I have spent my last days of 2014 on a small northern island with friends.
It was ice cold and there were harsh winds which rounded our winter trip up and made it perfect.
My friends had made roasted almonds with different tastes (orange, coconut, chocolate, coffee, ...) and shared them with us.
I liked this creative idea a lot.
On our first night, we went to the beach where the wind rushed across the sea and raised some of the sand.
It was beautiful - as well as the clear sky with its stars and its moon.
On the next day, I took time to sleep. It was very cozy and warm and relaxing.
In the afternoon, we walked to the end of the island: all in all 16 km.
We passed pastures with horses and sheep and small houses in the middle of this peaceful and lonely nowhere.
Before reaching the sea, we crossed a swampy area with tide-ways and muddy pits.
Eventually we had to jump across the tide-ways and sometimes one of us fell into the mud which made us laugh.
When we reached the end of the island, the sun had set.
We had to use our torches to write our names on the wooden hut.
The hut is covered with names and dates and every time the person or family comes back, another date is added.
On the evenings, we played games. And there were even three "big games": the "night's game", the "giving game" and the "music game".
The Music Game: Two groups compete. You have to guess names of songs by listening to the music or texts, sometimes the music is played backward or there are several songs at one time.
The Giving Game: Everyone gets a small piece of paper on which stands a name. Only you know what name you got. You have to "kill" the person by giving him/her something. Yes, I survived !!!
The Night's Game: Four groups compete. You walk through the forest and search for little lights in your color. Each light gives you a hint to the treasure. The group that finds the treasure wins.
On one afternoon, we visited the town and its nice little shops.
We found shelves full of comfortable slippers and tried some on.
They tell a story.
There was a woman that stood with a lamp at the shore each night and all ships that saw her capsized. The woman took what she could use.
Until her own son was on the boat and died.
Since then she haunts the beaches.
I wonder why they tell such stories. Maybe the cold makes you gather in the dark nights and tell each other spooky stories.
On New Year's Eve we drove to the light house on the other side of the island.
We climbed the steps up to the top when the sun set and the lights were turned on and started rotating for the ships.
It was symbolic in many ways. We stood up there, the wind stroking our skin and our view wide across the land and the sea while the night began: The transition to the new year.
I wish you a happy new year with all my heart. I'm excited ... What will 2015 bring?
I feel deeply at peace.
