Who knew that one of the most beautiful castles anywhere rises from a lake island in far north Germany? The Dukes of Mecklenburg over centuries constructed what became one of the most important architectural accomplishments in the Romantic style. Located in the city of Schwerin, the castle has over 900 rooms and is topped with a black and gold dome. Imposing indeed! The gardens surrounding the castle were in bloom in yellow and purple and every angle of viewing as one circled the castle giving differing glimpses of the many pinnacles that arose from the structure. Interestingly, the castle houses the first Lutheran Church edifice constructed after the Reformation. A devastating fire in the castle did much damage, but reconstruction has restored the building, although today, the Great Hall has been refurbished to house the Mecklenburg-West Pomerania State Assembly, and one wing is now devoted to state government offices. The wood decorative flooring and ceiling work are outstanding features of the castle as are the beautifully decorated Ducal Apartments. 

We ambled into the beautiful city of Schwerin which was close by. Fresh and “clean as a whistle,” the cobblestoned streets lead past soft pastel and white renaissance and romantic style buildings. We found a German pastry shop filled with tempting treats. Our hearts leapt when we saw poppyseed pie. We both love and enjoy baking poppyseed desserts; this one did not disappoint. On the way back to the ship, our tour director informed us that Mecklenburg-West Pomerania produces more energy from solar and wind than it can use. Energy export and an efficient power grid are issues not yet solved. Along the way, for about three miles, we saw multiple thousands of solar panels neatly tucked into hillsides and valleys as 150 wind turbines arose from the hilltops in this one energy installation. 

Yesterday, September 20, we docked in Kiel, Germany, a port city near Hamburg. We were excited to meet up with friends, Chris and Lula Tiews, whom we had not seen in fifteen years. Chris is a pastor/missionary/professor who is both brilliant and passionate about his ministry. Fluent in multiple languages, most recently Farsi, the language of Iran, Chris has a significant ministry to the Iranian immigrants in Germany. He spoke excitedly of the multiple thousands of conversions to Christianity in this population. Our day progressed too quickly! We caught up on family and friends, current events, hopes and dreams; it seemed like we had never been apart all these years. For those you from Tomball, Chris was very instrumental in developing the sister city relationship with Telgte, Germany, that recently celebrated its 25th anniversary. We enjoyed our long lunch of German food. Happily, I got my favorite German meal of crisped pork knuckle with bread dumplings and red cabbage. On our way back to the ship, we stopped to view the Lutheran Cathedral which had beautiful artistry, but its huge crucifix hanging before the masterfully wood-carved altar typtich caught my eye–stunning and deeply moving! Wonderfully, an organist was playing the pipe organ as we walked reflectively in this spiritual space. A sign outside the cathedral read, “This is the place to come back home!” Indeed, may it be so! 

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