Danke, Deutschland

Germany - specifically the rural northern region - is a scenic area rich in cultural and natural resources. Due to our schedule and locations, there wasn't a whole lot of time for exploring natural areas and such.  But I'd be remiss if I didn't touch on a little bit of the area's dark history, if only to reflect on what we have - or haven't - learned as a species.

We stayed the first night in a tiny hamlet about thirteen miles northeast of Lubeck, a stone's throw from the Baltic Sea.  Our hosts were very gracious with their time - Regina, my wife's coworker, and her husband Rolf.  Their home rests alongside a wheat field interspersed with wildflowers as a way to attract pollinators (imagine that).  Lumen and I swam with the jellyfish and at night, we walked the rural roads in search of amphibians (without success).

Our hosts prepared a delicious meal for us, including nuggets for the picky kid

We visited a Star Wars museum on an absolutely blazing hot day.  The museum, which is called Outpost One, is jaw-droppingly awesome if you're a Star Wars fan.  I could not fathom how this vast and detailed collection of life-sized and miniature sets, characters, and spacecraft was, especially considering that it is not officially associated with Star Wars/Disney (hence the name of the museum).  Moreover, the place is located in a rural area in an unassuming campus of WWII-era factory buildings.  This is a place I'd HIGHLY recommend should you ever find yourself in or near Dassow.

Life-size Luke about to confront Vader 

A miniature replica of Mos Eisley (Rolf for scale)

Life-sized TIE fighters

Sadly, the only herp I observed in Germany was this dead-in-field slow worm.  We were visiting St. Nicholas Church (Nikolaikirche) in Dassow (which dates to the Middle Ages) when I was understandably distracted by a stone wall near the perimeter.  And there, atop the wall, was a desiccated slow worm.  

In 

Miniatur Wunderland - an astonishing array of miniature scenes from around the world.  ASTONISHING.  In 2021, the model railroad track measured 51,558 feet in length, which to scale measures 850 miles.  But the railroad is only a part of this layout.  There are entire amusement parks, stadiums, concerts, cityscapes, and even a gigantic airport with aircraft that take off and land.  Located in Hamburg.

There were scenes from various parts of the world, and I loved that USA featured a shootout/crime scene, with CNN coverage, near a Burger King billboard.  Germany knows all all too well.

The ruins of St. Nikolai in Hamburg - what's left following heavy destruction during World War II.  Today, it is a memorial and monument to peace.

I was a little surprised to see this Canada goose along the Alster.  They sure do get around!

St. Peter's Church

While asleep on our first night in Hamburg, the hotel's fire alarm went off.  It was 12:55 AM, and the noise was an ear-piercing series of falling notes.  We awoke, confused...and it took a few moments for me to shake off the stupor.  We glanced out of the window to see that others in the hotel were confused as well.  Grabbing our passports, wallet, and keys, we entered the packed hallway, following the rest of the tenants down several flights of stairs, alarm still sounding.  Lumen was scared.  We were shuffled to the quad area with the rest of the group and waited out an inspection by the firefighters.  We never received an update so I'm not sure exactly what happened, but there were some jokes made that live on today ("The hotel's midnight social club really shouldn't be a selling point", etc).

A flight back to Lisbon, where we stayed a final night with my cousin, and then a flight back to Chicago, and the trip was over all too soon.  And just two weeks later, I started a new job - a career change - that has me reevaluating everything and hoping that my next adventure awaits just around the bend.