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Published: February 17th 2012
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Guten Tag :-)
I will try to get one blog out a week, I'm not the biggest writer in the world and unless I go out and do something there isn't really much to write about anyway. So that was the problem I was faced with early in the week, where to go? Where is my next blog going to make famous? I searched Google. I always try to stay in Mecklenburg Vorpommern because the train tickets fall into a specific price range. North? Well actually I just recognised I have never blogged about Rostock....ops. Well I do that one next week. West? Well there is only really Wismar. East has been blogged to death! So south it was.... and where exactly?? Schwerin, the capital of M.V. (Mecklenburg Vorpommern) and home the MV parliament which as far as I know is the only house of parliament sitting in a castle!
The decision was a snap made on Wednesday night, a quick plan was made to catch the 5 o'clock train to Schwerin to allow time to get down to the lake surrounding the castle and find some where to get a good shot of the
sunrise at 7:30.
4:00 O'clock start! Up, get ready and go. Tram then onto the Train. Only one hour-long on the train and I arrived in Schwerin in the pitch darkness....only the very faint glow from where the sun will be rising. I had to hurry a bit, the light is the best 15 minutes before the sun rises and 15 after. Plus I had to find a good location. I walked quickly through the streets, there were only small signs of life at that hour. People moving to work early shifts and taxi drivers waiting for jobs. The sky was clear and the moon was out, I would have stopped to photograph the moon reflection on a cathedral but I didn't have time.
It didn't take long until I was at the castle, but I chose to walk away from it because I wanted to get the best view of the sunrise over the frozen lake. I set up my equipment and waited, there were clouds rolling past which would look great lit up with the suns glow. I moved around my position taking various shots. When the clouds lit up red and
pink across the horizon and roughly reflected off the broken ice off the lake I had to take a second to just admire the view. The one moment that makes the long journey worth it, even if the pictures turned out shit I was happy just to be there. It took me a bit by surprise and I had to quickly reposition to get some kind of composition in the shot, I think I missed the best moment but that okay. As quickly as it started it was over and time to have a look around the castle.
The history of the castle dates back to the 10th century when
Polabian Slav tribes constructed a fort. If you are interested in the History find it here,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schweriner_Schloss. I started by walking around the outside through the castle grotto and up to the front lookout and orange garden which was all packed away for winter. There are lots of nice grassy areas, small bridges and seats to admire the view from. It did however look a bit strange half covered in ice.
After the perimeter was navigated I walked through the main gate to find
out if there was anything to look at inside the castle....but I had walked into the entrance of the parliament house, this probably happens hundreds of times and the security guard nicely told me that the entrance to the museum was around the corner 150 meters away. So through a huge set of door I went and into the museum. After paying 6 euros to gain entrance and 3 euros for the privilege of taking photos, I made my way slowly to where I thought the museum was. Its alway interesting to me to see what they have on display, but that doesn't mean everything on display is interesting to me. I'm not into porcelain figures....so I moved quickly through the first section stopping only to look at some paintings that looked very old and expensive.... there eyes following me as a walked by. The paintings weren't the only things watching me. I do look somewhat doggy but I would like to think it was just security policy to keep everyone under watch as they move through the rooms. It's like they handed me over from one security person to another without speaking, always under supervision incase i decided to
get out a texter and add a moustache to a painting or steal a grand piano. I couldn't really relax in there and enjoys the dozens and dozens of porcelain figures.
Another flight of steps and there were some more interesting things to see, beautifully decorated rooms dripping money and ozzing history. If I wasn't being watch i would have tried out the throne...and it was then I understood why the security were always there. I took some nice photos and moved on. The castle bells told me it was lunch. I could barely hear them over the sound of my stomach, time for food!
I had been going at it since 4 in the morning and I was ready for a break and then the trip home. I naturally wanted a steak, its my default meal, but it had to be in a nice restaurant and I didn't know where I was. I just kept heading towards where i had come and hoped to find somewhere nice on the way. It was almost like fate that I stumbled across a steakhouse, it looked closed but after a push on the door I was
seated at a table looking out onto the street, people walking past in all directions. Beer was ordered and enjoyed followed by the best, best steak i have had in a long time. Enjoyed with a glass of red wine it was a fitting end to a great day. All that was left was the trip home, back to the office, back to work.
Untill next time :-)
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Great blog there Alex. I do understand security watching you wander through their displays. From your photos on this blog you do appear a dubious fellow with a penchant for fake hair. That aside, I enjoyed your commentary on your "at the last minute" adventure. I was particularly excited with you stumbling across a pub that served steak and a red wine, this I perceive to be the highlight of your adventure