Schobüll

Waltraud actually lives in a "suburb" of Husum, the small residential vacationers village of Schobüll. The whole area is know for it's fresh North Sea breezes and interesting landscapes. We spent the day Marianne, a neighbor, traveling around the countryside.

Here were are in a nature preserve. Behind us an an observation shack from which visitors can view the nesting wildlife without disturbing.

Here's another neighbor of Waltraud's. These cranes live just down the road.










One particular oddity of Nordseeküste geography is the so-called Hallig, small low lying islands just off shore. There used to be some hundred such. Today they are just 10 in number.

This particular example in the far, far distance has a small population and is connected to the mainland with a small personal railway atop a dike. The transport vehicles are know as "Lorebahn" whence the Brits get their odd word "Lorry" meaning "truck." Unfortunately none of the locals were out and about shopping, so i didn't get to see what the train cars looked like, so i promised Waltraud i'd be returning... this time with Rob. A bike tour perhaps? This is part and parcel of the Low Countries, and the people still speak Plattdeutsch, Low German. Marianne, a native was kind enough to introduce me to the dialect. It is the polar opposite of southern Germany's Schwäbisch and has much in common with Dutch.











Those who know me well know i love cows, but this is mutton country. I found that i really do like sheep, especially with fresh white asparagus and a nice gravy! mmmmmm......








Here i am on the Hamburger Hallig, another one of the low lying small islands. It's the only example one you can drive onto, as it is connected by a dike with a one lane road. Many structures here, whether atop a Hallig or lying in the area of reclaimed land, are built upon artificial hills. Thatch roofs are also common place.


Waltraud invited us to lunch where i had a lambwurst. Not baa-aa-aaad. Marianne has a tea with the word Punsch somewhere in the name, meaning it was spike with some sort of liquor. I had a sort of Irish coffee called a "Pharisäer." The story goes, there was a gathering at a home for a baptism, followed by Kaffee & Kuchen. The folks wanted a bit o' what in their coffee, but thought the pastor would object, so they secretly added whiskey to there drinks and covered up the evidence with a nice topping of whipped cream. Well, through some sort of mix-up, the stuffy old clergy man got one of the fortified coffees, and exclaimed in exasperation, "you hypocrites, you Pharisees!"


To which i say "Prost!" and thanks Waltraud for a wonderful visit.