The rainbow never sets

for two weeks, costing DM200. That would give me some time to get over it, I hoped, and help me to adjust to the new situation.

On 11 July I took the train to Westerland, on the island of Sylt, in the North Sea. It was quite an experience to travel across a long causeway, with the sea on either side. I had the feeling the train was travelling on the sea.

Westerland is a typical seaside resort, with a lot of bed and breakfast places and hotels of varying standards. Plenty of restaurants scattered throughout the town. The town itself was on a long island going from north to south, with the North Sea to the west. There were lovely beaches and sand dunes on the western coast, as far as the eye could see. Closer to the town on the main beach there were wicker chairs for hire. On my first day I strolled around that area, but it didn't really appeal to me. There were too many people, and too many families with children. Rather touristy, I thought. The next day I went exploring the beaches further south. I came to a sign which read:

NUDIST BEACH Ñ Enter at your own risk

I had heard about this beach, but when I came face to face to it, I didn't quite know whether I would have enough courage to 'enter' all by myself.

I had bought a beautiful multicoloured bathing robe for DM69 for my holidays, I thought this could protect me if I became too shy. So I took the plunge, or rather took my bathers off and walked resolutely past the sign. There were plenty of nude people sunning themselves, groups all over the sand dunes and along the beach. As everyone was in the nude I slowly lost my selfconsciousness and literally plunged into the water.

I met a few couples with their children and two women from Sweden, one with long blonde hair and younger, the other more mature with dark hair. Her name was Lilo. We all became good friends and not only stayed at the beach together, but shared also meals together and enjoyed some of the entertainment that Westerland offered to tourists, including a casino, promenade concerts and restaurants. I escorted Lilo to most of these and I think she was rather fond of me. I shared my room in a bed and breakfast place with another man, but we hardly saw each other, as there was so much going on in Westerland, day and night. I thoroughly enjoyed my fortnight there and went back to Bremen refreshed and ready to face the hostile world again.

*

The world did appear hostile to me, as soon after my return I received a notice from the Company who owned the narrow gauge rail service, that they were going to sue me. A preliminary hearing was set for early October in the town of Minden. I had to hire a solicitor who represented me at the

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