Juist and Norderney

We are now on Norderney, our third German Wadden island. After 4 nights on Borkum we had enough of it and were relieved that the weather was good enough to make the jump to Juist. That is a 3 hour trip, first over a shallow and then crossing the ‘Osterems’, where one of the sea ‘arms’ enters the Waddenzee between the islands. It was blowing around 15 knots, maybe a bit more towards the end and the trip was comfortable. Because of the tide we could only leave after 3pm and therefore arrived on Juist after 6. By then it was nice and sunny and after supper we took a walk over the island. The big thing is that there are no cars there, with the exception of one ambulance and two fire engines. On the Dutch Wadden island of Schiermonnikoog the locals can still have one car per household but not so on Juist. Everything is horse drawn, the taxis, the people transporting the luggage form the ferry to the hotels, and the deliveries. It’s very quaint. Also very friendly and laid back, we enjoyed it a lot. The next day (yesterday, Saturday) the weather was a lot worse. When it stopped raining after lunch we took a 2  ½ hour walk towards the West (the island is only 500m from the harbour in the South to the beach in the North). They call the island ‘Toverland’, fairyland and that’s not a bad description: very nice! The harbour is totally ‘tidal’ only at high tide can boats (including the ferry) enter. And at low tide you sit on the ground: Onbekommerd sank 70cm into the mud!

The beer gets delivered by a 2 horse carriage!

Harbour entrance at low tide

Habour dry at low tide

Food and red wine to keep warm!

On Norderney: Sun at last!

This morning it was beginning to clear and there was almost no wind. We took the morning tide and left at 8 to arrive on Norderney at 10h30. Nice calm trip and on arrival bright sunshine! Took a walk to the town straight away: very different from Juist, this is a place where one comes to take in the healthy sea air like the German Emperors and Kings have been doing for hundreds of years (A ‘Kurort’ in German). The average age of the people on the island decreased considerably when I landed (let alone the effect Lyn had!). Although it is not unpleasant, it has little going for it as far as we are concerned.

Tomorrow the plan is to go to Baltrum, then to Langeroog, Spiekeroog and Wangerooge, from there to the mainland at Wilhelmshaven and through the Ems – Jade canal back to the West. Now at over 7 degrees East, we’ll get to 8 before we head back.