August 27th - Kiel, Germany

The day began with dark skies and rain - but by mid-morning, the clouds had
emptied, the plants were watered, and the streets were washed clean.

Checked out the Kiel Canal, connecting the North Sea with the Baltic. This
is the world's busiest artificial waterway - busier than the Suez and Panama
Canals.

It was still overcast, so I decided to stay closer to the city (I explored
the countryside on my last visit here). Because of its' strategic location,
and being home of the German naval fleet, much of the city was destroyed
during the war, so few historical or old buildings remain.

I then followed the "blue line" - a painted trail on the sidewalks to guide
the tourists into the city. Went native and had a wiener schnitzel from one
of the sidewalk carts. Ran into Joe Oakes, an amazing gentleman that I met
on my last cruise - small world. He and his wife Sylvia joined the ship the
other day in Copenhagen.

Since the weather was still looking a little dicey, I decided to walk along
the waterfront before heading back to the ship. Among the ships one could
see being built here, were a battleship, a submarine and what is sure to be
a magnificent yacht when completed.

Last, but not least, got to see a family of swans enjoying the day!