Germany and Estonia

Thursday 25^th Germany – Warnemunde and Rostock

We elect not to go to Berlin as it would have taken too much travel time, so instead we visit the local port town of Warnemunde and then take a train ride to Rostock. A good decision. Rostock is a wonderful medieval town with some very impressive buildings. We start with a visit to St Marien Kirche (St Mary’s Church) built in the 1550’s with a magnificent organ of 5700 pipes, a baptismal font from 1270 and an original Astronomical clock from 1472 that has a zodiac, an eternal calendar and a chime where the apostles rotate and are blessed by a central Jesus (which we hear and see at 12.00pm). There is also an incredible filigree tapestry of Mary’s life. We go on to see an impressive City Hall from 1270, St Nicholas church (now apartments) and St Pietri church. We end the day with a fischbroetchen sandwich and a Rostok beer.

The night’s entertainment is with four English violinists playing with incredible skill and with a lot of humor too

Friday 26^th At sea

A day at sea - wonderful. Eat and drink whenever, with as much choice and variety as you could want. No picking up or cleaning. All the staff so polite, helpful and happy (they have been rigorously trained and it shows) and dozens of entertaining shows to choose from. No thinking, just being and enjoying. Ah that life could be one continuous cruise !

Saturday 27^th Estonia – Tallinn

We tour this quaint walled city 1300 C on foot. We visit the Holy Ghost church 14C, the oldest church in Tallinn with a beautiful alter and nave; a 13C Town hall with a very high spire, St Nicholas 1350C (bombed and rebuilt) with beautiful medieval holy artifacts and a dance of death frieze painted by Bernt Norke; a very opulent Russian Cathedral and St Mary the Virgin 13C cathedral.

We end our excursion with a local beer having had a lovely day in a well preserved 13C town. One is overwhelmed by the profusion of impressive sculptures, monuments and statues and most of them religious (and Lutheran). The conversion from Catholic to Lutheran in these countries was amicable and so the catholic statues and other artifacts were retained

The night’s entertainment is a versatile instrument player – playing six different instruments