ISLAND PLEASURES

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  Frisian Tea

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  Cordon bleu disaster

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  A beautiful day

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Sounds ominous, doesn’t it? Like a glam vacation in the Caribbean. Or party, party, party on the Spanish Canary Islands. Well, far from it! I’m on a little German North Sea Island … which is occupied by pensioners and families with little kids, especially at this time of year (darn, should have thought of that …). Well, at least I’m splurging myself at a four-starhotel, which is a far more comfortable option than the usual 70s style hotel (think dark wood furniture and plush chairs covered with green-brown velvet flowery fabric, stylishly accompanied with drapes of the same fabric) I usually occupy here on this island. (Which I initially chose because of its location. Just cross the street and I’m on the beach.) My new accommodation is not that awful either in terms of location, with not even five minutes to the beach … but, well, with rain on the horizon at the beginning of October, being at a “nicer” hotel is a luxury I definitely deserve. With a wellness area, pool, massages … to spend the rainy hours when one doesn’t want to walk around, getting drenched unnecessarily.

So, Borkum – the name of my little German island – is anything but a party island. But it’s nice, it’s comfortable and it’s convenient by way of driving distance for a weekend getaway. After my wonderful but quite stressful Austria trip, it’s exactly what I need. The sea, the beach, hopefully good food … and solitude. Just me and myself, enjoying a few quiet days. Yeah, I know, as if I were leading such a busy social life, especially in those Covid times, spending most of my time at home with my cat. But I still enjoy it.

My first afternoon here was filled with having EastFrisian tea time, doing some tea shopping, heading to the beach – of course – and being surprised by a heavy downpour after all. And stupid me, not being prepared … with cap and shawl and umbrella back at the hotel, where they are definitely needed. Sadly, those restaurants I had planned to grace with my Austrianness were already fully booked, so I had to make another choice … and instead of being a clever girl and have fish for dinner (which I just don’t like all that much), I courageously picked the Cordon bleu. (Of course, with special requests: skip the Sauce Hollandaise on the broccoli and serve French fries instead of potato croquettes!) I knew it was a mistake, I knew it, but I just couldn’t help myself. It’s like an obsession, my German search for a decent Cordon bleu … well, it was edible (however, the broccoli not) with the meat itself good … but the breadcrumb coating … I have never seen a Cordon bleu fried like this before. 

Day No 2 started with buffet style breakfast at my hotel (nothing special, but ok) before heading outsidefor a one-hour walk along the beach, with the sun peeking out from behind the clouds, resulting in a beautiful sunny morning, which I basically spent on the beach, walking barefoot in the shallow water – and receiving the one or other curious and weird look by other walkers. But, well, the water was not any colder than my favourite little stream in the Carinthian Nockberge mountains, I used to walk along upstream.

East Frisian tea time was on the schedule again, of course. If I can’t have British tea time, this is at least the next best thing. With a piece of East Frisian cake, quite good, but would have preferred it with cream cheese and rum raisins instead of the whipped cream-rum raisin filling. But, well, whipped cream is another German thing. So, of course, after this calorific delight I had to walk it off again, with still ok weather. One just had to be happy that it was not raining. Dinner at the American bar was a way better choice than my Cordon bleu trial and error run, I chose spare ribs and they were just perfect. The perfect finish to a quite perfect day.

Day No 3: oh boy, now it’s here! Constant rain!Courageously I went to the beach after breakfast, equipped with anorak, woollen cap, scarf and my trusty umbrella – I bet, I am the only one walking along the beach with an umbrella. Real German sea vacationers can’t live without rain boots and rain jacket. (Which I don’t possess … there’s no point in having rain boots and a rain jacket for three days a year, is it? Well, maybe for my next England vacation …)

Which is why it didn’t take long for me getting soaked through and through … and my hotel room was calling my name to dry off. And that’s how I basically spent my last day on the island. Moving from my hotel room to a restaurant / café / tea shop, doing some shopping in between plus lots of reading.

All in all, it still was a great short vacation and I’m already looking forward to the next …