The One with Warnemünde, Germany

After enjoying a wonderful day in Rostock, we all went back to our boat to rest and relax. In the evening we took Fox to the free kids rooms (which he loved) and Jane to the pay-by-the-hour babysitting room and off we went on a much needed date!

Freeeeeeeedddddddoooooommmmmmmm!

A pleasant old fishing town that managed to escape much of the ugliness of the DDR, Warnemünde feels like an unabashedly fun beachfront resort. It would fit right in on the Jersey shore or by Brighton in England. 

Me, foot loose, still a little bit sick with strep throat, and fancy free, on the German coast. 

The Old Harbor is lined with colorful boats and fronted by bars, restaurants, hotels, and shops. This historic canal runs through the middle of Warnemünde. 

The little town was packed with German holiday-makers. 

Cute shops and cafes lining the old harbor.

When I saw this place I had to get a picture in front of it. Gah! Take time to stop and smell the roses. Or, just take a photo in front of lots of flowers :)

Eventually we wandered down to the lighthouse. Strategically situated to watch over both the old harbor and the beach, Warnemünde's symbol is this 105 foot tall, tile-clad lighthouse. Completed in 1898, the lighthouse sits next to the distinctively shaped, and aptly named, Teepott building.  

Then we headed out to the beach! We had no idea Germany has such legit beaches! This could be California if we didn't know any better. The sand was a very fine texture, like pumice. I loved it so much our magnet for this stop is a little glass bottle full of the sand.

They have these cute little wicker chairs that people can rent and use during the day. They're called strandkörbe and offer shade and some comfort for the people enjoying the beach.

Feet in the sand.

Cute cafe on the beach.

The backside of the Teepott building and the lighthouse. 

Then we wandered down some other cute streets in town. 

Beach house,  German style. 

Beach house, even Germany-er style.

It was a lighthearted, fun vibe all over town.

Maybe one year we can host the Evans family annual reunion here. :) 

The local church.

We found a second Edeka for the day and bought a 6-pack of big waters along with some snacks and candy. Chris had to lug it all the way back to the ship, another reason he's a keeper!

Near the train station was a bunch of little stands serving delicious treats. I saw a crepe place and I can almost never pass those up. Good thing I didn't! This was probably the best Nutella crepe I've had in a long time! 

Behind the train station were some art installations. This one was balanced rocks, supposedly unsecured. Pretty impressive. 

Next to the rocks was a large sand sculpture. 

The weather was wonderful, the town was fun and full of life, the company was superb (teehee) and we had a great date night in Warnemünde, Germany. 

Next stop: Fredericia, Denmark! Almost done with cruise recaps :)