Warnemunde and Rostock

Warnemunde is a seaside town, a bit like the German version of Whitby I guess, 'cept with a better beach.  It's Saturday, and the place seems full of German tourists, doing exactly what English tourists would do on a day out in Whitby......... dawdling through the town, checking out the beach, showing the kids stuff and eating.   The town must be known for fresh fish, there was stall after stall of the stuff and people were buying all sorts.  The other thing it must be known for is the ferry tours, there were loads of little cruisers ready to take the visitors for a tour of the local wildlife highlights.

Warnemunde is a pleasant place to wander.  It was a bit cold today for a swim and people were flying kites on the beach instead, but we really liked the place.  We meant to go into the lighthouse and get a view from the top but we didn't get round to it, and I really liked the steep roofs on the old houses.  A lovely, lovely little town.

But the real reason we'd walked into Warnemunde in the first place was to get a map and directions, for a trip into Rostock.  Eventually, after a good hour taking in the sights of the little town, we found the tourist information centre.

I didn't need to test out my German, because, like just about everyone else in the country, the lass there spoke excellent English.  She explained that because there was a train strike, we needed to catch a number 36 bus to the tram station, and then catch the number 5 tram into Rostock and it would only cost €2 each way.   Cheap eh? 

So we set off on an adventure to see if we good get to Rostock on German public transport.

Luckily we'd been told to make sure our tickets were stamped by the little machines on the buses and trains (€40 fine), and we had a transport map, which was a bit like the London tube map, the only difference being that I could understand the German transport map.  We managed the journey absolutely fine.  It took about an hour each way, and it was interesting seeing the German world go by.  Our lasting impression was flats.   Hundreds, if not thousands of flats.  There were high blocks and not so high blocks, there were long blocks and short blocks and many, many different shapes and designs but nevertheless they were all blocks of flats.

Rostock city centre was a pleasant place to be too.  We got off the tram at Neuer Markt and took a circular route around the centre, taking in most of the highlights.

First it was St Marien Church, built in 1230 and holding the most history within the city.  The inside isn't that ornate really, not in comparison to other churches, and unfortunately the pulpit was being renovated, but the altar is quite stunning

But the organ easily out shines it.  There are 5702 pipes, 83 stops and 4 manuals (whatever they are).  A work of art in itself, we imagined that it must be awesome to listen to.

And if that wasn't enough - 

behind the altar is a magnificent Astronomic Clock.  It was created in 1472 and shows hours, days, months, years, phases of the sun and moon and the zodiac, all worked out until Easter 2017, (I dunno what happens after that like, mebbe the end of the world again?)  It was A Maze Ing.

From the church we made our way to the very pink Town Hall, or Rathaus - Baroque front, seven spires and a vaulted cellar apparently (we didn't go inside).

Lunch next, and we enjoyed a MASSIVE burger and chips in one of the restaurants on Neuer Markt. Another lasting impression we'll take away from Germany is the lack of free wi-fi.  It seems daft that considering their normal forethought and efficiency, the german restaurants haven't worked this one out. I'd been hoping to upload my Copenhagen blog, but we couldn't find anywhere in either Warnemunde or Rostock where I would be able to.

Lunch over it was time to continue our tourist trail.  Rostock used to be a walled in fortified city, so next we headed to where the old walls used to be, checking out the Stone Gate on the South East corner before making our way west.  We reached what was left of the old wall, and went to have a quick look at The Abbey of the Holy Cross, a former convent.  It was a very quick look of the outside only, because there was a service going on.

We continued following the wall until we reached the Kropelin Gate, which is described as "the most magnificent of the 22 former gates", (I think I preferred the Stone Gate meself).  And then finally, we reached University Square and the Fountain of Joy.  It was a bit hard to tell if we really had found the fountain as there wasn't any water in it.  It was made up of various bronze sculptures, all of which made fantastic climbing frames for the children, who were having a lovely time playing on the dried tiles.  This photo is my favourite amongst the characters.  Note how the bronze feet and ears have been polished by the thousands of hands.  Quite adorable.

All Rostock'd we caught the number 5 tram and the number 36 bus back to Warnemunde and the ship.  Peter had a date at 9, so after dinner we went up to the Lounge where he took part as one of the "celebraties" in Blankety Blank.  Brilliant fun and he even managed to get the contestants a few marks.

So that was Warnemunde and Rostock.  Tomorrow is a sea day, Peter has three classes and I get to take it easy.  Class eh?