Yesterday evening's meal was a simple pizza and pasta affair in a side street restaurant - cheap, filling and satisfying - just right for old, tired bodies.
Our first task after breakfast was to buy a replacement walking stick. I'd asked advice on Mastodon and the reply was confirmed by the hotel receptionist - we needed to go to a Sanithaus shop and there was one near where we were heading anyway - so off we went.
Not directly, because we stopped to look around the St Nicholas church - which was enormous but rather dark. On the plus side, the English guide leaflet was very well done.
After buying the walking stick it was but a few steps to the Alter Hafen which is a modernised area of shops and grain silos converted to housing and offices. It was great just to sit and watch the world go by in such pleasant surroundings.
Sitting and watching was something we repeated a bit later further up the waterfront - I invested €6.50 in Backfisch mit brotchen for my wife. I rather wish now I'd got one for myself too - fried fish in a cob with optional tartare sauce, yumee!
After a while we set to walk slowly to the market square and our hotel. Although our return was delayed by the urgent need for ice cream!
A bit of a doze to recharge ourselves.
Our evening meal was at a restaurant that specialises in Schnitzel of various sorts and it was very good (although my life is not improved by garlic butter) and very affordable too. I accidentally ended up with Rhabarberschorle instead of Apfelschorle, not that I'm complaining because rhubarb and sparkling water make a very refreshing drink!
Although we had to walk to the restaurant in the rain (under a hotel umbrella) it was dry by the time we left.
I think that we can thoroughly recommend Wismar for a short stay - lots of nice historic buildings, a chilled waterfront, and decent, affordable food.
We sense that this part of Germany is very different from other areas of the country we've visited previously. There seems to be more 'conformity' - less colour in clothing and hairstyles, less radical clothing choices among the young. Prices are much lower, older people seem a little less friendly. Is this a lingering influence of what was here before 1989?