Finally, we got a full 9 hours of sleep. The alarm wakes us at 6am but with a more comfortable bed, room darkening curtains and quietness outside, we finally start to feel better. With sunrise at 4am, it always prevented us from sleeping in, along with the noise. My plan for today is to catch the train in town before 9 so we need to get started early. Up and out of the room by 7, we head to the Lido for breakfast. Karen doesn't have to make breakfast and she likes that. Eggs, cereal, yogurt, fruit, toast and coffee will take care of us for most of the day I hope. We leave the ship at 8am and walk into the town of Warnemunde. It's a beautiful sunny day with temperatures around 70F. The train station is the first building we come to and we buy two tickets to Rostock for €5. We can't get our pass until after 9am. Since Mom was lagging some on the way to town, I'm surprised that the train is still sitting in the station waiting for us.

Many of our fellow passengers have opted for a trip to Berlin, either through Holland America or on their own. It's expensive at $349pp but my objection lies in the fact that there is too much to see in Berlin and, with only a few hours to tour, I'd rather postpone for another time. The tour is 12 hours with most of the time being spent on a train. Choosing to remain local, my plan is to buy a Mecklenburg State Pass for rail travel anywhere in the state all day for €28. I'm hoping to visit Bad Doberan and Schwerin and this pass will allow to travel on any train at any time all day, alleviating the need for purchasing specific tickets at each stop while saving money too. Our two days of hiking around Copenhagen took its toll on Big Mom and from the pace she has set so far today, I think train travel will be our best bet. Off to Rostock we go.

We stop at the Rostock HBF to purchase our pass and to change trains to Bad Doberan. All goes smoothly as we head out. Unlike in the US, bad is actually good in Germany. "Bad" means spa or resort and we find many towns in Germany have the word "Bad" in their name. In August 1932, Adolf Hitler was granted an honorary citizenship by the citizens of Bad Doberan, the first town in Germany to do so. It wasn't until 2007 that his name was removed from the roll. Bad Doberan is also home to the "Molli", a historic 19th century steam railway, built in 1886, that acts as a tourist attraction as a well as a daily commuter service in the town and to the nearby beach village. It runs a distance of about 10 miles. Mom likes trains and it relieves her from walking around too much today. Conveniently located at the regular train station, we finish up our 30 minute ride and exit at Bad Doberan HBF, purchase two tickets for the Molli train for €28 and board. 

The ride makes a number of stops but most passengers, like us, are tourists and stay on to the end. I'm able to get in between the passenger cars and video from outside as we roll through the countryside, managing to catch a whistle or two. We exit at Kuhlungsborn to explore for half an hour while the train continues on and turns around. I have my movie camera at the ready as the steam locomotive approaches to pick us up while Mom makes ready the still camera. My movie of the approaching train goes well, however, Big Mom, while making several attempts, fails to capture any image whatsoever of a train although she is adamant that that small black dot on the edge of the screen is indeed an actual steam locomotive, however, without a microscope, it's hard to verify.

Now Schwerin lies another hour beyond Bad Doberan and although it is said to have a beautiful castle and old town charm, considerable walking is necessary once we arrive. Without mentioning it, I decide to curtail my extended trip, returning to Warnemunde to allow Karen more recuperation time.

The half hour return ride on the Molli is relaxing and I'm hoping to get another chance for pictures when we arrive. That opportunity presents itself and the dexterity I display through video and still photos is truly amazing. Determined to get the coupling procedure in its entirety, I risk missing the train back to Rostock, now sitting in the station. Nevertheless, I complete my recording session and Mom and I board our outbound train just in time and saving that hour required to wait for the next one.

We simply retrace our train route and we arrive back in the town of Warnemunde in about an hour. By now it's crowded with cruise ship passengers from two ships as well as weekend German tourists. Warnemunde is a small but popular seaside resort town 150 miles north of Germany's capital of Berlin. Once completely dependent on the fishing industry, Warnemünde's economy today largely relies on tourism, helped by the fact that it has the most important harbor for cruise line ships in Germany. During the Cold War, it used to be the most popular route to Berlin from the Baltic Sea. Once onboard a train, a Westerner would travel on a narrow corridor through East Germany, controlled by the German Democratic Republic and then into West Berlin, controlled by the Western Allies. Venture off the route, even with papers, and you could "disappear". The wall dividing East and West Berlin was finally torn down in 1989 and East and West Germany became just Germany again..

We wandered the town for a few hours, checking out the shops and sites, before returning to the ship. Stopping at the cruise pier, I tried out the free WiFi offered there. It was terrible. I wasted 20 minutes trying to connect so I could send out a backlog of daily blogs that have accumulated. That will have to wait. We board and prepare for the Biergarten Fest, a poolside BBQ of Octoberfest fashion. A German traditional Oompah band provides the entertainment while our ship serves up traditional German treats such as suckling pig, Bavarian sausages, sauerkraut and a variety of local beers. I like the strudel but Mom's dessert is to peruse through the shops on board. I purchase some WiFi minutes to use aboard the Zuiderdam.

We turn in early. Tomorrow is a sea day with plenty to do.

Weather: Sunny, 61°F, gentle breeze