Now, to Norderney. I really didn't have any concrete expectations for the trip, since I had never been anywhere like it before. Although it was an amazing experience and one I know I will likely never experience anything like it again, I can honestly say that I've never been more exhausted during and after a trip before! When Professor Waltz said that we could sleep when we are dead, I think I took that advice a little too literally. I did manage to get up to do sunrise training for 2 of the 3 mornings we were there, which was a really cool experience. I loved getting to work out on the beach, and I now get to say that I took two plunges into the freezing cold water of the North Sea! I enjoyed the quiet, relaxed vibe of the island. The little town area was so much fun to look around in, and I definitely got back all the calories I worked off through biking and working out through all the gelato I ate.
Of course, the coolest thing about the Norderney trip for me was the Badehaus. Going into it, I was a little uncomfortable with the thought of the mud treatment and going into a sauna (pronounced by Dr. Wasser as "Sawynah"). But, I quickly found that there was nothing to be uncomfortable about, and had a great and relaxing experience. The mud treatment felt amazing, and my skin is still glowing! But, the highlight of my Badehaus trip was getting a real sauna experience, like what Dr. Wasser had lectured about. After my mud treatment, I wandered around and made my way up to the rooftop sauna. When I stepped in, I was surprised to find it completely packed. But I quickly went in, expecting to only stay in for a couple of minutes. However, shortly after I sat down, an attendant came in, closed the door, and starting giving a short presentation in German. I was with a couple of other friends, and we all looked at each other nervously, since we had no idea what we just got ourselves into. The attendant then proceeded to pour scented water over the hot coals in the oven at the front, and I realized that I was seeing Lӧyly being made in person! After he poured water over the coals, he took out a huge fan and wafted the Lӧyly towards everyone in the sauna. And that's when it started to get hot. He repeated the process of pouring water over the coals and fanning it around about 4 times, and each time it got hotter and hotter. As the time inside there stretched on, I started to get worried that I should leave. In fact, the friends that I was with left after the 2nd steam wafting. But, I was stuck in a crowded spot that was not easy to get out of, so I ended up staying the whole time, which was about 15 minutes. By the end, I was completely covered in sweat. I remember looking at my arms amazed at the huge beads rolling off. Just as soon as I was thinking that I couldn't take anymore, we were done, I made a beeline for the cold shower, which felt amazing! I was pretty proud of myself for staying the whole time, even though I had not planned on it. It was a huge stroke of luck that I just happened to barge in on this, and got to experience exactly what Dr. Wasser had taught us. And I felt so refreshed afterwards!
And then there was the mud flat hiking. I think I can summarize that experience in 2 words: freezing and wet. Now don't get me wrong, it was such a cool experience. I appreciated the beauty around me and all of the cool information being told to us. But, I also don't think I've ever felt so miserably cold in my life. I was just amazed that the rain never let up once the entire time we were out on the flat...mother nature was really out to get us on that one. All I can say is that I'm just glad that I managed to buy a heavy duty rain coat the day before. I did try to make the best of it and was glad I got the experience, but I don't think I ever plan on doing it again!
Finally, the bike tour. Biking around the beautiful trails of the island was such a cool experience, and I'm so glad I did it. I loved seeing the wildlife, the lighthouse up close, and just getting some more exercise in while taking in the the landscape. I will say though, the bike tour was the cherry on top of my exhaustion for this trip. We had to fight a super strong wind for the entire back half of the tour, up and down hills, and my legs were about ready to give out. If only I could have gotten in one more sauna to make up for it!
I'm now sitting in my AirBnb in Belfast, Ireland, ready for more fun! We flew into Dublin today and took a bus here to Belfast through the gorgeous Irish countryside. I am beyond excited to be here, as it's always been a dream of mine to go to Ireland. Tomorrow we are going on a full day tour of Belfast and the surrounding area to see the Game of Thrones shooting locations and some other attractions. Stayed tuned for more in a future post!
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