Stralsund, a city on the German mainland, is a must to see if you’re in the area. Fortunately we were not staying too far away, only about a twenty minute drive to get there, via THAT bridge 😉 No, no phobias this time (Smile). So please, come and enjoy strolling with us through the city…
The bridge is called the Rügenbrücke, which you can see in the background of this photo, and is the newer (2007) bridge linking mainland Germany with the island of Rügen. The older bridge (1936/7), right next to it, but not as high, is also still in operation. Both are used simultaneously. The boat in front is a police boat.
Old and new embracing one another. The white building is the new Oceanographic Museum, OZEANEUM (2008) and seems to be hugging one of the three historic warehouses of the harbour. Love this!
The Gorch Fock I, originally built in 1933 as a school/training ship, is, after being renovated in 2008, now permanently moored in Stralsund and is now a museum ship. Another Gorch Fock replacement was built in 1958, (the original one was still in Russian hands) and is still in use today.
Here the ship with the bridge in the background. Again, old and new in harmony with one another…
Stunning! Ozeaneum, Gorch Fock 1 and the historical warehouses of the harbour.
…another view of the bridge, with a little lighthouse in the foreground…
Fast fish! One of many ‘snack-boats’ in the area. There are a lot of delicious choices of smoked and/or fresh fish. The fishy answer to fast food…Yummy!
FIRE!! A Fire Brigade ship…
In the background is the Fire Brigade ship, and the one in front is a boat driving school…with a little dinghy attached. Wonder which one is used for teaching…and why is the little one called ‘Pitti’ …LOL! Also see part of the historical city in the background…
…laughed at the name of this one…heee…heee…
A boat beneath a sunny sky, Lingering onward dreamily, In an evening of July… by Lewis Carroll
…docks for the boats, with the lighthouse. The angle taken of this photo is amazing!
A typical former East German (DDR) car called the Trabant, fondly known as the ‘Trabi’ on top of a hot dog kiosk. The hot dogs are also self-service, according to the sign. Heh???? It was closed, so we’re not sure if it’s real or not…Whatever, great idea!
This is so funny! Very eye-catching and could not be missed LOL!
Hey girls, see the guy with the camera? Yep, that one! Woweeee. Oh…giggle…giggle… he’s looking at us. Wowie! 🙂 This is a fountain showing three girls pointing at something. Apparently if you touch or rub the thumb, you will return to Stralsund again. It looks like it’s been rubbed quite a lot already!
This Brick Gothic Town Hall dates back to the 13th Century. It is situated on the Alter Markt (Old Town Market square), which is in the heart of the old town. This historic town centre is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Wulflamhaus, 14th century, another Gothic building on the Alter Markt, now houses a restaurant and the press office of the city council of Stralsund.
One of the most beautiful churches we’ve seen so far, the Nikolaikirche (St. Nicholas Church) where building started from around the 1270’s. It is the oldest of three parish churches in Stralsund, and is still largely being renovated up to today. Enjoy the next few photos taken in the church. There were so many wonderful frescos, carvings, paintings, statues etc., that it is nearly impossible to choose the best ones!
…these beautiful mix of colours were painted over and were white until the 1700’s, but fortunately restored again to what it is now. A ribbed arched roof (right), one of many…
These are wooden carved altars. The left is the Bürgermeisteraltar (Mayor altar) from the year 1500, and the right is the Bergenfahreraltar (Hanseatic Traders and Mariners of the Middle Ages)
…here again the colours and arched walls. The blue windows on the right are brand new, and are called Schreiterfenster (Schreiter windows). Mr. Schreiter’s windows can be found in quite a few churches in Germany.
…there were quite a few ‘skulls’ (left) in many of the carvings. Here one can also see that this part has not been renovated yet. To the right is an old astronomical clock (1394), which is apparently the oldest mechanical clock in the world, still with all it’s original wheel-work. Wow! It’s not running though…
…view of part of the city from the roof of the Ozeaneum…
This is a REAL skeleton! Bite…bite! Also see the escalator to the left. It is thirty metres long. Repeat, THIRTY METRES, and it’s in the middle of…of…shiver…nothing. Think roller-coaster going up, up, up, UP…Oooh, oh phobia, hello again…It is the longest self-supporting escalator in Europe…W-w–wow!
…a school of very busy fish. These kept on following a very round bellied (full or fat???) tiger shark.
…hello handsome!
…oh…okay, so you’re handsome too! Coochie coochie coo…
Hrmph! Leave me alone. I’m hiding! Now that is what we call camouflage!
…and to think that these lovely creatures taste so good with lemon butter sauce…
Did you know that octopuses in general are considered highly intelligent? And also that male octopuses die within a few months of mating? What a bummer! All those brains…
Peng in Black? Tuxedo Bond? Oceans Six? Water Birdies? We had such fun with these!
I am beautiful, I am sexy, I am…tra-la-laaaaaaa…
These had us in stitches! We laughed so much :-D. Adonis, the one with the camera, was taking a few photos of them. The one on the left must have really liked him, and acted as if this was a photo shoot! Stretch, pose, turn left, pose, turn right, pose, flippers up, pose, flippers down, pose. Do you have enough? No? Okay. Stretch-pose-left-pose-right-pose. The one on the right thought, hell no, me too, so did the same. This carried on for minutes. It was soooo funny!
Left loves the sun, while right is doing the sunny-step-dance…
At the end of the tour of the Ozeaneum, you can lie on your back on ‘hard-to-get-up-again’ deck chairs, and see these original sized models of the giants of the sea hanging from the ceiling. This one is a blue whale. These things are HUGE, and they’re also loud. Worth it!
Angels Travelling 