The Cool North of Germany

It’s quite chilly in Stuttgart, too, as we set off for northern Germany. Just after six o’clock, there isn’t much traffic on the streets yet. The display shows that the bus that’s supposed to take us to the main station will arrive in four minutes. We’re a little excited and curious to see if we can make it all the way to Sylt using the Deutschlandticket and regional trains. To avoid overwhelming ourselves with this journey, we’ve broken it down into several stages. Today, we’re heading to Göttingen. From Stuttgart, we’ll first travel to Würzburg. There, we’ll have to transfer to the RE7 bound for Erfurt. In Neudietendorf, we’ll then board the train to Göttingen. The city is located in Lower Saxony and is the largest and oldest university town in the state. It was first mentioned in 953 as the village of Gutingi on the Leine River. The market town of Gotingen was granted city rights in 1230. Over the years, the two settlements merged. Today, Göttingen has around 135,000 residents. The city center is characterized by numerous half-timbered houses. Thanks to the “Night of Cultures” event, there’s quite a bit going on in the city. We dive into the hustle and bustle and listen to the artists’ musical performances in the city’s various squares. We find a table for dinner at the restaurant Zum Szültenbürger.

Göttingen, Germany

The next day, we continue on to Hamburg. Unfortunately, the local transit system is once again unreliable, so we arrive at Hamburg Central Station nearly an hour late. We’ve arranged to meet up with Brigitta and Hannes. We first met the two of them in the Canary Islands. On our way to New Zealand, we kept running into them again and again. In the meantime, they’ve given up their nomadic lifestyle and are in the process of settling down again in Hamburg. We’re happy to see our friends again and start by taking a harbor tour through the Speicherstadt. As always when sailors meet, there’s plenty to talk about. At Gasthaus Offen in Wandsbek, we continue our conversation over a hearty home-style meal. Thank you so much for your hospitality, Brigitta and Hannes.

Speicherstadt, Hamburg, Germany

We reach our final destination, Sylt, almost on time, even though we were crammed together on the train. Several school classes are on a field trip and take up most of the train. We squeeze in among them and chuckle to ourselves at the crowd of kids. They can't hide their excitement, and the teachers have their hands full trying to rein in the euphoria at least a little. Just like it was for us back then, the teachers still fail today. But we, too, are looking forward to Sylt and to seeing Asha and Rüdiger. Asha picks us up in Westerland. We drive to List, where a cold wind blows in our faces. The sky is ash-gray. “Typical Sylt weather,” we’re told. At least the rain isn’t coming sideways. Slightly confused, we take a look around first. I wonder how anyone can go swimming in weather like this. Sure enough, the beaches are empty, and the few beachgoers are wrapped in thick jackets, their hats pulled low over their faces. Only at Lister Ellenbogen, Germany’s northernmost point, do we see a cluster of beachgoers.

Germany's northernmost point

At the Morsum Cliffs, we’re almost alone again, hiking through “Little Africa” and marveling at the ancient burial mounds from the Viking Age. Keitum, the old Frisian village, has undergone a tremendous transformation. Numerous boutiques can be found in the old Frisian houses with their characteristic thatched roofs. The oldest date back to 1698. Keitum has always been something special on Sylt. In the 17th and 18th centuries, numerous wealthy captains settled here and brought a certain degree of prosperity to the town on the otherwise poor island. St. Severin Church, built in 1240, is worth a visit. The adjacent cemetery features numerous old gravestones that reflect Keitum’s history. In the evening, I go to the sports field with Rüdiger. The German Sports Badge test is coming up, and I offer to rake the sandbox. Shot put, the 50-meter sprint, and the standing long jump are on the agenda for today’s test.

Morsum Cliff, Sylt, Germany

House in Keitum, Sylt, Germany

Rüdiger at the sports badge ceremony

We visit the Kampen bird trap. 250 years ago, the people of Sylt established a lucrative source of income. Sylt received its official duck-hunting permit from the Danish king. Ducks were caught using decoys and a trapping device, and their necks were then wrung. Sylt duck liver pâté was exported all over the world. In some years, up to 25,000 ducks were caught. By 1912, that number had dropped to just 99, and the duck decoy had to be closed. Today, you can walk through the floodplain forest and learn about the past in the decoy houses. Rüdiger shows us the southern part of the island. Passing Westerland, we drive to the port of Rantum and take a look at the Rantum basin. In Hörnum, we’ve reserved a table at Fisch Matthiesen. Matthiesen is a Sylt institution when it comes to fish, so a visit is a must. But first, we take a short walk to the Hörnum lighthouse and check out the harbor.

Vogelkoje Kampen, Sylt, Germany

Hörnum Lighthouse, Sylt, Germany

After all those activities, we take a break the next day and visit Abessinienstrand in List. With glorious sunshine and temperatures up to 27°C, Sylt is really outdoing itself when it comes to the weather. However, a water temperature of 17°C is definitely too cold for me. Oh well. With such beautiful weather, we’re staying a few more days. May you always have fair winds, and keep a stiff upper lip.