We were on the road at 8 am because Mom wanted to get a space at this parking close to the city center. Germany is very good at offering services for RVs so you don't have to go to a campsite. We have everything we need in Lucy but some countries make it very hard to find parking near a city so you're forced to go to a campsite and pay for more services than you need. 

We made it to the place while there was still room. This city is named Schwerin and lies about 65 miles east of Hamburg and stuns with its romantic palace and surrounding landscape riddled with lakes.

At the end of World War II, on 2 May 1945, Schwerin was taken by United States troops. It was turned over to the British on 1 June 1945, and one month later, on 1 July 1945, it was handed over to the Soviet forces, as the British and American forces pulled back from the line of contact to the predesignated occupation zones. By German standards, wartime casualties and destruction by bombing in Schwerin were small, in spite of nightly RAF raids and the droning of massive bomber pulks as silver specks on the sky during the day on their way to Berlin.

This is the train/bus station and Mom claims that the public transportation in Europe works great if you know your way around, as a tourist it can get really tricky to get on the correct bus and know when to get off or change

The 13th-century cathedral (In the background)Back in the Middle Ages, a reliquary that was believed to hold Christ’s blood drew pilgrimages to Schwerin Cathedral.

I guy with my name founded this city, Henry the Duke (I like the sound of that)of Bavaria and Saxony, was one of the most powerful men in his region of the world. He founded the city of Schwerin in 1160 and also founded other cities like Munich (1157) and Lübeck (1159) on the Market Square, there’s a  monument that features a lion prowling atop a single pillar. Each side of the monument shows curious scenes associated with Henry the Lion. The lion on the top of the monument references Henry’s heraldic animal. (good to know) The reliefs on the sides of the pillar show several episodes from the duke’s conquests—and one scene depicting a row of several bare butts. This strange inclusion is an artistic representation of something Henry allegedly encountered while on a military campaign.

Legend has it that when Henry the Lion arrived in the town of Bardowick, its residents received him with their pants pulled down to reveal their bare behinds. They formed this “bottom parade” to express their anger at the Duke’s trade policy. During his reign, Henry had promoted Schwerin and Lübeck as important trading places, causing Bardowick to lose its prestige, much to the contempt of its citizenry.

The nearly 15-foot-tall monument and its four reliefs were built by the satirical (and often controversial) German sculptor Peter Lenk in 1995 to honor the 800th anniversary of Henry the Lion’s death.

The main attraction in Schwerin is the castle, where graves from 3000 years BC have been found inside the city's limits. The earliest traces of a fortress on the island of Schwerin Castle date back to 942. The Slavic tribe of the Obotriten lived here. In 1160 the area was conquered by Duke Henry "the Lion" and became Christianized during the following centuries. 

Is it true that the police eat a lot of donuts? 

This castle is haunted and down in the huge cellar vaults of the Palace lives the mystical Petermännchen (little Peter). He is said to be a small, good-natured goblin with a grim look and there are many legends surrounding his character. Several hundred stories can be told about the Castle's poltergeist, probably making Schwerin Castle one of the most "legendary" places in Germany 

Schwerin Castle is now both the seat of the local government and an art museum displaying pieces ranging from the ancient to the twentieth century. Some of the most important pieces at Schwerin’s museum are its seventeenth-century Dutch and Flemish paintings.

Mom admired  the garden so we spent a lot of time walking around the castle

It's surrounded by water and the views are beautiful, in one place there is a frame put up so you can get a portrait of yourself with a nice background. 

Mom asked a lady to help us out with pictures, but I don't think she understood the concept

Frame is gone

Maybe we should have asked someone less colorful to take our picture ;-)

This is Herkules overlooking the lake and the Orangerie 

Me looking at a place in the shade where we can sit for a while

This became Mom's favorite place so we sat down on a step where it was cool, but it didn't take long before a guard came and told us the garden is closed. It's only 3 o clock? they were preparing for a private party.................Private? you can rent this garden to have a party? wow, Mom I just had a birthday maybe next year we can have the party for me here, right? 

Walking out we found these caves leading to the cellar maybe

this is a weeping beech planted here more than 150 years ago. In those years many noblemen and their guests were wandering through the park. Time passes and brings challenges. As you can see it has two trunks and a huge crown to carry, and as if age and weight were not enough it's suffering from a fungus infection known as brittle cinder

what a nice shady place to sit and listen to the birds chirping............this is where I want the snacks put out on my party

Some of the roots stick out of the dirt destabilizing the tree so there were signs of no stepping or climbing to help it remain standing for many more years

Leaving the park there were many more massive buildings in Schwerin but in compare to the castle they seemed forgotten

Those steps by the lake look like a perfect place to meet and have a drink or lunch

This lady is on her way to play her giant guitar somewhere 

At one place Mom stood for the longest time staring up at these stone people holding up the roof. She was in disbelief at first, but after zooming in really close you can see it was some kind of scarf  tied around their waists  

After all this walking we planned to sit down at an outdoor place for something to drink, but all of a sudden the weather changed and it was happening in seconds. Waiters started to run around pulling down umbrellas and bringing in cushions. The wind picked up and it was very strong and then rain and thunder.
We tucked ourselves in under an awning by a bank and waited for the worst to pass. It was SCARY. 

This time Mom was prepared for rain and when the wind died down she carried me under her coat almost all the way back to Lucy. I don't care how much Mom tells me it's ok, I DO NOT like thunder it is SCARY.

Here I  am soaking wet but safe back in Lucy 

It's now Friday morning (Mom was too tired to finish last night) and it's sunny again 

I'm not sure if we're staying her or going somewhere else, time will tell

Have a great day Kisses to ya all

Henry

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