Westende

We left Borkum fairly early as our Danish neighbours were leaving & heading to the Netherlands so we took the opportunity to anchor up en route to wait for the rising tide. This was such a relaxing hour or so just watching the seals pop up around us and the heat of the sun was working it's magic to stay, but we needed to get going again along the 'withy' road....
The withies are lovely flexible long shoots (willow I think) that are used to mark the watershed channel and can therefore be moved with the shifts in the 'Watt' (area of shallow water).
The day found a lovely rhythm and soon Norderney is in our sights. I'm glad we arrived here (about 2pm) on such a calm sunny day as the entrance was still turbulent.
The heat was a welcome change -
Nordeney is approximately 16 mile sq with just under 9.5 miles of incredible white sandy beaches. The pace is slow, with most people cycling much like our stops throughout the Netherlands.
We decided to eat out at Andre's. Great food and very helpful staff. . .. At 8.45pm the buzz of town started to die down as the waitress explained the Football was on. We took the stroll back via the weird looking 'Rock Monument.' we laughed as we were joking about not seeing any rocks. So no rocks, then 75 of them all together in the form of this obelisk - The Kaiser Wilhelm Monument built in 1898 to represent the unification of the German Empire and, as the name suggests, in honour of Kaiser Wilhelm I. Each of the rocks is representative of its place of origin and has its name engraved on it.
Strolling on via the Conversationhaus lining one side of large park space with giant screen & music stand, cafes etc. Clearly well used for events & festivals and we soaked up some atmosphere as the crowds of Germans had gathered to watch the match. By the time we'd reached the boat Germany had just scored to draw against Switzerland & there was a lot of drinking & cheering.

Day 2 Nordeney.
Bikes out for a day exploring... We set off along the fantastic dyke cycle path to find the lighthouse- they are one of my little obsessions & this one you can go up. Perfect on such a clear sunny day. Ron was just about persuaded the view would be worth it. After the
250 steps up that Ron didn't moan about at all🤣, we were treated to a great view of the island and the planes coming in to the flughafen. So on to the north side of the island.... The miles of sparkly beaches are truly incredible with the enormous dune systems. We weren't expecting to find our favourite Estrella Galicia beer at the beach cafe so it would have been rude not to have washed the large apple pie tart down with one of them. Luckily the Strandkorbs provided a handy place to rest up. The nudists were out which was a bit too much 'Villie & Cheek' for Ron who nearly spat out his pie.
We had second thoughts on a paddle with the mile long walk to get to the shore line.
There's a strong Scandi influence in the shops. Luckily the wonderful deli next to the chic home living & gift furnishing diverted attention.
We'll be back in the morning to pack the fridge with goodies.....Read more