Rostock & Warnemuende, Germany
Aug. 12th, 2009 10:58 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
wwcitizenI love Germany. Lived there for almost 3 years in total and worked there off and on for another 2 in various projects. On July 28, our cruise stopped in Warnemuende, which is a northern port city on the Baltic Sea. I'd never been there or to Rostock, where my dad and I took an excursion to the town and a local brewery. It was so much fun and interesting. I ended up buying a 6-pack of beer, which I made last me for the next week and a half. Each time I bought a bottle of beer and drank it, I saved the label, too, as a memoir.
After the 3-hour excursion, I wheeled out the wheelchair and took Dad on 3-4 mile trek around Warnemuende (which to this day he still cannot pronounce). It was a sweaty workout to be sure, but it was really good. At one point, I noticed that Dad fell asleep riding over cobblestone!! At one point, we reached a beach area and he trudged off to the ocean to dip his foot in the Baltic Sea. It was a beautiful day and he had lots of fun. When we got back to the ship, I chucked him into the stateroom (not a cabin) and took off on my own to take some pictures of Warnemuende - great, old resort town. Lots of boats, slips, rafts, and ships all around. The canal area was full of waterside shops, cafes, and restaurants, which was great for a beer (or two) and people watching.
When we sailed off from Rostock, I was kicking myself for not bringing my cameras!! I wish I could have recorded some of what we saw and experienced. The memory is astounding in itself. There were about 4-5 city harbor cruise boats around our ship as we pulled away to songs blasted from the port from La Traviatta, Phantom of the Opera, and other operas - including some German beer songs. The day-cruise boats came alongside ours and the people on them were waving tissues, smiling, and cheering us on. The boats and our ship blasted their horns. Thousands of people from the platforms and walkways along the ports and beaches were waving and cheering, hooting and hollering. It was truly an experience - mixed emotions of joy and sadness of the departure from such a sweet area of Germany (with great beer). What a gorgeous and beautifully rich day.
Wish Matt could have been there. Throughout the experience, I kept getting choked up when Dad was choking up or getting thrilled with all the excitement. I was rubbing his back and watching the excitement and joy on his face. That's something I'll never forget.
After the 3-hour excursion, I wheeled out the wheelchair and took Dad on 3-4 mile trek around Warnemuende (which to this day he still cannot pronounce). It was a sweaty workout to be sure, but it was really good. At one point, I noticed that Dad fell asleep riding over cobblestone!! At one point, we reached a beach area and he trudged off to the ocean to dip his foot in the Baltic Sea. It was a beautiful day and he had lots of fun. When we got back to the ship, I chucked him into the stateroom (not a cabin) and took off on my own to take some pictures of Warnemuende - great, old resort town. Lots of boats, slips, rafts, and ships all around. The canal area was full of waterside shops, cafes, and restaurants, which was great for a beer (or two) and people watching.
When we sailed off from Rostock, I was kicking myself for not bringing my cameras!! I wish I could have recorded some of what we saw and experienced. The memory is astounding in itself. There were about 4-5 city harbor cruise boats around our ship as we pulled away to songs blasted from the port from La Traviatta, Phantom of the Opera, and other operas - including some German beer songs. The day-cruise boats came alongside ours and the people on them were waving tissues, smiling, and cheering us on. The boats and our ship blasted their horns. Thousands of people from the platforms and walkways along the ports and beaches were waving and cheering, hooting and hollering. It was truly an experience - mixed emotions of joy and sadness of the departure from such a sweet area of Germany (with great beer). What a gorgeous and beautifully rich day.
Wish Matt could have been there. Throughout the experience, I kept getting choked up when Dad was choking up or getting thrilled with all the excitement. I was rubbing his back and watching the excitement and joy on his face. That's something I'll never forget.
