Day 8 - from Göhren via Rohstock to somewhere in the Baltic Sea

This morning our laundry room was transformed back into a normal room again, as we would leave Rügen again. The almost dry clothes would have to dry in the car. Based on a recommendation from Jessica, we put on the damp pants right away so that they would dry faster and the shape of the leg would adjust. Argh - a nice feeling, damp fabric clinging to the leg. For farewell, Mrs. Walther, our landlady, gave us a gift: a bracelet made of black thread and beads in the stoner colors red, green, and yellow. The white beads in the middle had "no stress" written on them. We took the words to heart and made our way to Rostock. On the way, we stopped in Binz, a tourist village with a beautiful beach promenade.

We continued to a book outlet, which made my book-loving heart beat faster. After browsing for hours, we left Binz and drove to Rostock. At one of the McDonald's restaurants, which served as our Wi-Fi hotspot during our trip, we booked a spot on the "Huckleberry Finn", the ferry from Rostock to Trelleborg in Sweden. At the ferry terminal, we joined the long line of waiting cars. Then it started. Not realizing that I was in third gear, I started driving. Of course, I had to start the engine three times again until I realized to shift into first gear. We laughed when a ferry employee gestured to us with his hand to take it slow. Now we landed in first place in the queue. Next to us was a small sports car, whose driver noticed us through our laughing faces. He waved briefly and after we waved back, he brought out his dog and waved with him. Haha, cute but weird. Still laughing about our behavior, we were allowed to drive up the ramp to the ferry. There we were guided through with the words "just keep forward". Of course, we drove in the wrong lane and were jokingly directed to the right one. For the next turn, the way was indicated especially for us. Then we could park among a bunch of trucks. There was busy activity all around us, everyone left the "car deck". I briefly talked to two older ladies about what to do next. Since they also didn't know, I got back in the car. Since we actually wanted to sleep in the car, we lingered a bit, but then we still had to go to the toilet. Ignoring the "Exit" sign, I asked a worker for the way upstairs. He looked at us surprised. "The car deck is closed for the time of our cruising. You can leave through the exit doors," he told us. So, we were still the last ones in the now forbidden part of the ship. If we were in a doomsday movie, we would probably be the ones who would have to fight for survival because we are the last remaining people due to dawdling. So sleeping in the car was canceled. Completely aimlessly, we walked back and forth across the ferry because we didn't know how to sleep now. Apparently, we were the only ones, with a few exceptions, who hadn't booked a cabin. That didn't bother us much and after we had surveyed the situation, we went to the upper deck. There we enjoyed the fresh air and stayed a bit longer because it wasn't as cold as we thought. While the others around us stood at the railing in T-shirts and shorts, we were wearing long pants and thick raincoats. We looked like we belonged on the next fishing boat. Just before we saw the last lighthouse passing by, we had already left Germany behind us. After a coffee, we found a secluded table and made a temporary sleeping place out of the chairs. And so, I am sitting here, half-leaning on three pushed-together chairs, and typing these words. Thanks to the bright light, the loud TV, and a continuously coughing passenger, I can't close my eyes, while Jessica sleeps peacefully next to me. With headphones and my scarf on my knees, I am incredibly content and happy about this experience.