The weather forecast was mild, but with some showers. So we packed our brolleys, and off we went…uhm…sailed to the island of Hiddensee. The only way to get there is by boat, big or small, but boat…The phobic one was biting her nails, her knuckles, her everything else she could find…No turning back though, so we opted to take a water taxi, above, as this would take ONLY 15 minutes to cross over. Okay, so the phobic one was a little green by the time we docked at Kloster, but still breathing!!! Phew! That noisy thing pitched, heaved and yawed in and out of the waves…SEA-SAW!! The non-phobic one calls it ‘skimming’…Was that a grin on his face????

This lovely hotel called Hithim, built around 1907, is situated directly on the harbour.

What a lovely resting place, including a very big ashtray to the right. Puffing hikers??? Eh?? This is between Kloster and the next village called Grieben.

Horses grazing in the meadow, with the sea in the background…

It’s an island. Surrounded by lots and lots of water. It’s a lonely life, eh? So of course, a nice cool beer while enjoying the few sunrays of the day is also entertainment…heh-heh…

These typical thatched roof houses were in the village of Grieben. Hey, some-one is peeping over there!

Oh my word! A spy! We found this so funny…hidden in Hiddensee…LOL!

Birds. Lots and lots of birds. It was amazing to see how many there were, and chirpy too!

…this is the lighthouse at Dornbusch. We will be going closer, but first we have to explore the “Altbessin”…This is a peninsula formed by sediment and exists since around the year 1500. This is a protected nature reserve and national park. Here we were caught in the rain. There is nowhere to hide! It is flat and there are only bushes. Luckily for us we were near the very tip of the peninsula, and thankfully there was a little hut on stilts there. We were not the only ones seeking shelter! There must´ve been 10 of us squeezed into that small space…Fun. Fun. Fun.

We are at the “Altbessin”, with a view of Kloster in the background. “Altbessin” is roughly translated as Old Basin. There´s also a ´newer´ basin which is off-limits to the public, as this is a very sensitive breeding area for sea and migrant birds.

We once again opted for a ‘walk on the beach’ at Enddorn…No rain and lots of sunshine, which was very welcome as it was quite brrrrrr…In the background are ‘tepee’ twigs…Good for a big bonfire night…

…still at the Enddorn beach, with a fantastic ‘still life’ and soft waves…

The cliffs at the northern coast of Dornbusch…(we will be going up there too) The sand here seems softer, and the stones smaller, not as rocky as other coastlines we’ve visited.

Stones, glorious stones, in all shapes, sizes and colours. We noticed many people searching and digging all over, so asked why. Apparently, if you’re lucky, and if you’ve chosen the right spot, you can find some very interesting fossils and “Bernstein” (Amber), which is mostly used for jewellery. Obviously, we found nothing! Why? Because one is always holding a big camera, and the other one? Well, the other one has absolutely no idea…

Hiddensee is the only area where it is allowed to pick and eat the Sanddorn. To do so elsewhere on Rügen can be punished with a hefty fine. We did not pick or eat anything though. Remember our YECH of yesterday?? Yech!

A beautiful dragonfly! It posed patiently until all fifty photos were taken…Only joking, there were only two or three…fingers crossed…

Spindel Tree berries. This is VERY poisonous to humans. Do. Not. Touch. Shiver…

Our ascent along the northern coast of Dornbusch…pant…pant…pant…but the view is breathtaking…pant…pant…pant…(We walked from down the-e-e-re)

…on our…pant…pant…way to the top…calves are screaming, but there again…the view! .

…view from the second highest mountain in Hiddensee called the Swantiberg. One can see the “Altbessin” from here. It’s the jutting out part just beyond the row of trees, in the middle of the photo. Yes, we walked all the way from down there too..

…and to show that we were not alone…Sheep! Mää-ää-ääää…

See how high up we are! The phobic did NOT look down, and the non-phobic caused some-one to get multiple heart attacks by going so close to the edge…Boom. Baboom.

I believe I can fly…tra-la-laaaaa…It was VERY windy, and as you can see, he is getting ready for take-off! Tango Bravo 7-4-7 to Tower…

Finally! The lighthouse on the Bakenberg! More steps, more pants, more wind, but excillerating…On a clear day one can see Denmark from here! No kidding!

This is not bragging, but just look at this photo. The tip of the lighthouse seems to be opening up the cloudy sky…Great!

On the way down from the Bakenberg, we made a little pause over here to eat something. You can see the harbour of Kloster, and probably the whole island of Hiddensee. Munching nuts with a view like this was never so appetising!

…looking up towards the Dornbusch from the other end of Kloster…a lovely lonely tree, and a heart-shaped cloud over it…All together now. AAAHHHH!

Smile baby! Yes, we were tired too…but happy that we enjoyed another wonderful hiking trip. Now back to that jumping boat…