Travemunde, Germany

 Travemunde and Lubeck, Germany                                          Friday, May 20, 2022

            Last night was another Captain’s Party then supper, and we sipped and dined with two other couples who are on our Trivia team and who play bridge with us: Keith and Margaret McKeevey from New Zealand and Leroy and Helen Worley from Victoria, BC.  The decibel level was high and we capped off the long meal with a special dessert wine from Barcelona that was delicious!  Sleep came earlier than normal…

            So getting up early wasn’t high on our list for today.  Tell our bodies that.  Huh.  Had breakfast by 8 or so.  We hadn’t seen a tour that interested us, so we were on our own in the beach town of Travemunde.  It was cloudy today, so we wore layers.  Found this town to be a spectacular little seaside space in the Schleswig-Holstein district from which Grandma Hartwig hales.  We found a tourism guide just outside the ship who gave us maps for both cities and we walked some streets and the promenade out to the beach.  By the time we got back into the town itself, the shops had opened and spring fashions had spilled out into the sidewalks.  It was windy and cool but by afternoon the sun broke out and warmed it up comfortably.  But this morning as we walked the promenade along the shore to the lighthouse and beach, then angled back along yet another promenade, it was cool.  But lots of locals and visitors were joining us. Since it was Friday, markets were set up and locals were out buying at the fish market or purchasing ready-made salads or smoked fish sandwiches and eating while walking and browsing. 

We had learned that nearby Lubeck (about 11 miles by train) boasted a large Old Town that was easy to walk, we ventured to the train station to figure out how to get tickets.  My German was slowly reviving, but the station ended up being an autopay machine that had a few of our cruise mates puzzling over the language and the “pin” that was requested for credit cards.  Bridgett (another bridge friend and German speaker) helped us deduce that euros were easier than a credit card this time and the train ride was quiet, efficient, and quick.  Two other cruise mates joined us on board—who had just been released from a 10-day quarantine.  They were chatty.

            Lubeck is worth the trip.  Known as the “city of Seven Spires” due to its many ancient churches. About 3 blocks from the train station, one can go through a 13th century gate and enter a prosperous city that is sprinkled with Middle Age buildings that are in almost pristine condition compared to the devastations of WWII witnessed in many other European countries.  We decided to take an hour-long canal ride in the circle tour around the inner city.  Thankfully, we were able to occupy two of the four plastic lawn chairs outside of the sitting area so we could be outdoors and able to take photos at any time.  A steward came to ask if we wanted anything to drink and to warn us to remain seated as we motored underneath low bridges.  The commentary was “auf Deutsch” but it didn’t matter since we couldn’t adequately hear it outside anyway.  The periphery tour also allowed us to zero in on what it was that we wanted to see once the canal trip was finished. 

Tourist ship--Many places with waterways have these replicas of 18th and 19th century ships

            The travel agent had suggested that we needed to see St. Mary’s Church and its intricate interior.    It is a fairly typical gothic church with a beautifully colored and painted sanctuary.  We were treated to an organ recital of sorts.  I’m guessing it was rehearsal for a concert scheduled for the evening.  Buxtehude was organist in Lubeck, and four of the churches have spectacular instruments. 

Huge astronomical clock which we have now seen in multiple places since this first sighting

One of the altars in the church

Further walking found us at another of the churches, St. Catherines.  An exciting surprise was that this church houses a rare and large Tintoretto, “The Raising of Lazarus.”  Its cement floor was segmented into approx. 3’ x 5’ marble stones with writing and dates—possibly detailing the many people buried here?  Too tired to find out.  This church differed from many others because its ceiling wasn’t quite as high as most and it had a two-tiered “choir” area whose lower level was mostly columns in an eerie environment.  

            After walking down many more picturesque streets, we headed back to the train, found some of our shipmates there, and easily traversed to the Travemunde station where we walked among the shops and back to the ship.

Crow stepped gabled townhouse

Hospital of the Holy Spirit, founded in 1286

Exiting through Hostein Gate