Chicago Girl Around the World: Port Call Series-Wilhelmshaven, Germany

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Port Call Series-Wilhelmshaven, Germany

We pulled into port on the 1st of September, and I was greeted by Mike on the pier! A few family members came to visit in Germany, so I took the opportunity to fly him somewhere fun! I took leave so I didn't have to stand duty, and am very appreciative to the others who covered for me! We relaxed and had a nice dinner the first day, considering he had just stepped off the plane and took multiple trains and buses to get to the seaside town. The second day, we walked the "Maritime Mile" of Wilhelmshaven. There was an entrance to the "mile" near our hotel, which was similar to the Virginia Beach boardwalk. Since it was Sunday, most places were closed, except for museums and restaurants. We decided to go to the aquarium, which was one of the few places open. We saw many great fish, marmosets, seals, and penguins. After our trip to the Aquarium, we went and had a beer at an outdoor café. Beer, pretzels, and sun was a great way to spend the afternoon! Except for the standard sunburn. :( As we were walking back to the hotel, one of the locals overheard us speaking English. He asked where we were from, and when he found out we were from Chicago, we were instant friends. He worked for Nicor in Naperville for 15 years, and was so happy to see some Chicagoans! After the walk back, I snuck away the rest of the afternoon to the spa! Haircut and massage were in order this weekend. Next haircut in 6 months! Sunday evening, we had a great "date night" and ate dinner at a trendy little place a block away from the hotel, called Pier 24. The food was absolutely amazing. The waitress spoke some English, and was super sweet translating for us. Mike had the surf/turf, and I had some scallops and pasta. The local fish was great, and we ordered it at almost every meal. Monday we ventured into the center of town, since all the shops were open for business. We walked around for a few hours, looking at shoe stores (tons of these!), local shops, and tourist traps. We ended up at a Beer Garden for lunch, which was in the mall. They had tons of great food, beer, and live music. We ended the evening at a local dive, enjoying some schnitzel and drinks. I went back to the ship early the next morning, and had to hit up a local dentist. Luckily he helped me enough to wait it out to a future port for a root canal. Can't let that bring me down on a wonderful weekend!