New Year's Day at Timmendorfer Strand

Frohes Neues Jahr! Happy New Year!

At the stroke of midnight, my parents, Sophie, Dan and I welcomed in 2009. After a small toast, Dan and I joined the celebration on our street. We lit fireworks, greeted scores of tipsy neighbors, and shrieked with delight at the colorful pyrotechnics show in our (usually calm) country lane. There is something thrilling about shooting off a rocket or firework fountain at one's house, especially when everyone else is lighting them, too. I haven't had this much fun with fireworks since Telluride.

In Germany, it's legal to set off fireworks from midnight to 4m as part of a New Year's celebration. Naturally, many kids were "practicing" hours, even days, earlier--I guess they needed to make sure that those sparklers really do work before the Big Show. What better way than to throw small fireworks at the passing S-Bahn train? :-) The idea of having a window of time for fireworks is great--it lets everyone cut loose, but with parameters. Sehr Deutsch (very German)! Much healthier than prohibiting the fun and slapping a fine on any ne'er do well who dares to light a wimpy Roman candle.

My parents, being from Southern California, yearned to go to the beach. I can't blame them--there's nothing like the sound of waves or the smell of the sea. We drove to the beautiful Timmendorfer Strand on the Ostsee. Wow! The sand was the palest yellow, nearly white. The sea was tranquil, like a mirror. Small waves lapped at our boots. I've never been so happy to see a seagull.

However, being that it was January 1 in northern Germany, the weather was cold. The aptly named Strandkorb BIRR summed up the climate. Fortunately, we found a beach hut that sold hot chocolate under heating lamps.

I love being at the ocean. The few hours at Timmendorfer Strand were magical and filled me with a deep peace. As I watched the crescent moon rise over the trees and hover above the sand, I felt deliciously alive. It was as if the waves were saying, "all is well in the world, you are blessed."

Soon we became hungry and made our way to a local Chinese restaurant. It was great! I usually prefer Thai or Japanese to Chinese cuisine, but the flavors proved interesting and tasty. Sophie became fascinated by the colorful lights and balloons.

Looking forward to our next trip to this beautiful spot on the Baltic Sea.