Hamburg's harbour giants create a beach scene like no other | Celia Topping

Our series on evocative travel images continues with Celia Topping’s shot of a carefree volleyball game at an urban beach

I’d only been to Hamburg once before: in the depths of winter, when hunkering down in a dingy St Pauli bar was the main aim of the trip. But Hamburg in summer is a different story.

On a sweltering day in August, I hired a bike and went west, out of the city centre, along the River Elbe. I had been told there were urban beaches along the river and I was keen to take a look.