Reunion on Rügen

Day of German Unity and we are still in northern Germany. Today we are going to the Ozeanum in Stralsund. In an old monastery, both young and old are told about the depths and expanses of the world's oceans. The history of fishing is also demonstrated in every aspect.

Small and large aquariums house fish, seahorses, and more.

The presentation of the museum in the old monastery is astonishing and unique. We can only recommend a visit.

After observing the fish, we went to have some fish ourselves. Down at the harbor in Stralsund, there are several food stalls and just by looking at the dishes, our mouths water.

While we are eating, I receive an unexpected call from Philipp, my former classmate.

Philipp is the guy who inspired us to buy and convert a fire truck into a camper van in the first place.

He and his girlfriend have also converted a Mercedes 310 fire truck into a camper van at the same time.

Phil and his girlfriend set off on their maiden voyage about 2 weeks after us. Since both of us wanted to go north, it made sense for us to travel together for a few days.

Originally, we planned to meet tomorrow. But Phil explains to me on the phone that he and Kim are already nearby and if we want to meet today?

We set our sleeping place for the next night as our meeting point. And while we are leaving Stralsund, I see his fire truck in the rearview mirror.

In the convoy, we head to Klausdorf for the next night.

The joy is great and the evening is long. We have a lot to talk about and it's interesting and funny to hear about the problems we have encountered in the past months.

At around 12 o'clock, our eyelids become heavy and the beds are made.

The next day, we head to Rügen. In a convoy, we drive over the Rügen Bridge. The glances of the passers-by pierce us. With joy, we make the sirens wail and receive laughing looks.

In Rügen, we go to a friend of Phil's in Nistelitz. On the property of 72-year-old Reinhard, we can stay for the next three days.

Upon arriving in Nistelitz, Yasemin and I meet Reinhard. He shows us around his property, which he acquired from an old farmer during the turnaround in 1990.

The idyll here is simply perfect. We find a spot between wild bushes and walnut trees.

While we are getting a tour of the property from Reinhard, we realize that this man has traveled a lot and experienced a lot in his life.

Shaped by the 68er movement and defiant against the socialist communist state of the GDR, he lived in a commune in Greifswald and with an indigenous people after the turnaround. Then he bought the farm property on Rügen with the idea of ​​starting his own little commune.

In addition to his alternative and humanistic way of life, he is very interested in art and its stories. You can quickly see his weakness for antiques and old things. Reinhard's house is full of old books, sculptures, documents, and bone finds. A museum of a very special kind.

Already in his youth, he maintained his contacts and throughout his life, he came into contact with artists, doctors, and professors, who still like to visit him today.

You can't tell Reinhard's age. He keeps himself mentally fit with literature and physically fit with yoga and cycling.

With a hot water source and a heating stove in every room, Reinhard stays warm during the winter months while he works on his property during the summer months.

He lives a simple life as a drop-out and is incredibly warm and open to his surroundings.

While we are in Rügen, we enjoy conversations about politics and life in the world with him. During the day, he shows us the island of Rügen away from the hustle and bustle and tourism. Reinhard always has something to say and seems tireless.

Although time doesn't matter in Nistelitz, the three days on Rügen fly by. We learn a lot about the architecture of the houses on Rügen and admire beautiful spots in nature.

Phil and Kim will stay on Rügen until tomorrow.

We will leave the island this morning on October 7th.

Our next major destination is Belgium. Here we want to visit Lissa (an acquaintance we met during the conversion) and her family for a few days.

While driving over the Rügen Bridge, we check the current coronavirus situation.

Since the numbers are still rising and almost all developing countries have now been classified as risk areas for Germany, we need to reconsider our planned route.

At the beginning of our journey, we had hoped that the situation would not become more critical, but now we are at a crossroads.

With a heavy heart, we decide to abandon the European tour.

We don't want to put ourselves or others in danger out of negligence and selfishness.

But since we don't want to abruptly end the trip, we will continue to travel through Germany for the next few weeks.

As the situation within the country is also becoming more serious, we will proceed with caution.