This awesome picture is my Past
Dear Island, You are responsible for shaping my early childhood memories.
I blame you for setting a high standard for every other island I visit.
You are the reason why for example I prefer eating shrimp fresh from the boat and not at a fancy restaurant.
Subconsciously you make me compare every beach I walk on. Every other one is too hard, too dark, too muddy or has too many pebbles.
My mother is convinced your wonderful, healthy air is responsible for my overall good health (North Sea air contains a high amount of salt- which in turns equals healing power!)
This is not your fault - I should blame my parents for dragging me to you, year after year. But even now, as a “mature” woman the love affair continues. I left Germany over two decades ago, today I live in Vancouver, but the memories remain!
It has to stop, right here and now!
Believe me: Nothing compares to you- nothing compares to these wonderful Nordtfriesen islands up in the top left hand corner of Germany. The Friesen-style houses only look good on the islands; sunsets look spectacular when you watch them from your Strandkorb with a glass of cooled white wine in your hand.
[caption id="attachment_138" align="aligncenter" width="150"]
Friesen House[/caption]You are the love of my life, always will be, but it’s time to give something else a chance to shine, to be extra-ordinary!
The following is your lesson I have to learn from you: If I want to fully appreciate the beauty of something else I have to stop comparing! Sylt, you are not better, you are only different!
Sylt, I imagine we can form a harmonious partnership – but this may also be the reason why I never attempted to live with you! In my mind you are perfect- and I don’t want to be disappointed. I’d rather live with the illusion than be proven wrong by reality.
Instead of living with you permanently, I will enjoy you in short spurts whenever I return. And when I visit you it will be with another bottle of wine from “Gosch.”(The islands most popular fish and wine bar) It’s fun to watch the rich and beautiful (in Germany that is) strut their stuff.- Or shall I rephrase this: the many wanna - be rich and of average looks waddling past. The idea of paying to walk along the beach is still unheard anywhere else in the world, but then, you have your reasons for charging us!
This was then, this is now:
Pender Island is one of the Southern Gulf Islands, lining the coast of Vancouver.
Like the rest of Vancouver, Pender is understated. If Vancouver holds the trophy of one of the worst dressed city in the world, Pender Island needs an award for “Easy Going” and “Hippy Chic”!
These two islands are worlds apart – but oh so special in their own unique way!
On Sylt you are judged by the clothes you wear, the size of your wallet and the colour of your AMEX card.
On Pender you don’t show off, you are not here to shine with your new trophy wife - you come here to just be yourself!
Pender is a rough beauty, raggedness on an unprecedented level.
Nothing cries “chic” or “sophisticated” here. Nothing eludes arrogance. Everything is so nice and refreshingly normal on Pender. Let it be the local residents or the day visitors. I have seen and tasted more organically produced fruit and veggies on Pender, I have noticed more hand produced - or - crafted items here than I have ever noticed on my childhood friend.
If Pender is the rare diamond found on water, then Sylt is the fine cut and polished sister. And I love them both!
Extra-Ordinary places are found around the world and yes, my heart is big enough to carry them all!
I too spent some of my childhood on Sylt. I moved from Scotland to List in early 1958 and stayed there until summer of 1963. It was probably the best time of my childhood and have since visited the island many time. One of my brothers still lives there yet. I too compere many beaches to the ones around the island and have yet to come across a better one.
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful that you found 'me'and KNOW what I am talking about - i.e. we share memories of the same place. Whenever we go to List now it's for the garlic scampi at GOSCH. Here in Vancouver they are so proud of Kitz Beach, I literally have to laugh out loud! Sylt has spoilt me, forever! And oh man, is it hard NOT to compare!
ReplyDeleteAlthough only a small lad at the time, I worked with Nils Dedrichson on his farm in the centre of List. Remember having to roam the dunes looking for his sheep for shearing. Got to know the area pretty well doing this. His brother used to run the hotel on the ellenbogen. Many a time we had to dodge the fighter jets firing their guns. Woderful memories.
ReplyDeleteHi Happy, isn't it fantastic that we share memories of this wonderful stretch of island? Sylt forever!
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