Usedom in the Winter 7.-12.1.96
Sunday
At first I did not plan to write about this short winter-week on the
island of Usedom, but finally our dog Ajax convinced me of writing
about it. After we got to be friends to Bärbel and Christian in
our summer holiday 1991 we have phonecalls from time to time. They have
told us, that they had a wonderful time around New Year's eve there. So
we get interested too and it is no problem to get the apartement at
Anke and Achim (the fisher's family) during January. And the dog Ajax
is welcome too.
There was a long frost period during the last weeks and for some days a
pretty sunshine. The weather forecast announces a warm front with rain
from the west. We don't bother about that. At Sunday morning we get off
after breakfast. We switch the radio on and at the first kilometers on
the Autobahn we wonder why the drivers are so cautious and only ride up
to 80 km/h. Then we see the lorries with grit to prevent the sleekness
on the road. Eventually we hear in the radio that behind us around
Hannover all traffic is interupted by ice rain. At a fuel station a bus
has milled down the petrol pumps and thereafter crashed against the
pillar of the roof. which in consequence broke down.
In the moment we are just riding before the weather front and this will
reach us when we are not fast enough. So we cannot choose more
picturesque rout (esp. Lake Region Mecklenburg) but must stay to the
Autobahn to run away from the ice rain. And soon we success and have a
dry road. Since then nothing interesting will happen, we ride around
Berlin and then north on the Stettin-Autbahn and the last stretchpast
Prenzlau is Bundesstraße. We reach our destination in the early
afternoon
after 480 km in 5 1/2 hours.
The first village at Usedom is the village Usedom. There we stop and go
out with Ajax who didn't enjoy to sit in the car. There is a huge
brickstone church and low houses cower around it. It is an icy wind as
we go down to the harbour. Some children stroll around on the ice and
the
boats are freezed at the pier. Ajax sniffs around as if there would be
plenties of other dogs. At last we absolve the last kilometers and
hobble over the rough concrete panels to the Teufelsberg. As we get out
of the car a group of sweaty ice hockey actors comes along. And there
is our Achim already with a "Happy New Year". I also would like to
skate at once but we have much time yet (later the thaw - Tauwetter -
came and the lake was too wet). Anke comes up at the balcony and soon
we sit in the warm living room with a coffee.
In the evening we go out for a meal and take Ajax with us. We absolve
the matter in the "Cafe am See". About 8 pm we have finished and then
look for a phone box. Heidi enters the first one but immediately jumps
out again. "There is smoke in it" she says pale with fright. We go away
a certain distance and wate for a detonation. But nothing happens, no
molotowcocktail or Suisse clacker will blast the box up to the sky. But
we decide to prefer the phone of Anke. As we arrive the call just comes
from the other direction. Our daughter is quite excited and asks if we
had arrived without problems. Yes we did, but the rest of the country
was mere chaos. Thereafter we are all happy together and consume the
last cognac from New Year's eve.
Monday
We have one bicycle with us and this is mine. So I am condemned to buy
the rolls in the morning. There are two differences to the summertime:
there is no queue in front of the shop and in contrast to the summer we
now can ride on the lake. Achim cannot go for fishing in the moment
because there is ice everywhere. So he shares the brekfast with us and
we need no newspaper to hear tales of the region.
So there was a big storm tide last autumn, the most serious since 40
years. A Northwest storm had pressed masses of water from the North Sea
to the Baltic Sea. So the tide level was so high that the outer parts
of the sand-cliffs broke down. Just after breakfast we make an
inspection walk with Ajax. There is a house just left on the top of a
sand heap, the owners must be very happy that it was not plashed away.
At this place the Baltic Sea nearly had reached the Kölpinsee. The
cliff is covered with trunks of fallen trees, mighty old oak and beech
trees. This is a paradise for Ajax who can stroll among the crowns of
the trees which would be difficult otherwise.
Of course there is something to see at the seaside as well and that is:
not much. The sea fades away in the haze. An ti is totally silent
bedause there is no rush of the waves (they are frozen). It looks like
a huge surface of ice and at some places there are walls of
ice-sheets shining in green and blue colours. So one can walk for
hours, as we return we have been out for two hours.
As we think about what to do the rest of the day we remember the fine
fish-shop at Zinnowitz. But the fish-shop is closed on monday. At
Zinnowitz they renew the pavement of the oedestrian area and the
promenade. We wonder if the new materials for plaster, curb and roadway
will be more scenic than the old cobblestone with the puddles within.
We have a look at the Seebrücke (sea bridge), this is a kind of
pier with shops and restaurants at the shore. The storm of last autumn
has broken some planks of it as well. At the water side there are some
open surfaces bare of ice. As some youngsters run on the ice we better
reside to avoid that we had to save one of them.
On the way back we visit the Achterwasser. Plenty of ice again. The
fishers even ride by car on it, chop holes in it and put their
staggering or angels in it. Today it is very dull and one would risk
his life to enter the ice without compass.
After a nap we start for Ahlbeck in the afternoon. After we have found
a place for the car, put Ajax on his string we realize that we are not
in Ahlbeck but in Heringsdorf instead. This is because the
Landungsbrücke of Heringsdorf is brand new and twice as large than
that one of Ahlbeck. There are couple of shops and a cinema - may be
this all will work with profit one day. As we enter the pier Ajax
behaves weird. He crawls flat on the ground and this is caused by the
gaps between the planks. I am used to observe this effect at Heidi in
fear of height, but then she uses to fumble around looking for a solid
support. So we better return to the ground ashore.
Here and there in the shops there are poscards with views from the
former times as Heringsdorf was a spa town of the "Kaiserzeit" (1900).
May be it was more scenic then. Today they try to manipulate at the
ugly buildings of the DDR-era. We call them "Plattenbauten". Sometimes
they have successed to generate nice decorations, remains the fact that
those buildings are too high for a proper silhouette.
We will be glad if some years later everything looks like everywhere at
this place.
Similar impressions at Bansin, the third of the spa towns. As we ride
around we end at Heringsdorf again and thereafter we better go home.
Tuesday
There is a lot to do yet. So this morning we have to walk in the other
direction of the beach. You must know that hereabout the beach has
exctly two directions divided by 180 deg. And if you think this is
self-saying - you are wrong. At places with watt-areas you can choose
arbitrary directions out of 180 deg.
At the walk along the dunes - the most narrow place within the sea and
the lake Kölpinsee - we see the boat of Achim at the sand. It is a
nut shell and they even have no broadcast onboard. It is harsh to go
out with wind and weather. We come to the Streckelsberg with the
highest cliff of the island. At the bottom of this hill there is a
concrete wall and this has preserved this area from the floods. It is
not allowed to walk there and so we return. Once we have to crie as
loud as we can as our dog heads out towards the ice wall which would be
the end of his life as no one could save him there.
The next and second attempt is a visit of the "Polenmarkt" at
Svinemünde. This is no matter for Ajaax so he stays at home. We
soon reach the border, the parking site is nearly empty but we have to
charge for 2.- DM anyhow. At the border control they check out if we
are deserters or potential terrorists. For this time everything is OK.
At our last visit in 1991 we had to use a taxi cab. Nowadays the Polish
market is quite near of the border and we can walk. The aristocratic
feeling people can even use a horse-drawn carriage. The less elegant
people use the bus if they want to go to Svinemünde.
At the pavement a thickly blond Polish woman soulfully plays on her
accordion the melody "Wo de Nordseewellen trecken an de Strand..."
(Where the Northseawaves splash at the shore...). We are amused to hear
about the Northsea instead of the Baltic Sea. We can see that the woman
does not play for her pleasure alone because she has a potty for some
coins aside.
As we walk among the market booths we realize two problems, one at the
ground and one above. At the ground there are dangerous ice panels so
that we nearly walk like dancers. And from the roofs above there
sometimes splasch down real waterfalls. Moreover the supplied products
are not so interesting and if you stop for a moment immediately someone
comes up to convince you of any service.It is said that the selling
people are the last links of an organized market gang.
We go back to our mother country with some cheese, butter and the
ineluctable cigarettes. This time we have a look to the real Ahlbeck.
There are many construction activities now outside of the season. We
press our noses against the windows of the famous Seebrücke but
can only see an empty dancing hall. The promenade is very elegant and
we can imagine to stride there to and fro among the other high nosed
guests. As we are hungry we end in the "Bistro am Park" for a sausage
or so. We watch to some locals who have no other themes than tears off,
leasing, income, purchase and sale of houses, properties and estates.
We swallow at our sausages meanwhile.
In the afternoon there are no more activities except a nice tea time
with cake from the baker. Achim tells this and that of the region. At a
factory producing tinned food there will soon be 70 workers get
unemployed and it is well known, that the federal state
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is the most lacking in infrastructure and at
Usedom the problem of unemployment is even more serious. The sons of
Anke and Achim perform a bricklayers apprenticeship. In this trade the
skilled workers have all escaped to more profitable regions. So the
enterprisers are forced to employ semi-skilled workers. In consequence
of this fact there often occur mistakes and bricolage (Pfusch) and the
clients will not pay. In solidarity the fee for the workers is not paid
if there is not enough money in the cash box. And the workers cannot do
anything against it because always some others wait for their working
place.
Achim with his fishing activities is self-employed but is dependent of
the purchasing power of his clients. And if someone goes to bankrupt
there is no money at all.
Wednesday
The weather gets grey and ugly more and more, our walks at the beach
get shorter. But there is another weather independant attraction on
this island which is a must to be seen. This is Peenemünde where
they started the first rockets during WW2. On the way we buy some
frozen herring filets at our favourite fish shop at Zinnowitz. We then
come to Karlshagen but this area is not so scenic. There are large
apartment buildings and we wonder who lives there and where they all
find their work. In former time this all was military prohibited zone
but nowadays they build vast parking places for the summer guests.
At last we reach Peenemünde which is now named "Historic Technical
Information Center for Space- and Rocket-Techniques". We argue how much
we would have to pay for it and estimate a limit of DM 5.-. But we are
too small-minded, we really have to purchase DM 6.- for each. As I
murmur that we at our side should be paid for a visit at this season no
one laughs. So at first we may admire some attempts of the local art of
thatching roofs - which is not so related to rocket research on the
first glance. May be some falling fire chunks from the rockets brought
forward the activities of the craftsmen.
Then there are some rockets, helicopters and persuit planes spread over
the terrain. Finally we end at the exhibition hall, the former air-raid
shelter with walls and ceilings 2 m thick. In the hall you find
documents, photos, weapons and these and those tools from the
research-center era. Two other visitors have an intensive discussion
with the grey-bearded and retired attendant. There theme is the width
of the beach, the storms and floods and the responsibilities of the
politicians. "What to think about them if nobody prevents that they
massacre the monkeys at Kenya".
We look for some activities concerning long distance weapons which
wsere the origins of the space exploration. Now at the full hour a
video presntation starts. We learn how it all began and how it ended:
namely by a crushing bomb attack of the British air forces. Thereafter
the Nazis have changed the place of activity to the Harz and other
places, deep pits and mines sometimes. We had heard about it, but they
never succeeded to convert the result of the war by the V1 or V2
rockets. The second video presentation shows the continuations of the
early attempt until the present times as they are known to everyone who
has lived at this period. The big name of all this is Wernher von Braun.
Outside again we stumble on a slogan to be read at the memorial chapel.
"Die Wiege zum Weltraum wurde den Opfern zum Grab" (The bassinet of
space research was the grave of the victims). Let us annotate that in
fact they did not plan any space activities at all but the development
of long distance weapons to cause victims on the other side.
Back at home we eat our delicious herring and then have coffee with
Anke and Achim. Anke does not know how long she is employed at her
factory. She is said to come tomorrow, the day after tomorroow and even
on Monday...
Thursday
It is even more gray than the day before. We ride to Ueckeritz by car
and then Ajax shall inspect the beach there. We deposit the car at the
campingground which once was the largest of the DDR. Some huts of the
fishermen are destroyed by the storm tide and the restaurant "Kiek Ut"
(Look Out) has a free hanging terrace. May be somewhat foot-cold.
Towards Bansin the coast is flat and there are no demolitions
hereabout. May be we wander about 2 km along the shore. At the return
point we whistle for the dog but this is invisible just now. Behind the
dike, thelane and the camping gounds there is a forest with lots of
rabbits, deers and wild pigs. May be this is the cause that the dog
stays to be invisible. We know our Ajax: when he gets something
intersting to scent all of his consciousness gets lost. We peer and
crie into the woods but it is all in vain. Finally we are at a loss and
eventually go back. Let us say that we did not look behind as often as
today during all of our life. We discuss the further activities:
Police, Home for Animals, an advertisement in the news, extension of
the vacancies etc. May be I get the bike from our house and ride around
at this area for a while?
We come back to the parking place an look at our car: no dog in sight.
But what is that, a black somewhat just coming from the sausage booth?
Yes it is Ajax and we cannot tell who is more relieved about the
reunion. And may be the most promising direction to run for in unknown
terrain was the smell of a sausage booth.
So we can continue the rest of the day with a visit of the Achterwasser
and Höft. There is apale sun behind the trees and an odd
atmosphere.We do some steps on the ice but soon go back for it was warm
during the last days. But you can still see the tracks of the car-tires
of the last week. The Höft is the last tip of the headland and
while walkink on slippery pathes our dog is quite happy again and
explores every bush and shrubbery.
So this was our last day a Usedom, tomorrow we will go home again. We
had not the best weather at all but we think to have recreated mainly
by the strong air and at last by the fact that we did not stayed at
home during this grey winter season.
For the last evening we are invided to a zander meal. The single bottle
of wine is not enough for the whole evening.
And the final end is: back at home I just had started to write this
report (in German at first) and then it happened that the har disk of
my computer crashed. You can imagine what this means: some parts of
recreation are gone again. But we have a story to tell and years later
we may laugh about it.
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We have one bicycle with us and this is mine. So I am condemned to buy
the rolls in the morning. There are two differences to the summertime:
there is no queue in front of the shop and in contrast to the summer we
now can ride on the lake. Achim cannot go for fishing in the moment
because there is ice everywhere. So he shares the brekfast with us and
we need no newspaper to hear tales of the region.
So there was a big storm tide last autumn, the most serious since 40
years. A Northwest storm had pressed masses of water from the North Sea
to the Baltic Sea. So the tide level was so high that the outer parts
of the sand-cliffs broke down. Just after breakfast we make an
inspection walk with Ajax. There is a house just left on the top of a
sand heap, the owners must be very happy that it was not plashed away.
At this place the Baltic Sea nearly had reached the Kölpinsee. The
cliff is covered with trunks of fallen trees, mighty old oak and beech
trees. This is a paradise for Ajax who can stroll among the crowns of
the trees which would be difficult otherwise.
As we think about what to do the rest of the day we remember the fine
fish-shop at Zinnowitz. But the fish-shop is closed on monday. At
Zinnowitz they renew the pavement of the oedestrian area and the
promenade. We wonder if the new materials for plaster, curb and roadway
will be more scenic than the old cobblestone with the puddles within.
We have a look at the Seebrücke (sea bridge), this is a kind of
pier with shops and restaurants at the shore. The storm of last autumn
has broken some planks of it as well. At the water side there are some
open surfaces bare of ice. As some youngsters run on the ice we better
reside to avoid that we had to save one of them.
There is a lot to do yet. So this morning we have to walk in the other
direction of the beach. You must know that hereabout the beach has
exctly two directions divided by 180 deg. And if you think this is
self-saying - you are wrong. At places with watt-areas you can choose
arbitrary directions out of 180 deg.
