Slept very well but it was hot, at silly o'clock I found a fan in the corner of the room and set it running which helped a lot.
I doubt it's connected, but this afternoon I seem to have started a cold. Sneezing, scratchy throat and nose, some joint pains - I'm trying to hold them at bay with the full extent of my drug arsenal - paracetamol!
The breakfast is advertised as costing €25 each - I'm sorry, but if that's a €25 breakfast then I'm still dreaming!
Walking around Stralsund I couldn't help but make the comparison with Wismar - Wismar was sleepy but Stralsund is wide awake. It's a busy, bustling place with lots of shops.
After mooching round tge town and 'oohing and aahing at the medieval brick buildings went to the park on the seafront. Once we were out of the cold wind, it was quite pleasant.
Coffee and cake in the Ventspils restaurant - it seems to be a bit of a posh restaurant but they're happy to serve mad englischers who dont want the menu!
Almost immediately we left the bar the heavens opened, and it kept raining for about 20 minutes.
We walked back to the Alte Markt where we watched a poor confused dog in the fountain - actually quite hilarious
We're back in our room early because I feel quite grim at the moment.
Scavenging for food is one of the few things that I find quite dispiriting about these trips. I'm rarely in the mood for a proper sit down restaurant and 'greasy spoon' places aren't the best when you don't understand the culture. It feels somehow wrong to subsist on supermarket cheese, sliced meat and bread cobs!
Tomorrow, we're on a shortish journey to Binz and the seaside proper.
![image description - Rathaus] (https://mataroa.blog/images/18bf29ff.jpeg)