World Cruise Day 147/163 Viking Homelands - Warnemünde, Germany - I just found out we've both been fahrting for the last 147 days

Cruise day: 147/163

Ports days: 77
Sea days: 70
Countries: 25
Continents: 5
Ports: 57

Arlona COVID update:
She continues to improve, but the cough and scratchy throat persist.  She was able to spend time on her balcony chatting with the other incarcerated isolated passengers who were also out on their decks, enjoying the weather.  She is still testing positive, so it's looking like it will take the full ten days to spring her.

I know, I know.  I'm an adult, and this is juvenile.  Deal with it. :-)

It's interesting what you see.  As we sit here in Warnemünde, Germany, you can't help but notice the considerable water traffic heading in and out of the port almost constantly.  Several of the tour boats had words that included "Fahrt" and that got me curious.  For example, Hafenrundfahrt means harbor cruise.  Homelands cruise translates to Heimatkreuzfahrt.  World Cruise translates to Weltkreuzfahrt.  Fahrt all by itself translates to journey or trip as one of its meanings.  So, it is correct to say, in German that is, that we have absolutely been fahrt-ing all around the world for the last 147 days and will continue to fahrt through the Baltic sea for another 16 days.  I blame the chef.

Warnemünde is a fairly major port city that ultimately services Berlin.  Berlin lies about 125 miles to the southeast, as the crow flies, and more via roadways.  We had originally planned the day in Berlin - a 14-hour day featuring a 4-hour train ride each way.  With Arlona in COVID isolation, I canceled those plans and booked a walking tour of Rostock, the larger town adjacent to Warnemünde.

It's pretty industrial here, but overall nice

These ferries run constantly, taking vehicles, bikes, and people from one side of the channel to the other

The NCL Norwegian Getaway is stalking us...

Is that a large stack, or are you happy to see me?

I had no idea what that center stack is, but as it sailed by for the fourth time today, I noticed that the center stack was rotating - it turns out that it is part of the propulsion system - it is a rotor ship and it uses the Magnus effect for propulsion - you can Google that

The included tour this morning was a walking tour of Rostock, Germany.

After about a 20-minute bus ride, we arrived in Rostock and started our walking tour

St. Mary's Church from the 13th century

You can see the wires for the electric train system that is common in many of the European cities we are visiting on this portion of the trip

When asked what this was, our guide replied, "Art - don't ask me to explain it."

We honored that request

Town Hall

Vienna House

Steintor stone gate

Kröpeliner Street - a shopping area

Even Mickey D's was stylish

This is the start of a series of photos of the fountain, Brunnen der Lebensfreude, or fountain of the joy of life - or as our guide called it, the porn fountain

Yes, kids were climbing all over the naked statues

A little later, the fountain was running

The woman on the right is in serious need of a chiropractor

Universität Rostock

This is one of the original city gates

Part of the original fortification wall

Abbey of the Holy Cross from the 13th century

After some free time wandering around, we made the return ride to Warnemünde.  

The next activity was for a few of us to head off the ship into Warnemünde for a look around.

This place comes highly recommended - the food looked amazing

As you walk the cobblestone streets, you find a mix of shops and residences

Warnemünde lighthouse

I'm not sure, but I think this is where the term thunder thighs came from

There is a huge beach here with plenty of nice, clean sand

Kirche Warnemünde evangelical Lutheran church

Paddlelocks on the fence

These sand art pieces were just off the ship and were amazingly detailed.

Germany has swans too

This rather serious looking vessel sailed by with missile batteries front and back

Yup - they look serious

With the temperature firmly in the mid-80s, it was a perfect day to sit out back, enjoy the sun and marine traffic, and have a beer.  So I did.  Twice.

Dinner tonight was appropriately German-themed with suckling pig, fresh soft pretzels, all kinds of sausages, and more.  Dessert didn't suck either.

I sat out back with friends as the sun went down behind the ever-increasing cloud cover.  The wind was picking up as well and we decided to head in.  All of a sudden, the ship moved - I'm not sure how to describe it.  The rain came and the wind really started whipping. Then the side thrusters fired up, pushing the ship back into the dock.  Since I'm not on the side we docked on today I don't know if the wind pushed us away from the dock, but it was weird and unexpected.  So that was our little excitement for the day.

Tonight, we head to Bornholm, a Danish island about 125 miles north and west of here.  The temperature is predicted to be about 30 degrees cooler than today.