This article should really be called “An unexpected journey” as originally our plans for the summer were to go in a completely different direction and not Rügen. But whilst streaming the firework display one evening I told me son that this year was the end of the cycle with Klaus Störtebeker losing his head and he declared that he would like to see the play. Watching the 2012 play on DVD was not an sufficient alternative. So at rather short notice we arranged accommodation on the island and headed off on the 700km journey.

Normally when we visit Ralswiek, we like to spend the day there. We pick up our theatre tickets in the morning, visit the souvenir shop, have a picnic on the grass next to the water and take a walk through the woods to visit the horses. After that we join the queue for the birds of prey show in the theatre.

Of course, that all requries good weather and we have been very lucky over the years. I’ve sat through some terrible downpours on preview nights, but not in the middle of July. Unfortunately, contrary to the weather forecast, it started raining just as we collected our tickets and it kept raining on and off throughout the day. Even when we chanced a trip to the ice cream van during a dry period, it started again, leaving us huddled under the awning.