Warnemunde/Rostock, Germany

Thursday May 15

Today was a day off for me as tour leader because it was the first of our "Baltic Pearls" tours with SPB Tours. We, along with the Buchanans and Brooks, are also doing tours with them in Tallinn, St. Petersburg, Helsinki and Stockholm. We met our guide Manfred as well as some fellow passengers (SPB limit their groups to a maximum of 16 people) and headed off at 9am for our walking tour of these two towns that are very close together.

It was a very cool morning and at the last minute (based on a forecast of a sunny day) we decided to keep our lighter weight jumpers on instead of opting for our polar fleeces - Big Mistake! The breeze was brisk and as it was blowing off the Baltic had a distinct chill about it. Even after the sun came out later around midday it was still very cool although the sun helped warm us up when we were in it. Even with our Goretex jackets we were cold so we won't make that mistake again!

Manfred led us around the quaint little streets in Warnemunde pointing out the various historical points of interest. There were lots of fishing boats along the canal and some had been converted to floating fish restaurants or take aways - the fish that was on sale looked great. Also along the canal were pretty houses, nice shops and restaurants so it was very pleasant strolling along there.

Noelle in Warnemunde

Our ship (or more accurately small city) nearly doubled the population of Warnemunde for the day, and it certainly stood out along the only dock big enough to accommodate it.

Enjoying the afternoon sunshine (with "home" in the background)

 

Along the way we met some interesting characters, but it was hard shaking hands with this guy!

The beach in Warnemunde faces the Baltic Sea and has a huge expanse of sand to reach the water, but it was way too chilly to even contemplate dipping a toe in the water. On a hot sunny day in summer it would be a different story.

To reach Rostock where we were to continue our walking tour we had to take a local train and then a short tram ride to reach the centre of the city. We couldn't believe it when we got on the tram as it had the same fabric on the seats as Metro trains has in Melbourne. Metro could learn a lot about running clean, modern and efficient trains and trams from the Germans!

Local German train

The main square was surrounded by the Town Hall and was edged with lots of nice old buildings, some of which were rebuilt after the war. Rostock council is still deciding whether to rebuild others!

Manfred in the main square in Rostock

St. Mary's Church nearby dominated the skyline and the main attraction inside is the astrological clock. We've seen a number of these around the world but this one is the most amazing, especially considering it was built in 1472 and is the only one of its kind still in working condition with its original clock works! There were also stunning stained glass windows, a huge pipe organ and the baptismal font was an incredible piece of bronze casting and sculpture.

St. Mary's Church in Rostock

Astrological clock in the Church

We continued our walking tour passing some quaint buildings, quirky fountains, the oldest university in Europe, remnants of the old city wall and museums we didn't have time to visit. Manfred had to keep us moving according to his schedule, and fortunately the next stop was for lunch! We went into a cosy little pub by the river and enjoyed a salted herring roll with a local beer - both were delicious. We would have liked to linger longer but had to catch a ferry along the Warnow River for the hour's journey to return us to Warnemunde. It was very pleasant sitting back and enjoying a coffee and cake as we took in the scenery along the way.

Back in Warnemunde we said goodbye to our excellent guide, Manfred and wandered around the town in the afternoon sunshine before making our way back to the ship. It was our turn to host "happy hour" so we had to prepare for that before our guests arrived to our "home away from home". (Noelle particularly liked the fact that this only entailed a visit to the Horizon Food Court to get just about anything you could think of for antipasto & cheese platters then after the event, leaving the remains for the steward to clean up - I have a feeling Noelle may be thinking of things to keep me occupied at home!)

 

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