Biketrekking & WarmShowers & Wild Camping adventures: Güstrow, a chance to meet the locals

Our first puncture of the journey befalls us as we exit the campsite. Despite my boastful assurances that my tyres yield seldom to such inconveniences, I am the victim of poetic irony. Thankfully today's stretch is all of 21km, with good cycle paths speeding our journey to arrive in Güstrow before lunchtime.


What an amazing backdrop

Friday night is JuGu (church group) night

Yet again we will be hosted by an evangelical church. This time a more impressive and striking building in the centre of the city. Emma shows us around the grounds and invites us to join her in a youth church meeting that is held every Friday evening. The promise of food and games makes an easy decision.
The meeting is hosted by the parish deacon and consists of a meal, singing practice and an interesting psychological discussion on how people best demonstrate and receive affection for each other. There are broadly speaking five "languages" or ways that people do this, and the language you best express your affection is not necessarily how you best receive it. The interactive discussion does provoke some interesting questions among the primarily teenage group. The only criticism I can level is the religious context, but maybe that's just me. The sing-along Christian rock songs and prayers do seem disconsonnent in this otherwise informative and lively Friday event. It all strikes me as being a hip new way to ingratiate floundering religious ideas into the next generation. In defense of this event and the teenage-focussed religious teachings, I can offer no alternative situation where teenagers can openly pose the more existential and psychological questions they may have as they approach adulthood. The central tenant that God "has your back" during these troubling and confusing times, is less convincing.
Lasse is collected by his father in order to attend his confirmation at the weekend. The group looses a member for the next two days until we meet up for the ferry in Rostock.
We decide to spend another day here on church grounds as Rostock is only 45km away and we have plenty of time to get to our ferry. After a lazy morning, we take in some culture at the castle. There we have been invited by some of the teenagers, we meet last night, to spectate at a classical music recital. Although it costs us 5€ per person, we decide that it is something worthwhile. The recital room is unusually decorated, at least to my eyes; sculpted deer, with real antlers, provide the ceiling boarder - imagine an ornate hunting lodge.
The recital has some highlights, with young people of all ages, playing a myriad of classical instruments and dancing ballet.
After playing some boardgames (El Grande, in could play again) and supping on Greice (never a dinner in my opinion), we went to the nearby lake. There we meet with some of the girls from the previous night and had a swim as the sun was setting.Our first puncture of the journey befalls us as we exit the campsite. Despite my boastful assurances that my tyres yield seldom to such inconveniences, I am the victim of poetic irony. Thankfully today's stretch is all of 21km, with good cycle paths speeding our journey to arrive in Güstrow before lunchtime.
Yet again we will be hosted by an evangelical church. This time a more impressive and striking building in the centre of the city. Emma shows us around the grounds and invites us to join her in a youth church meeting that is held every Friday evening. The promise of food and games makes an easy decision.
The meeting is hosted by the parish deacon and consists of a meal, singing practice and an interesting psychological discussion on how people best demonstrate and receive affection for each other. There are broadly speaking five "languages" or ways that people do this, and the language you best express your affection is not necessarily how you best receive it. The interactive discussion does provoke some interesting questions among the primarily teenage group. The only criticism I can level is the religious context, but maybe that's just me. The sing-along Christian rock songs and prayers do seem disconsonnent in this otherwise informative and lively Friday event. It all strikes me as being a hip new way to ingratiate floundering religious ideas into the next generation. In defense of this event and the teenage-focussed religious teachings, I can offer no alternative situation where teenagers can openly pose the more existential and psychological questions they may have as they approach adulthood. The central tenant that God "has your back" during these troubling and confusing times, is less convincing.
Lasse is collected by his father in order to attend his confirmation at the weekend. The group looses a member for the next two days until we meet up for the ferry in Rostock.
We decide to spend another day here on church grounds as Rostock is only 45km away and we have plenty of time to get to our ferry. After a lazy morning, we take in some culture at the castle. There we have been invited by some of the teenagers, we meet last night, to spectate at a classical music recital. Although it costs us 5€ per person, we decide that it is something worthwhile. The recital room is unusually decorated, at least to my eyes; sculpted deer, with real antlers, provide the ceiling boarder - imagine an ornate hunting lodge.
The recital has some highlights, with young people of all ages, playing a myriad of classical instruments and dancing ballet.
After playing some boardgames (El Grande, in could play again) and supping on Greice (never a dinner in my opinion), we went to the nearby lake. There we meet with some of the girls from the previous night and had a swim as the sun was setting.