Hammershus Castle Ruin, Bornholm

On our way to Allinge by bus earlier today, we made a brief stop at the entrance to Hammershus Slotsruin. While our kind bus driver went out to smoke one electronic cigarette, I was permitted to climb a small hill to take a photo of the castle. So much to see and so little time...

Hammershus Castle was erected in 1200 by the arch bishop of Lund (today a city in Sweden) and the Danish church. Hammershus played an important part in the struggles and wars that took place in the middle ages in Europe.

After the reformation the castle was presented to the King. It was deserted in 1745 and allowed to fall in decay. Today, however, it is counted as one of the major tourist attractions here on Bornholm.

- Hvornaar smager en Tuborg bedst?

- Hvergang!

Especially today at a harbourside cafe in Allinge (pop. 1.600) on the  northern tip of Bornholm when the morning rain had just turned into sunshine.

The commercial slogan used as heading here was used by Tuborg (founded in 1873) during many years. This brewery is now a part of the Carlberg group.

After lunch today Tore and I took a bus to the northern village of Allinge, using our pensioners discount, here in Bornholm labelled as a child discount! Happy as child I just had to try a seaside swing as well - perhaps my Tuborg put me in a swinging mood...

Allinge is a very attractive village with a small fishing port, now mostly used by pleasure crafts. You can still buy freshly smoked fish here and we bought some to be used as an appetiser tonight onboard Jennifer.

Ascension Day Dinner in Rønne

Tonight we all went out for a proper joint dinner in a local restaurant! We felt that it was time to celebrate coming this far without any mishaps. The tourist season had not started yet so it was easy for us to get a table for five. Even four legged friends are well taken care of here in town! If you need to park your husband while shopping here in Rønne, then there's a practical solution available to keep all family members happy!

Bornholm - "The Baltic Pearl"

The sailing from Holtenau to Bornholm,  (pop. 40.000) in Denmark was very good most of the distance on this leg of 170 NM. Limited traffic at night helped us to cover the distance in only 26 hours. Upon arrival in Rønne (pop. 13.700), the main Capital of Bornholm and the largest town, we were greeted and assisted by a very friendly Harbour Master.

The Port of Rønne is Denmark's 12th largest harbour and lively frequented by ferries, fishing boats and cargo vessels. The only pleasure craft in our part of the harbour today, when I write this, is a Norwegian yacht (Bavaria 42) spending two nights here before heading south to Poland. We are also thinking of staying 2 nights here before we continue north to Borgholm on the Swedish island Öland.

Two Sleepy Sailor Boys...

..moving across the big blue sea on Jennifer's gently rocking lap. Add a bit of sun and fresh, salty air and you are ready for a little cat nap.

Bye Bye...

...Germany!

Baltic Sea Sailing

After yesterday's slow canal cruising (under 10 bridges and passing 14 canal ferries) it will be nice to set sail again. We are planning to leave Holtenau (pop. 5.200), which is a district of Kiev (pop. 250.000) at 10 AM today. Since we are ahead in our sailing schedule by 24 hours, we will  make a stop on Bornholm, Denmark. Sailing time will be approx. 30 hours to cover 175 NM.

One UK yacht was moored next to Jennifer last night and she was still there at 7 AM when I took the photo below. Jennifer is visible on the far left side.

Holtenau Garden Art

On my way to the food market at 7 AM this morning I found some creative pieces of art along the way. This little walk also helped me to get warm after a cold nights sleep (+4 C) at the recreational craft berth next to the Kiel Canal lock. 

Since I was up already at 6 AM, I could hear when the harbour master suddenly knocked hard on Jenner's hull and demanded the overnight fee of 11 €.

American folk music...

...on Jennifer's deck performed by Terry, our new guitar man, while we are waiting for the lock that will takes us to the Baltic Sea to open. 

Jennifer is now waiting in a designated position together with four sister yachts of various sizes.

Ingemar enjoys listening to Terry from a comfortable position on the sun deck.

A personal cold call at sea

Living an extended period of time onboard a yacht like Jennifer is a lot of fun in the right company, but it can also be a bit risky. 

Three days ago our captain felt the first signs of an unwelcome visitor in his nose and throat. In order to make this visitor disappear as quickly as possible I have been serving captain Lasse cup after cup filled with my favourite cold cure: freshly grounded ginger in a cup of hot honey tea. 

He is now feeling much better!

The Kiel Canal

After leaving Helgoland yesterday at noon we had great sailing, at times reaching a speed of 9.3 knots,  all the way to Brunsbüttel. The Kiel Canal, or Nord-Ostsee Kanal, runs 99 km (53 miles) NW from Brunsbüttel on the River Elbe to Kiel on the Baltic Coast. At the canal lock captain Lasse was a bit disappointed by the not so friendly behaviour of the female lock attendant...

He thought that perhaps, if we invite her for dinner, that the French onion soup Staffan had prepared for our dinner would cheer her up!

Jennifer and her crew spent the night only 10 meters away from the lock used by large vessels such as tankers and container ships. It was very interesting for me to see these big ships passing by so closely.

Apart from at Brunsbüttel and Holtenau, there are five berthing places (weichen)

where it is possible for yachts to spend the night. Moving at night is not permitted. Yachts will not be locked into the canal unless they have time to reach one of these berthing places before dark.

 

Helgoland - the Sea Bird Island

Helgoland is a hotspot for bird watching. The island is actually one of the most important breeding areas for a wide variety of sea birds.

On today's walk around the island I was able to get in close contact with hundreds of gannet couples (in Swedish: havssula). They quickly became my favourites because of their size. It is the biggest sea bird in the North Atlantic region.  A gannet can be 87-100 cm long with a wing span of 170-180 cm (67-71 in). Around 400 gannet couples call Helgoland home.

Gannet juveniles are mostly grey-brown, becoming increasingly white in the five years it takes them to reach maturity.

Gannet colonies are mostly located on offshore islands, such as Helgoland, with cliffs from which they can easily launch into the air. Gannets hunts for fish, that forms the bulk of their diet, by making high-speed dives into the sea.

Helgoland - the Crab Fishing Port

Fishing was, in the old days, quite an important food source for the local population of Helgoland. Today fishing plays a limited role in the islands economy. Crab fishing, however, is still going on .Most of the catch is sold to local restaurants here. Helgoland "knieper" (crab claws) is one popular local speciality.

I couldn't find any good illustration for this article, but please except a local artists impression of colourful fantasy fishes.

Helgoland - the Island "Seaty"

You can live your whole life in Helgoland (1.0 sq. km small) without ever leaving this island. Everything you need for your daily life is available here, just like in any small German town on the mainland. Bank, post office, school, hospital, a public library, several shops including a well equipped food market and a big variety of restaurants. There's even a small airport 2 km away on the neighbouring Dune island (0.7 sq. km). The natural connection between the two islands was destroyed during a storm tide in 1720. There's a frequent ferry service connecting the two islands.

Visitors can choose among more than 2,800 guest beds; from four-star hotels to holiday flats and houses to simply furnished private rooms. For a bit of a Robinson feeling you can stay in a tent on the campsite on the Dune.

Helgoland - Traditional Costumes

The people living on Helgoland and in other parts of Friesland likes to wear their traditional clothes during festivities or whenever possible. Today, by chance, I had a chance to see a demonstration by two Friesland women when they showed their multilayered long skirts. After this little show it was time for a bit of folk dancing. The dancing here reminded me about traditional dancing in Dalarna, Sweden.

Helgoland - the Sunny Island

Helgoland is ranked as one of the sunniest places in Germany. The mild climate, thanks to the Gulf Stream, makes for mild summers and winters here. Even some exotic plants can spend the winter outside here without any worries.

At lunch time today I met a very talkative couple from Lübeck (this is a very German destination - a perfect place to practice my German language skills!). They told me that they had just spent one sunny week here and that today was the first rainy day! They wished me better luck with the weather for a future visit. During their week here they had seen lots of birds and taken long walks around the island.

So much to see and so little time here at Helgoland! We are now planning to set sail tomorrow at 10 AM. Our next destination is Brunsbüttel in Germany.

Helgoland - the Wellness Island

The car-free environment here makes it the ideal destination for health and wellness. A holiday on Helgoland means, not least for allergy sufferers and asthmatics, that by coming here they can breathe deeply again. The island air in the middle of the North Sea is very rich in iodine and oxygen, it is nearly emission-free and poor in pollen.

Helgoland is also an official German spa destination under the name "the North Sea Spa". All traditional spa treatments are available here including medicinal baths and various wellness offers. All island visitors, including those arriving by own vessel like ourselves, are required to pay a small spa fee, even if you don't use any of the spa facilities.

Helgoland is also a shopper's paradise. The island is not subject to the EU Customs Code, meaning that products are exempt from customs duties and  VAT. 

Today I met many daytrippers arriving by a catamaran coming from Hamburg. I have a strong feeling that most of them came here to buy tax free alcohol,  tobacco and parfum rather than to participate in any wellness program. On my rainy village walk today I tried to find shops displaying atmosphere rather than spirits...

Helgoland landing

After 18 hours of sailing, covering 89 NM, we have now landed in a rainy and windy Helgoland.  We had good sailing conditions most of the way from Holland. But to cross over two major sea routes in the darkness on the North Sea was exciting. Ships kept popping up from nowhere, both on Jennifer's radar screen and visually for the night crew. Tore and I had the night shift from 1-4 AM, but Ingemar was kind enough to extend his shift and assist us for an additional two hours. He really helped us by keeping a close watch over oncoming traffic and to suggest course alterations for Jennifer in order to keep us all safe and sound.

The small harbour behind the wave breaker at Helgoland is really crowded and we are now double parked and attached to a big yacht. In order to get ashore we have to climb over to the deck of our neighbour.

On the screenshot below, taken at 2.30 AM, you can see Jennifer (the red boat) at the junction of two major sea routes. Helgoland is visible in the upper right corner of the photo.