53:52.4N

8:42.4E

Cuxhaven 20 June 2012

Gradually settling into life en vacances – a slower pace, time to get acclimatised to local norms. 

Yesterday had seen a failure to get logged on to the (free) wi-fi that comes with the marina berth.  As ever it turned out that we’d asked the wrong questions of the hafen meister, and hadn’t understood the user name/log on protocols we’d been provided with.  That sorted, we are now able to stream radio and stay in touch with unlimited access.  Oh Joy!  Oh Bliss!

The love affair with the Fatherland has continued to develop.  Everything is clean, well ordered and rational – although Roger tells me that there was adverse comment when I cycled past a couple on a footpath.  Upon speaking with said couple Roger discovered that it was “verboten” to cycle on this path! 

The “Real” supermarket – a 30 minute walk to the Konrad Adenaur Allee, exceeded expectations and will be a benchmark for later towns.  I haven’t quite got the measure of Cuxhaven – the range of shops and the size of the town indicates a regional centre: but in the morning it was deserted.  As we cycled, it felt more like a holiday resort, just gearing up for early season holiday makers.

These are strandkorbe – beach sofas, with a pram hood that can be inclined back like a deck chair if the weather is particularly clement.  Very few were occupied!  The beaches are separated from habitation by a high sea wall/ levee as in the Netherlands, so we didn’t see too much of the sea from the cycle track land-side of the wall.  In Duhnen we stopped at the tourist info – nothing in English, but were guided towards a path that was said to be very pretty and give good views of the North Sea (sic.)   From there we cycled inland through Sahlenburg and Stickenbuttel back to the marina – a round trip of about 15 miles.  The small wheels on the Bromptons struggled with the sandy bridleways – but everywhere is so flat that cycling continues to be a pleasure!