2020-09-17 53 6

Thu 17 Sep 2020 in Groningen: 53.5733916, 6.7236349 geohashing.info google osm bing/os kml crox

Location

This Geohash is located on a heath near a path on Borkum.

Participants

• Fippe

Plans

I plan to leave the house before the trams start operating and take the bicycle to the Hannover's main train station. From there, I plan to take the earliest train to Emden via Bremen. From Emden, I plan to take a catamaran to Borkum and walk to the Geohash. I plan to spend some time on the island and afterwards take a catamaran back to the Emden and a train back to Hannover.

Expedition

I left the house at 3:33 and took the bicycle to the train station. From there, I took the train to Bremen, where I switched trains and then took the train to Emden. In Emden I walked to the ferry terminal. There also is a train station right there, but my train did not go there, so I had to walk through Emden. When the catamaran arrived, I boarded the Nordlicht.

The catamaran took me into the destination graticule and through disputed waters at 53.4244131,6.9272668 - both Germany and the Netherlands claim these waters, so according to the Netherlands this would be a border geohash, but according to Germany, it would not.

The ferry arrived on Borkum, where most passengers immediately bordered a train. It is an old-fashioned small train, maybe more of a tram. Borkum's harbor is a few kilometers away from downtown Borkum, and while you can walk, most people take the train since a ferry ticket includes a train ticket.

Not me though, since the Geohash was located between the harbor and downtown Borkum. So I walked. Most of Borkum is a national park and some areas are off limits unless you are a bird. Several parallel tracks cut through it - the train tracks, a road, a bike path and a foot path. Next to the footpath, there is an area covered with grass and bushes where the national park does not yet start, so going there shouldn't be a problem. According to OpenStreetMap the Geohash falls into this area. This information corresponded with local maps, which showed also showed a strip of land next to the footpath not being part of the national park.

I arrived at the point on the path closest to the Geohash and walked toward it. I reached the coordinates and recorded proof. Afterwards, I went back to the path and continued walking toward the city.

In the city I got some souvenirs and had a fish bun for lunch. There is a beach there as well, but I was not prepared to go swimming so I didn't.

I walked up north to see the "northwesternmost point of Germany". It is neither the northernmost nor the westernmost point of Germany, actually not even of Borkum. I was standing on land north east of it. Not sure who had the idea to put a pole there.

Afterwards I walked back to the city, but this time on the beach. There were some people flying kites. I got some ice cream and then I went to the train station. The train took me back to Borkum's harbor. From there, the Nordlicht took me back to Emden, where I walked from the harbor to the train station. From there, I took a train to Bremen, switched trains, and am currently taking a train to Hannover.