We came to Lübeck with some expectations (the capital of the historic Hanseatic League, a port on the Baltic Sea, birthplace of Thomas Mann, Gunther Grass lived her…) but I must say we weren’t impressed. The city center is the usual row of soulless chain shops, the same as in other German city (or European nowadays). The port is nice but it extend for many kilometers away from the historical part of town, so you only see a small bit, with not so many ships. Even the old buildings are a bit weird in their choice of materials and the way they are arranged in space. Perhaps we are spoiled with Italian art and architecture, so here simply does not compare. Nice dinner at Fangfrisch though, which helped saving the day. We stayed at an oldish hotel, which had the charm of tired interiors maintained spotlessly, a bit East-Germany-like.

The following day we travelled a short 20 minutes to Travemunde, a beach town full of tourists, all of them from Germany. Thanks to the nice weather, the huge beach and the nice matjes we had for lunch, we enjoyed the few hours we spent there. Valeria even managed to exercise on the beach, while I was happy with the 10,000 steps I managed despite the pain in my leg.