en toe na Lubeck-13 September

We left for a city called L:ubeck (of course missed the bus - and hence the train... at first) from Kiel station. Marlo, Tina and me.

It's a beautiful city - in 1987 declared by UNESCO as a world cultural heritage - the entire old town of Lubeck. on top of that, according to a guide book, about 1300 houses, churches and courtyards are indiviually proctected as historic monuments... imagine the costs of maintenance.

we entered through through this town gate, known as the Holstentor -massive and well fortified. To me it was strange to see that the two towers weren't exactly parallel to the ground... German precision... it was built (completed) in 1478 to defend Lubeck from the Danes, and later a gate was added to the front and again to the rear.

you cross a bridge (with a lady: beauty on the bridge) and other scuptures and then enter through this Holstentor. just outside were two traffic lights, still with the old fationed pedestrain signals. (here in the photo with the two ladies crossing ;-)

first we went on a "sight seeing" tour with a little boat engine type. it takes you around the city. was very much welcomed by me since i've done a hardish 2 odd hour bike ride before we left in the morning - part of which into a headwind (as if any other wind exsit on a bike...)

this particular day there was a little festival... that of the potato or "kartoffel fees". girls were singing on a built stage in the market place - we ate brakwurst, crepes with nutella and local beer.

fuelled we left for some of the besienswaardighede... most of which were churches.

In this one church, St Marien, a little devil sits outside. Read the story about it online. Inside there is a bell in the one corner - a broken bell. There was a firestorm in 1942, and on palm sunday these bells (two of them) crashed into the floor, and since have been left there as memory and other bitter moral lessons (see Thomas Mann re Lubeck raid, around 1940s).

Further on, the streets were beautiful - old school Europe, but one can still taste the German air in these streets...

Lubeck is however also known for its production of Marzipan - some lovely shops, make sure you don't miss or underestimate that sweet almond exported product.