Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Nordseekrabben

Right now we're in Cuxhaven, a town on the North Sea that is an extremely popular tourist destination in the summer and more or less dead in the winter. The reason for the deadness in the dead of winter became clear as soon as we got out of the car: the biting wind that snaps right through your coat and nineteen layers of sweaters as though you were naked. This place is beyond freezing.



My fiance brought me here under false pretenses, claiming that it was a mere three or four hour drive from his parents' house and just absolutely gorgeous. The hotel, he swore, was absolutely to die for at low off-season rates. The drive turned out to be seven hours, and we accidentally reserved the wrong hotel. However, the hotel we are actually staying in is also fairly nice, and the drive goes by fast when you aren't the one at the wheel. And we have a gorgeous view of the sea from our hotel room. And when you shut your eyes, you can pretend the loud rushing noise outside the window is the waves crashing, not the wind howling.



Luckily, the attempted ban on shopping has been lifted, and we've purchased a few charming things, including a stuffed walrus for my collection and a charming ceramic lighthouse for Torsten's grandmother. I also got a giant, two-foot tall book called "Das Grosse Bunte Buch Der Tiere," which means "The Giant Coloured Book of Animals." It's really cute and I have sworn to use it to learn lots of German names for animals and colours. (I was forced to make this promise, as my original justification for the purchase was that our future children would love it, and for some reason Torsten thought it was a tad early to be buying books for our kids.)



How is everything going with you? What have I missed?

16 comments:

  1. ummm, wrong time of the year to head to the north sea lady...

    F, its cold, get thee to a beer hause imediatly!

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  2. I think that first picture sums ups your misery pretty well. Heh. Don't listen to me, I'm just jealous. It's 80 here. BAH.

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  3. Looking at that first photo of you is making me cold.

    You're not missing too much in this corner of the earth.

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  4. you are getting some awesome photographs on your trip jess!

    love.

    and you'll have to read my blog when you come back to catch up... it's been an... interesting... week to say the least ;)

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  5. Other than the photos of you, it doesn't look cold. When you revisit it via photo, you can pretend it was warm Right?

    I love hearing about your trip!

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  6. haHAAAAAAAAA oh i love that first picture :-) and i'm with each of the two, get some likker in ye immediately! perhaps some eiswein? goes in cold, warms you up RIGHT quick!

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  7. Those pictures are just beautiful!

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  8. Ah, welcome to the brisk north!
    At least it looks pretty.

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  9. Looks lovely up there - freezing, but lovely.

    How are you going to get that book home? Hope you've saved room for a 2 foot tall book in your suitcase. :)

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  10. I love the picture of your nose peaking out of the massive layers. Hee.
    Sounds like you're having fun!

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  11. No worries--I bought two beautiful French children's books when I studied abroad in Paris. I've been saving them for my still future children since I was 20!

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  12. Today is my LAST DAY! And I'm hungover. That's about it. Enjoy the rest of your trip!

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  13. Hee... I love the picture of you all bundled up!

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  14. I love the first picture- hilarious! And the beachy/lake/whateveritwas ones are really good!

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  15. A bit chilly, huh? Love the eagle's eye view of the ducks.

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  16. Cold weather bothers me a lot, but the worst part is the biting wind. Ugh. I don't know how you are doing it.

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