Mostly Pictures

OK, to give you a break from my nattering, this post will be mostly pictures. Promise! I'll start by giving you a better idea of this whole 'Ganghaus' concept.
So you have a long row of houses:

Our street, called 'An der Obertrave'

 See that doorway to the left of the tree? That's the 'tunnel' that leads to our courtyard:

It's pretty low clearance: I have to stoop a little, and Jim really has to stoop! You walk through this tunnel, about 20 feet, and then you are in our courtyard:

Our house is in the middle on the right. There are about 8 houses in this Gang. The caretaker of this vacation rental we are staying in lives right next door. She is a very friendly lady.
So these tunnels and courtyards are dotted all over the city. Luebeck is famous for them. Some of them are tourist attractions!
And now, some pictures from the boat trip we took on Tuesday:

A beautifully restored historic sailboat

Luebeck's famous skyline

The 'Burgtor', another famous gate into the city (like the Holstentor).

The Dom of Luebeck. Our house is practically in the shadow of this church. In fact, it's called 'Ganghaus Domblick' (Dom view). If you walk out of our house and turn the corner to the left, you are hit with a stunning view of this building, built on a steep hill. It towers over you like a small mountain! No picture would do it justice.

Almost everywhere you turn, you are greeted by the sight of lilac trees in full bloom! These are some of my favorite flowers. We had lilac trees in our back yard when I was growing up. Their scent is incomparable!