Schiffergesellschaft

Breakfast in Northern Germany looks familiar. We have chopping boards for the bread and a selection of hams, herring and liver; variety is achieved with some cheeses, butter of various fat percentages, jams and a soft boiled egg, and of course there is some mango baked cheese cake available.

We do a self-guided tour in Lubeck in the morning. Very interesting architecture and lots of churches (10 at least) in such a small town. We are told later that it is because people go to different church according to their status or profession.

Lubeck is a seafaring town with an active shipping industry to this day. It is from here that Peter Kaminsky

sailed his ship to Finland 3 times a week carrying over 2 kilometres of cars and trucks as well as approx 300 passengers. The journey would take 36 hours and they would have a 9 hour turnaround in Finland.

Lubeck is surrounded by water which provided natural fortification in older times. It suffered massive devastation by allied bombing during WWII.

After 4 hours in town we return to Pia and Peter’s home around 3 pm. Had a late lunch then get ready to go dinner at Schiffergesellschaft at 7 pm. It turns out Peter is president of Schiffergesellschaft (a group of sea captains in Lubeck) and the Nordic Society.

Schiffergesellschaft (Seamen's Guild) was acquired in 1535 by the Seaman's Guild. The old building was then demolished but later rebuilt in its current fashion. Then as now, it was used as a meeting house for seamen and sail-makers. The famous Schiffergesellschaft restaurant also considers itself to be the "oldest pub in the world." Revenues are still used to support indigent boatmen and boatmen's widows. Many memorabilia from centuries past, brought by seafarers from all over the world, create a wonderful ambience.

The restaurant has a special spring menu to celebrate the season and May 1^st is a special day for them. Tonight is a special night and Peter has to use his influence to get us four places as it is booked out for months in advance.
Kwan has the very special white asparagus while the others have fish and German potato salad (very tasty).



Dessert is served with warm cherry sauce (with whole cherries). Then people start singing all the seamen’s songs – very entertaining and noisy evening.