Schwedenköpfe

So all over Wismar there were statues that looked like this:

From Drop Box

Apparently, they are statues of Hercules with a lion pelt on his head and they are called Schwedenköpfe (Sweden heads). Why would images of a Greek demigod be referred to as Sweden heads, you ask? It's not clear. However, Wismar was owned by Sweden from 1648 to 1803. The statues are meant to protect the town somehow or perhaps do so by representing its power. There are two on posts in the harbor:



In other news from Wismar, I won the wine tasting contest! Two reds, two whites, two roses, and a German wine and they had to be categorized as 5-8 euros, 12-18 euros, or German (a French man constructed this test and has a low opinion of German wine).

The countryside between Wismar and Berlin looks a lot like central Illinois.

Hopefully everyone on the East Coast is staying safe from the numerous natural disasters!