Schwerin!

So, it's been a while, hasn't it? I think the trouble is I have too many pictures and keep putting off posting them, especially since they take a while to load.

But at any rate, I spent 4 and a half days in northern Germany the week before last for break. I was in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in the capital, Schwerin, visiting a friend of mine who also happens to be in Germany on the same scholarship. I got to have a taste of "East Germany" and I have to say it isn't nearly as bad as people say it is. In fact, I liked it there. While they may not have the same beautiful landscapes as my state, there is more to do and the transportation is better. And of course, they still have beautiful architecture (even if it does seem randomly tossed into the city at times). Here, for example, is their capitol building, the Schweriner Schloss:


Incredible, isn't it? As you can probably see, they moved into the castle of some former member of the royalty or nobility (it's hard to keep track). As you walk past it, you also run into one of the museums (right). We walked through a castle garden and had a look at this fellow riding a horse (maybe you think I should know the names of these statues, but they seem to be everywhere and I haven't been carrying a pen and notepad around for this or anything).


After wandering around for a while, we stopped at a restaurant that promised good beer and affordable food. Like many of the restaurants here, they offered very traditional sorts of meals, meaning lots of potatoes, pork, and red cabbage. It was fantastic, especially with the beer. The next day we walked along the Schweriner Innensee:

Of course I'm posting all the most attractive places I saw there and so you don't see the graffiti, construction, and all that. But it was all worth seeing, I think. Before I go, I can't resist one more picture of the Schloss from a distance: