Not that there aren't plenty of tourists here, but they are all Germans. The hostels (and I should add that the hostels in this region are new and good) are all full of German families and bicyclists. I think I met two other foreigners in the week I was there. If I was doing this again, I think I would have gone further east into Pomerania, but originally I was planning on swinging back west to Rostock to take the ferry to Denmark. As is often the case on this trip, my plans changed a bit.

I spent a few days in Greifswald, which is small but has some interesting buildings, but also too many obnoxious youths. I found a much needed laundromat. Since it's deserted, I tossed all my clothes (and I have the perfect amount of clothing with me in that it all fits in one machine) in except for a pair of shorts. So, I'm reading a book in my shorts and my coat and nothing else, when a young woman comes in with laundry. She asks me for change -- I'm guessing since I can't speak German. Can't help her there, but I can later when she asks for help in figuring out how to work the machines. I admit that the system was unusually complicated, but they did seem to have instructions, in German of course. The people in these parts seem to be a bit less standoffish than in the rest of the country.

Stralsund is larger and a bit more interesting. Their UNESCO St. Nikolai is particularly fascinating. It's a bit run down, which enhances the atmosphere. There are all kinds of wonderful things seemingly forgotten in the corners of this church. Parts of Stralsund are fixed up, but some of the very best buildings, even over by the waterfront, have yet to be renovated.

I take some very long walks, up along the coast and also inland, doing one of my shoddy neighborhood tours, which is not at all difficult to find around here. This is certainly an interesting area that has not yet realized its potential. No doubt it will be completely unrecognizable in ten years.

One of the only non-Germans I met, a Swede named Tommy, offers a lift. He's taking the ferry that goes from Sassnitz to Trellborg. He says he can drop me in Malmo, where I can cross the bridge into Denmark. It's an offer I can't refuse.

We have time to kill before the ferry and scenic Rugen Island is not a bad place to hang out. With more time I would go hiking at Jasmund, but we settle on some shoreline strolls. We also visit Binz, a beach resort that appears to have a fascinating, yet largely forgotten history. I was immediately struck by the massive dilapidated building that parallels the long beach. I was told that this conglomeration was built in the 30's, a consequence of the fascists' "Kraft durch Freude" ("power by fun" or sometimes translated "strength through joy"), which was a part of the DAF, the German labor organization. German workers would come up here on the train and stay in this institutional monster for their holiday! To quote from the 1938 "Das danken wir dem Führer!": "Earlier, German workers did not know what to do with their, at best, five days of annual vacation. They could not visit the beauties of the German landscape, much less travel abroad. The NS Society Kraft durch Freude gave German workers the possibility of vacationing at the beach or in the mountains, or to explore the homeland. Over 20 million have participated in KdF trips since 1934." Today, Germans have plenty of annual vacation but are stuck with ugly facist buildings at their beach. It's too large to tear down so most of it remains empty, save for a few pathetic museums and food shops.

Before getting on the ferry we do the same thing all Swedes do before leaving Germany -- we stock up on beer and other alcohol. Alcohol is taxed mercilessly in Sweden. Tommy buys several cases of beer and most of the other people on the ferry are bringing over at least that much. If this ferry ever gets stuck you can be sure they'll be one hell of a party going on until it is rescued.