Diva-scovery: Rugen Island

to 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center” alt=”” src=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kcTb8DnPVW4/TDnXrsx7XhI/AAAAAAAAE-s/s_U7ps6epWI/s400/Sellin+Sea+Bridge.JPG” border=”0″ />Dear Diva Readers,

top:2px;padding-right:5px;font-family:times;”>For my husband’s birthday in May we decided we needed to “get away from it all” but unfortunately we were both swamped with work at the time, barely having time to breath, and we simply couldn’t manage more than a weekend away. Looking for someplace nearby our home in Germany we googled the phrase “2 ½ hours from Berlin” and were intrigued by Rugen Island! Friday evening we hopped in the car and began driving north to our destination and by the time we returned home Sunday we felt we’d been gone a week. Two days on Rugen Island was just what the doctor ordered!

to 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center” alt=”” src=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kcTb8DnPVW4/TDnVnuGbcGI/AAAAAAAAE-U/bHzjXwD30Ks/s400/The+Wine+Guy.JPG” border=”0″ />to 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center” alt=”” src=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kcTb8DnPVW4/TDnVn81oOwI/AAAAAAAAE-c/8BCAt2jGcZU/s400/Toma+Haines.JPG” border=”0″ />I must confess that though I’ve visited the beaches in Poland, Latvia and Estonia and been pleasantly surprised by the Baltic Beaches, I still had low expectations of the German Islands. Somehow Germany doesn’t make one think of Caribbean getaways, but we were swept away by a gorgeous weekend away in what is now our favorite place in Germany outside of Berlin! And with the sand in our toes we decided we actually liked Rugen better than the Caribbean because their boardwalks bore European shopping!

to 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center” alt=”” src=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kcTb8DnPVW4/TDnVLGN5GNI/AAAAAAAAE9U/IeY1SFxUkuY/s400/132.JPG” border=”0″ />Naturally, with my nose for scouting out antique shops, I found a little shop not far from the beach!

In Germany, the beaches are beautifully maintained. Part of local beach culture involves renting not a lawn-chair and umbrella nor simply bringing your own towel to lay on, but instead renting a seat for the day in a “Strandkorb” – a roofed wicker beach chair.

to 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center” alt=”” src=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kcTb8DnPVW4/TDnVL4dz4pI/AAAAAAAAE9k/E8YQR1TAxMs/s400/Rugen+Island.JPG” border=”0″ />The Strandkorbs were gorgeous as they lined the beach and I’ve started trying to determine if I could fit one of these on my balcony! At the very least, I think I must buy one as my souvenir before we move from Germany to our next home abroad!

to 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center” alt=”” src=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kcTb8DnPVW4/TDnVnM_4hUI/AAAAAAAAE-E/dXdX06zcaHI/s400/Rugen+Island+Antiques+Diva.JPG” border=”0″ />In addition to the German beach chairs, I loved the Life Guard Stands which looked like something out of a science fiction movie!

to 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center” alt=”” src=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kcTb8DnPVW4/TDnVMQqtI0I/AAAAAAAAE90/48JX1LBXxeM/s400/Rugen+Island+4.JPG” border=”0″ />to 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center” alt=”” src=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kcTb8DnPVW4/TDnVLrQeQWI/AAAAAAAAE9c/0dXzscssnDY/s400/176.JPG” border=”0″ />Dining in Rugen Island was a fish revelation! We walked to the port and bought our lunch straight from the boat.

to 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center” alt=”” src=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kcTb8DnPVW4/TDnVMGhNSmI/AAAAAAAAE9s/3Exa8UdlsvQ/s400/Rugen+Island+3.JPG” border=”0″ />In addition to a sensational beach, the architecture was intriguing.

to 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center” alt=”” src=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kcTb8DnPVW4/TDnVnHo771I/AAAAAAAAE-M/S3weWSRKASE/s400/Rugen+Island+Germany.JPG” border=”0″ />This building reminded me of the German-equivalent to South Beach, but most of the architecture had a more German feel.

to 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center” alt=”” src=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kcTb8DnPVW4/TDnVmUtEVWI/AAAAAAAAE98/Hf8TKZ3bAjU/s400/Rugen+Island+(2).JPG” border=”0″ />All in all, it was the perfect weekend away, warranting this secluded spot in the Baltics as my Diva-scovery de Jour!

Until Next Time, Happy Reading!

The Antiques Diva™