@globustrotterin

_{Peaceful Langeneß}

Let me take you to the secret paradise that lies in the northern part of Germany. I call this place a paradise because it is definitely a place where you can completely rest for a moment, recharge from your daily dose of hustle bustle in life. Langeneß is pure, seems hidden from the rest of the world and daily challenged by climate change. It is everything but the stereotypes and labels that most probably cross your mind when you hear about Germany. 

When I first touched my feet on Langeneß, I was welcomed by the scenery that I have never seen before in my whole life. I was picked up with a small self-made wood train, or so called lorry,  that fit four people. During the trip, I saw how untouched the nature in Langeneß is. It is a home for the thousands of birds from Swallows to Oystercatchers that migrate and breed in the season, a place where you will meet the happiest sheeps and cows in the world; they free-roam on a massive field with unlimited access of food, a remedy because you will see the greens and pure nature as far as your eyes meet. 

_{Hus Nuke – We felt like home during weekend there}

Langeneß is a perfect weekend getaway from Hamburg, one of the biggest cities in the north of Germany, because it only takes you two hours by train and another 30 minutes with the lorry. With only 100 inhabitants on an 11,5 km² area, serenity is a luxus that Langeneß can offer to you. Growing up as a city girl, I felt like I was being taken to another part of the world as I was there, where life is simple, honest and far away from being influenced by the image of how ‘’an ideal life’’ should be with all those marketing and advertisements. 

Life on Langeneß starts at an early morning, even before the sun shines, where some of the locals work on the water area to catch fishes and oysters, and it ends when the sun sets. At night, you will see nothing but the lights from the houses and hear nothing but the breezing wind or drizzling rain when it pours. I stayed the night at ‘Hus Nuke’, where Anja and Swen, the couple that runs the inn, are just the loveliest people on earth. I felt instantly at home! The particular spot that I love about this guesthouse is just right besides the water, where you can swim or even do a mudhiking, depending on the water level. On the low tides, you can mudhike to another hallig in the near. 

Well, unlike any normal islands, Langeneß is considered as a hallig, taken from a German word itself, Hallig, which is translated as a small island without a protective coastline. It means that Langeneß will possibly face the threat of being non-existent in the future as a result of the rising high water levels around its coast, making it possible to be permanently flooded from time to time. However aside from the threat above of being a hallig, it has its own perks too. Langeneß has its particular high and low tide cycles caused by the moon’s gravitation, making mud hiking one of the must-do-things here.  

_{Mud hiking in Langeneß}

I started my day by doing some mudhike and taking a little walk around the hallig. Then I was driven by Anne, the daughter of Anja and Swen to a little store or kiosk, in German, on the top of a hill near to the ferry port, where I ate my fresh fish bread with a bottle of beer. Have I ever eaten a fresher fish bread than this one? I guess not! Ambience counts, and what more could be better than this, eating with a view. I checked the souvenirs as well, as this kiosk sells various souvenirs, such as magnets and postcards. I chose a Hallig magnet and seal postcard because seals are just my spirit animals. 

_{Enjoying Fischbrötchen during a good weather}

If you like seals like me, you will love this. Seals are considered one of the top predators on Langeneß, where they sunbathe, hunt, and breed on this hallig. Anne told me that we can observe the seals, and so we did. We went to their spot, a sandbank near by the lighthouse and watched them from the binoculars. It was very captivating to be able to observe the wild directly in their home. Since it was starting to rain, we had to shelter ourselves in the open air. We drove to a middle age house which is now being preserved as a museum on Langeneß. During the ride to the museum, I realized how I didn’t have to buckle up my seatbelt, and how Anne just parked her van casually without even locking it. But the highlight was when she told me during our ride about the fact that there are no police on Langeneß. It is that peaceful!

In the museum, I saw how the people in the era of middle age lived. I realized how small they were compared to the Germans now from the size of their beds. Those beds are small and shaped like nowadays wardrobes, but instead of closing it from outside, you close it from the inside. Imho, it is not suitable for you who suffer from claustrophobia. I learned as well how manual their lives were, with manual washing tools and methods; brush, dry, rinse, or their toiletry system; without any proper plumbing yet. 

_{The Museum of Langeneß}

After the museum visit, the weather was better with a hint of sun. It is perfect weather to get a little bit wet. So, we went to the beach and decided to search for the Amber stones. Amber stone is a fossilized tree resin. It is common to be found on the lands that are surrounded by Baltic and North sea. Langeneß is one of these lands. After the storm, it is common to find Amber stones among the remaining algae on the sand. On a shiny day, their orange reflections reflect strongly in contrast to the algae. Searching for amber stones is surely a fun thing to do. But do you also know that amber stone is popular as a great natural purifier to absorb negative energy and vibes from our body? Some say they are also helpers in regenerating our broken tissues, heart problems, and other pain. 

_{Amber hunting after the tide}

After the ‘’treasury’’ hunt, it is a great treat to chill a bit. What more is better than a refreshing feeling after feeling sticky right, so I decided to go back to the inn again, went to the water and swam a bit. Time flew and I realized that the sun was setting. I packed my clothes, took a quick shower and enjoyed the sunset. As I was sitting on the grass, another guest in the house came to me and joined the view. She is a nun and a regular visitor of Langeneß. She said, ‘’It is beautiful, isn’t it?’’ and I answered, ‘’Yes, it is beyond my expectation.’’ She looked and me smiled, ‘’I always come here once a year. Everybody that has ever been here will always come back again.’’ Then I said to myself, ‘’And now I understand why.’’