Lûbeck, Germany
A beautiful sunny day as we sailed up the Trave to dock at Lûbeck, Germany, our first port of call. After a hearty breakfast (well, at least for most of us!), we were treated to a sail by of a Swedish four-masted sailing ship headed for the Baltic Sea. Canal boats were waiting for us with champagne and orange juice (laced with champagne). We glided up the river, past the old town, through a wooded park, viewing the homes of those lucky enough to live along the water. Lûbeck is a small treasure, one of the best preserved medieval towns of northern Europe, the queen of the famous Hanseatic League. Now a UNESCO heritage site to be kept intact for the ages, Lûbeck was in the fourteenth century one of the most important trading cities in the Baltic, along with Riga, Tallinn, Visby, and Gdansk -- all, by the way, cities that Lindblad visits on its Baltic expeditions.
We docked in the center of the town where in earlier centuries merchants and brewers sent their wares to all parts of Europe. Breaking up into faster and slower walking groups, we started through the old city. Lûbeck is made up of step-gabled houses, primarily of brick since stone was not readily available. Behind and between the houses of the wealthy were narrow passageways, gangen, where poorer citizens lived and died. The passageways were required by law to be at least the width of a coffin so that the dead could be easily removed. Among the most spectacular sights in the city were the Sailors' Guildhall, now a famous restaurant; the Holy Spirit Hospital, a charity house of the aged; St. Mary's Cathedral, bombed during World War II; St. Peter's Church; the Dom or Bishop's Church; the beautiful open market square; and, not to be missed, the marzipan shop on the main street. Many of us bought large quantities of the almond candy, which is presented in myriad shapes -- animals, fruits and vegetables, even the buildings of Lûbeck.
The afternoon was reserved for free time. David Barnes led a group to the medieval museum and St. Peter's Church; others went off on their own. We happened to land in Lûbeck on one of the two Sundays in the year when shops open for the afternoon. Crowds of people were out to shop or to sit simply in the open-air cafes, drink coffee or beer, and eat sausages, ice cream on their waffles, or various cakes and cookies. By the time we returned to the ship, and it began its cruise down the Trave to the Baltic Sea, we were ready for German sausages and pretzels, washed down by beer, on the aft deck. Bird watchers on the bridge had a field day!
The evening began with the captain's cocktail party. We all dressed up for the occasion. Captain Oliver Kreuss introduced his officers and invited us to dinner. Venison competed with halibut! The sailing continued smoothly as the lounge filled with guests satisfied with a lovely day and new, first-day memories.
A beautiful sunny day as we sailed up the Trave to dock at Lûbeck, Germany, our first port of call. After a hearty breakfast (well, at least for most of us!), we were treated to a sail by of a Swedish four-masted sailing ship headed for the Baltic Sea. Canal boats were waiting for us with champagne and orange juice (laced with champagne). We glided up the river, past the old town, through a wooded park, viewing the homes of those lucky enough to live along the water. Lûbeck is a small treasure, one of the best preserved medieval towns of northern Europe, the queen of the famous Hanseatic League. Now a UNESCO heritage site to be kept intact for the ages, Lûbeck was in the fourteenth century one of the most important trading cities in the Baltic, along with Riga, Tallinn, Visby, and Gdansk -- all, by the way, cities that Lindblad visits on its Baltic expeditions.
We docked in the center of the town where in earlier centuries merchants and brewers sent their wares to all parts of Europe. Breaking up into faster and slower walking groups, we started through the old city. Lûbeck is made up of step-gabled houses, primarily of brick since stone was not readily available. Behind and between the houses of the wealthy were narrow passageways, gangen, where poorer citizens lived and died. The passageways were required by law to be at least the width of a coffin so that the dead could be easily removed. Among the most spectacular sights in the city were the Sailors' Guildhall, now a famous restaurant; the Holy Spirit Hospital, a charity house of the aged; St. Mary's Cathedral, bombed during World War II; St. Peter's Church; the Dom or Bishop's Church; the beautiful open market square; and, not to be missed, the marzipan shop on the main street. Many of us bought large quantities of the almond candy, which is presented in myriad shapes -- animals, fruits and vegetables, even the buildings of Lûbeck.
The afternoon was reserved for free time. David Barnes led a group to the medieval museum and St. Peter's Church; others went off on their own. We happened to land in Lûbeck on one of the two Sundays in the year when shops open for the afternoon. Crowds of people were out to shop or to sit simply in the open-air cafes, drink coffee or beer, and eat sausages, ice cream on their waffles, or various cakes and cookies. By the time we returned to the ship, and it began its cruise down the Trave to the Baltic Sea, we were ready for German sausages and pretzels, washed down by beer, on the aft deck. Bird watchers on the bridge had a field day!
The evening began with the captain's cocktail party. We all dressed up for the occasion. Captain Oliver Kreuss introduced his officers and invited us to dinner. Venison competed with halibut! The sailing continued smoothly as the lounge filled with guests satisfied with a lovely day and new, first-day memories.
