Thanks to two bank holidays in Germany we got to enjoy a little break from everyday life. I picked a retreat by the Baltic sea, which is a 1.5-hour-drive from Hamburg. Now, you might say, what is there to see and do, it’s not summer and certainly no bathing weather. The truth is, not really much. These towns by the sea are far livelier in summer, for sure. But for those who seek relaxation, digital detox and calmness, this is just a perfect spot. Our hotel had a nice spa with saunas and a swimming pool, excellent service and great food, and we enjoyed it to the fullest – besides, Daniel’s birthday is coming up and I thought this is a great early present for him.

The weather was, let’s say “not so cozy”, but this made the spa experience even cozier, when we were both sitting by a fireplace reading a book while sipping prosecco (or beer, in his case).

I rarely find time to read a book these days because I prioritize other things on the weekend, be it surfing on the internet, researching for the next trip online, playing Playstation games with Daniel or just watching him while enjoying the latest episode of Grey’s Anatomy when we sit on the sofa next to each other. Spending time with each other can have many facets. I don’t think it is necessary to have something to talk about all the time, as long as the silence doesn’t last. To find the time to read a book is special to me, especially when the other one shares this passion or at least likes a good read from time to time.

Also, when we were taking a walk on the beach we were not constantly chatting, even though we are still getting to know each other and need many more hours, days, weeks to tell each other all about ourselves.

Be sure to bring wellies when taking a stroll on the beach, it gets messy with the wet sand, dogs running back and forth, seagulls flying low over your heads. And on Tuesday it got real cold, too, with all the wind from seaside. But we weren’t in Germany if there wasn’t a stall that sells Glühwein to fight the cold. All those Christmas sweets are sold as early as September, too. The traditional German hot wine drink with cinnamon, orange, clove and a bunch of other spices warmed us. You can find red or white Glühwein (which translates to “glowing wine”) at literally every corner in winter. Ok, it was not even noon when we had a cup, but who cares, we’re on vacation…! Apart from drinking and eating there was not much to do in the little city center of Boltenhagen. If you are looking for some action, Baltic Sea in November is not the best option for you. If you are seeking for relaxation, this is the place to be and we can totally recommend it.

On our way back to Hamburg today we stopped by castle Bothmer in a town called Klütz, a 10-minute-drive from our hotel at the marina “Weiße Wiek”. Should you be culturally interested like us, we’re curious to hear what you think of it – unfortunately we didn’t have the chance to visit it and have a look inside as we had to return to work today.

In general, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the Eastern German state where Boltenhagen is situated, is full of castles, and I already had the chance to see some more of this which will be soon available to read about here.

//hotel: Iberostar Boltenhagen

//castle: Schloss Bothmer

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