Neuwerk

I set out with Geert and Michael on Saturday to join the others, who had left on Friday morning. Us having to work for a living, plus me with my bad ankle, we had decided against hiking all the way out to the island over the tidal plains. After a very predictable last-minute "please could you get us some food" call from the guys on Neuwerk, and quick trips to Könecke sausage outlet and Aldi, we made our way onto the motorway to Cuxhaven. After approx. two hours driving across long-converted marshlands, we arrived at the island-goers parking space in Sahlenburg which costs €3 per day, but where the parking ticket machine accepts neither banknotes nor any form of bankcard! We threw in our last cents and hoped for the best. Down by the beach we found ourselves reducing the average age of the crowd waiting for the horse coaches by about 25 years. The weather was nice though, and the view beautiful. Grassy sand dunes stretching out to the left and right, and out there by the horizon, the island. People preferring to stay on the mainland could rent a "beach basket" which did not mean a picnic basket for the day. Instead it referred to miniature beach huts painted yellow, basically a reinforced sofa with striped lining, into which two people would fit at a push. Nice! After a little wait, the horse coaches and the trailers pulled by tractors arrived. At first we were worried that we'd get loaded with the luggage onto some closed trailer and be told to lie still. But no, some of the trailers had benches and open holes, so that you could at least get quick glances of the scenery. After waiting some more while the island people coordinated the transport, we were off! Driving out through the "harbour", past the last enthusiastic hikers, we watched Sahlenburg getting smaller and smaller while Michael offered everyone sat on the padded boards in the trailer some Haribo bears. The offer was graciously accepted by Geert, two small girls and me. The "path" to Neuwerk was marked on both sides by bundled branches stuck deep into the sand, and, at the end of the summer, covered in green seaweed and barnacles. These are replaced ever spring to make it easier for the tractor drivers and horse coaches. The ground between them is pretty hard, like a proper gravel road in places. Outside them, it's anybody's guess whether you'll be knee-deep in mud, slime and seaweed or not. After we passed one of the deeper channels (Priel), the guide of one of the hiker groups made sure we took some children onboard, as time was running out and they would not be able to cross the next channel except swimming. That is one of the most tricky parts of crossing on foot – no matter how far out the actual sea is, you never know how deep the channels are going to be (unless you've listened to the right people), and there are at least five of them to cross. Beside each channel, rescue towers proudly stand 5-7 meters tall, with a cage on top (reminded me of that man, David Blaine, in his cage above the Thames). We eventually set wheel on Neuwerk, after lots more shaking and bumping, and I for one welcomed the pleasure of tarmac under the trailer. Passing the well where hikers wash their boots/bare feet and rest their wary limbs, as well as the first (there are at least three) pub, a ninety-degree turn took us to the barn were we had reserved our hay. After dropping our bags and said purchased food, we discovered the first victim of the night before, in a sleeping bag at 14.30! (R) The others were bravely jogging around somewhere on the island. A walk on top of the embankment around the island lasted about 45 minutes at a slow pace, and took us past the amber museum&gallery, the pigs, some more pubs/restaurants, the lighthouse and the island school. I remember thinking "this is all very charming now, in sunlight, but when the winds are blowing 25/s in January, I bet they're dreaming of overcrowded beaches in Florida" or something to that effect. Well, after the guys had been running around sweating for a while, we pulled out the bbq and the bottles of red wine and enjoyed ourselves. We even went to the pub where Moritz once again tried to convince Michael and me of the virtues of Korn-Schorle (needless to say, without success). The coolest thing in the pub - in my opinion anyway - were the pint glasses with little horse coaches printed on them.
We then went back and tried to convert water into wine. This failing, the men turned their interest to the (98% female) company party installed upstairs in the barn. I remember stepping onto the embankment for two minutes, and when I got back, all the guys (apart from Geert and Klaas who had sensibly retreated to their sleeping bags) were balancing stark naked on the emergency staircase at the short end of the barn. I'm not sure where my camera was at that moment, but I'm sad to say I failed to secure evidence. Nevertheless, I'm sure you can all picture it! The girls were very generous with their miniature bottles of pflaumenschnapps???, and so the rest is history.
I was very impressed with the guys being able to practise the next day, especially given the weather mix: drizzle/downpour. I was grateful there were a coke bottle dispenser close at hand, a big umbrella and a plastic armchair underneath it! As for our return...the bravest/craziest people left around lunchtime to brave the sands again - the daughter of the innkeeper later said she was certain at least one of them would have continued no matter what because "he had that wild look in his eyes" (we assumed she meant René) – the rest of us awaited the channel depth figures, which were announced over AM radio. Geert managed to secure the last free seat in a horse coach. Until scant minutes before our departure, it was still not sure whether the tractor would leave or not – there was not enough wind, so the tide had been too weak. That meant that the channels would be 2-3 meters deep, a big no-go for tractor engines! Just before 14:00 we left, keeping an eye out for our determined hikers. However, our trip was cut short. At the first channel, we caught up with the other tractors whose drivers were still waiting for the water to leave. Around them, hikers crowded to see what was happening. After a while, the message passed around that the water, normally at that time at its low, was already coming back in. As the most reckless of the drivers announced that he wouldn't risk it, all of the others turned around as well, shouting at the hikers as we drove past. And that was that. We went back for some pizza and cake, and a game Mensch ärgere dich nicht during which people promptly became annoyed and refused to continue to play. As we finally boarded the ferry, the sun had come out again. I was very impressed with the sweets selection on board (Fazer and Turkish pepper!). Cuxhaven by night was very nice, for the whole 15 minutes it took us to walk to the train station. Just before midnight, the windswept rugby players+Swedish groupie stepped out of the train in Bremen Hbf.

Neuwerk

Sep 2, 2006 - 37 Photos