakfast there.
After breakfast, Jonas and I headed to the Royal Gardens of Herrenhausen—he was in charge of planning my Hannover days, and hey, when you’ve got a free German tour guide, you take full advantage. Stepping into the gardens, I was immediately blown away by how massive they were. The Great Garden is one of Europe’s most distinguished Baroque gardens, and it even has a three-roomed grotto updated by artist Niki de Saint Phalle with crystals, minerals, glass, and seashells. The Herrenhausen Palace, once the summer residence of the Royal House of Hanover, was destroyed in World War II but has since been rebuilt and now houses a Congress Center and museum, with the garden’s architectural centerpiece restored to its former glory. Jonas and I explored most of the park, and we wandered through Georgengarten too, which is designed in the style of an English landscape garden—perfect for a long walk. We spent the morning chatting about life, getting to know each other beyond our online conversations, and I really enjoyed learning more about his family and who he is.
I didn’t mention it yet, but we ended up walking a whopping 12 miles that day! After finishing up at the gardens, we were parched, so we stopped by a little outdoor seating area by the water for a drink. Since I’m not really a beer person, I went with a Radler—at least it made me feel like I was pretending to drink like an adult. And of course, I couldn’t resist snapping a picture of the butt statue nearby. No clue what was on the other side—I didn’t even look. By the time lunch rolled around, most places were closed due to the holiday, and we were starving. But in the distance, we heard music, so we wandered that way and stumbled onto a lively celebration full of beer, food, and lots of energy.
On our way back to the hostel to freshen up before dinner, we stopped at a grocery store tucked inside the train station—who knew you could grocery shop there? Since it was a holiday the lines were incredibly long, it was basically the only place open, and we needed to grab some drinks and a deck of cards. Fun fact: German playing cards actually look different than the ones I’m used to—I had no idea!
For dinner, we decided to hit up the same spot I’d gone to on my first day for lunch. We dressed up a bit, and as soon as we sat down, the DJ started the music. Gradually, people got up to dance, and out of nowhere, this lady fell—probably from a little too much to drink. She got back up and insisted on keeping the party going, even as everyone tried to get her to sit. The food was great, but honestly, my company was better.
After dinner, we headed back to Oscar’s for a nightcap, and the place was packed. We ended the night playing a wild round of “Would You Rather.” I can’t remember all the options, but I do remember Jonas wanting long hair—imagine him rocking an ’80s mullet!
