Warnemunde/Rostock, Germany - August 10, 2018.

First port on this cruise was Warnemunde, Germany. It's the nearest port to Berlin and many, many passengers took the 2.5 hour train ride into the city. Since Stan and I spent nearly a week in Berlin during our 2017 trip, we opted to stay local and see what was going on in Warnemunde. It turns out, a lot was going on! While having breakfast, we gazed at the city-skyline from our ship. There was a quite large harbor and a quaint looking town with only one skyscraper of about 12 floors. We noted the large number of sailing boats going in and out of the channel. We thought the variety of boats must be catering to the tourists, taking them out for thrill rides on the high seas of the Baltic. They kept coming and going.

The town, obviously on the coast of the Baltic Sea is an important tourist destination. It is a very popular holiday spot for Europeans, and it celebrates with a big variety of festivals during the summer time. It boasts several long, but chilly and windy beaches that offer cute little wicker beach cabanas where serious beach-goers can sun and relax out of the wind. We walked out to the waters' edge to get a better look at the cabanas and to get sand in our shoes. The cute cabanas have a curved roofline and have nice cushioned seating. A lower piece folds out to provide support for lounging and it folds back in in a compact way for locking up and storage. I saw only one nude bather and it was a man. He was using his cabana to block the wind and he was lying on his stomach. Thank goodness. But I know he needed the sun; that man was lily white! He almost looked dead.

The festival just launching on the day of our arrival was called Hanse Sail which I'm not sure but I believe it has to do with a gathering of tall ships. Talk about a sight to see. These ships came in from all over the world and sailed a channel on the sea in front of a set bleachers erected as viewing/judging station. The town was literally heaving with people watching the ships. They were also shopping in the hundreds of cute resort boutiques or in the alleys of fair tents, kiosks and booths selling souvenirs, and food and drink of all types. There were dozens of inviting outdoor bistros and beer gardens. Some of the most popular were the simple stands that sold fish . . . fresh fish, smoked salmon, fried fish, fish sandwiches and fish salads. We didn't try a fish sandwich but everywhere we looked were long lines of people in queue to purchase one and many more had bought their sandwiches already and were eating it as they walked. I mean kids and adults alike - they all wanted the fish sandwiches. While I love trying new things to eat, especially foods that are a specialty of the area, and while they did look good, we had just finished lunch before we exited the cruise ship and could not hold another bite. Beside ice cream, a favorite no matter where in the world, the other temping foodstuff was waffles and crepes, and they rarely serve them plain. These warm and delicate cakes are loaded with whipped cream, then fruit, chocolate or Nutella and topped once more with confectioners' sugar! Deadly, I say!

We walked the 140 steps to the top of the ancient but still functional light house and got a spectacular view of the area. Actually, the town we saw is two resort towns, one next to the other, Warnemunde and Rostock. The lighthouse was built in 1897 but operates each night still providing guidance to the heavy maritime traffic in the sea. We were told to see the Teepott (teapot) another famous landmark in this resort town. I kept looking for something with a round belly. But no! It sits at the foot of the lighthouse and it looks like it might be a building from the Jetson's TV show. This modernistic building was built in 1926 with a curved, swooping roof. It burned near the end of WWII but was rebuilt finally in the 1960's. It was pretty much a let-down.

We spent the next couple of hours perusing small clothing shops. Prices were very high, in fact, super expensive! It has been the same with every other destination we've visited on this Summer by Sea trip. I love good ole USA shopping and prices!