Fishing and Hochwacht

Saturday I got up early and biked to a lake, the Pluss see, and tried out my new pole. I was there at 3am and fished for 3 hours. I did get a bite and reeled it in but as soon as I pulled the fish out of the water it wriggled itself off and got away. It was about the size of my hand. There were bigger fish out there, I could see them jumping from time to time, but it was not meant to be on this day.

On Sunday I biked north toward Luitjenburg and on to Hochwacht on the Baltic coast. I biked up and down the coast before heading back. The beach here was very nice. Much less crowded then Timmdorfstrand. On the way back I got pretty tired and stopped to rest on a bench. As I sat there two other bikers came up a side road looking exhausted and said hi (moin moin) as they passed and got onto the bike trail. I thought to myself that they must have been lost and continued on the nice bike trail parallel to the main road. After a few more miles I realized I didn't recognize the route and was off the map, so I angled what I tought was south. After many miles more a giant sea opened up next to me and I saw signs for roads toward Kiel. At that point I figured I was way lost and realized I missed my turnoff and I bet the point where I rested and saw the other bikers come up was it. At this point my legs were burning but I had to turn around and retrace. Finally I got back to that point and sure enough there was the turn I had missed. Then it was a long slow return home in a race before sunset (which fortunately takes a very long time this time of year). I finally got back in as V was putting the kids to bed and my legs are very sore today from the workout.

Siebenschlaefertag

Today, June 27, is a special traditional day here in Germany. It is named after a hibernating door mouse. The saying goes that whatever the weather is like on this day, it will be the same for seven more weeks (obvious parallels with Groundhog Day in the states). It was rainy today, which is a good thing, the plants are very stressed here from lack of water. It has not rained much at all this summer and this is supposed to be one of the wettest parts of Europe!

A new nephew!!!!

I just found out that a baby boy was born to my sister, S, this afternoon (morning their time) 7 lbs 2 Oz. His older brother M was my first nephew and now my kids, T and M, have a second first cousin. Congratulations S and C!

M is off to Kiel

Kieler Woche

Szczecin

My brother is coming to visit in August and we are planning a trip around the Baltic. I previously scouted the route north as far as Denmark and this last weekend I went east to the edge of Poland! I spent Saturday night in the city of Sczcecin and returned on Sunday. ...

Summer Solstice

This was the view of the northern horizon at midnight on the summer solstice. We are far enough north here that a "twilight" passes by in the north between sunset and sunrise.