Day 20-22: Lubeck

We never intended to spend more than a day in Lubeck, but we were so exhausted by the time we left Copenhagen that we decided to spend three days there and get a vacation from our vacation. It fit the bill perfectly.

Lubeck is still a major seaport within Germany, but was once the capital of the Hanseatic League, an alliance of trading cities that dominated trade along the north coast of Europe (thanks Wikipedia). It is an old city that has a lot of charm. We arrived on Friday afternoon by train from Copenhagen (at one point the train actually boarded a ferry...no kidding) and walked over to our accommodations. We stayed in a small in-law suite within a women's home. While tiny, it was all that we needed. It had a kitchen with a couple of cook tops, a toaster, and fridge, a bedroom, and bathroom. On Friday, we grabbed some groceries and called it an early night.

On Saturday, we headed into Lubeck. At one time, the town could only be entered by one of four gates. Today, only two remain. The well-known Holstentor gate, from 1478 (see picture) and the Burgtor gate from 1444.

We walked the streets, checking out shops and parkland.

*A sign outside a puppet shop

We then hitup Niederegger, Lubeck's most famous producer of marzipan (Lubeck has a proud tradition of producing marzipan, a confection comprised predominantly of sugar and almond meal). Apparently, all kinds of objects can be molded from Marzipan.

*For the record, I think this is gross, but Daryl would definitely eat it.

We followed this up with more exploring, trying to get lost in the winding alleys and streets.

We then went to a cafe to enjoy a beer and coffee and relax.

The next day we did some extra-sleeping, a nice long run, and another long stay in a cafe to close up our time in Lubeck. This morning, we left for Berlin. Once we have time to explore a bit, we will post some thoughts and pictures. Until then :)