Rocking in the wind

The wind was whistling  between the ropes and the boat rocked all night long. I couldn´t fall asleep easily and was worried that the storm would damage the vessel or even capsize it. Another gust hit us and woke me up.

Daring beach campers.

  Bright light comes through the roof hatches of the RV that is rocking in the storm like the sailing boat that we rented in Croatia a few years ago. But we are not in the Mediterranean but on the west coast of Denmark facing the strong winds from the North Sea. I carefully open the RV door but the wind is pressing hard against it. I dress up to protect myself against the (sand) storm. Then Umbria and I are out to explore the island.

Humans and dogs ...

We arrive late in the afternoon on the island of Rømø. The storm has accompanied us for more than two hours. Ronda´s surface area of about 27m² and weight of only 6 tons make it vulnerable to cross winds. Keeping it on track is hardly possible and results in a wiggly track. The storm continues through the night and reaches peaks of 50 km/h. After having survived the storm in Bochum with winds over 120 km/h, we are not really impressed but it was enough to cause a wild dream. 

... suffer from wind and sand.

We walk from the camp pitch to the nearby beach to watch what´s going on there. Rømø is a popular place for people who like wind sports e.g. surfing, kite surfing or beach sailing. When we cross the dunes we have a first surprising look at the beach. We have heard about beach camping but this is more than we have expected: The beach is already crowded with RVs and cars early in the morning. Did they spend the night on the beach?

It is low tide. From the sand dunes to the waterline is about 1,000 m. Flat and hard sand is a safe surface for cars and light trucks. However, when the tide rises the sand is getting softer and inexperienced drivers wait too long to return to safe areas. A fisherman´s story says that local youth are waiting in the dunes for careless drivers who get stuck in the tideland. Once the water is getting closer to a car it is easy to negotiate a good rate for pulling the car out with dad´s tractor. 

Flapping ears and sand in the eyes.

For Umbria the strong wind is a new experience that she never had in the Zug lake area. Her ears are flapping wildly in the wind and the flying sand is peppering her fur.

  

The Swiss flag can be found all over the world.

Our first stay on a Scandinavian camp site is a positive experience. The facilities are outstanding. Not new but well maintained. Even kitchen areas with stoves and microwaves are available as well as indoor dining rooms. And the most important feature: a solid and fast Internet connection. Our investment in a mobile Wi-Fi router pays off: not only has it a better antenna, and we can connect comfortably from the RV, it also allows connecting several Wi-Fi devices for the cost of a single Internet voucher.

So, you can expect more regular blog posts from us.