One thing that I was looking forward to when I attended GrIStuF was a day tour to Schwerin, the capital of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The next day after the closing ceremony, we were packed and ready. Seven o’clock in the station was a bit early for us, but thank god nobody was left behind. Two or three hours later, we arrived in Schwerin and began to explore the city! The first stop was this, only five minutes away by walking from the station.

Sehr schön, yes?

Next was a church nearby. Nothing special about this church, it’s just like other European churches. High ceiling, paintings on the wall, an altar with ornaments, etc.

The last destination was beyond imagination. An epic grandeur. I’m sure all girls, some time in her age, have dreams about princesses and castles. Being here is like getting out of your imagination of fairy tales and seeing a castle pops out before your very eyes.

Very majestic, indeed.

Surrounded by a lake, this castle used to be a home for dukes and grand dukes before being state parliament. We were lucky to get a complete tour by someone who used to live there, a daughter whose parents had worked in this place. I think she knew every room in this castle like the back of her hand. We started from the ground floor, and up until the tower where Prince Niklot statue stands gloriously. This is a picture of garden view from the balcony, with the city far away behind.

In one side of the castle, there’s a big garden with (more) statues. There’s a corner in the garden that I think is perfect for lying around and doing nothing, just for the sake of enjoying the breezy summer, with the scenery of few boats across the lake. What’s better than lying on the sweet-smelled grass and looking up to the clear sky? Green grass and blue sky are meant to be together, really.

One cute thing in the garden is a piece of picturesque wall overlooking the lake, with rectangular hole in the middle. And of course, what’s an Asian without taking pictures of him/herself in front of (practically) anything?

The best thing about this tour was that we walked all the way from the station, to the big pond, to the church, to the castle, and back to the station. Nothing beats the feeling of walking in a narrow cobble-stoned street. For this day, I have to say, “A day well spent, thanks to GrIStuF!”