Christmas in Sylt (3)

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By Sindy Chan (People's Daily Online) 14:51, November 28, 2013

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Singing under the Christmas tree (Photo by Nam Nai Choi)

Later in the afternoon, guests of the hotel gathered in the hotel lounge for singing under the Christmas tree.

"Welcome to Romantic Hotel Benen-Diken Hof. My name is Claas-Erik Johannsen, I am the owner."

Claas-Erik Johannsen is the second generation of the owner family. He was a little serious to me when we first met. But, he is not.

Claas-Erik made a welcoming speech in German but specially mentioned two guests from the Orient in English.

I did not understand the whole speech but I completely enjoyed the singing, the instrument, toasting, hand-shaking and hugging. I felt graceful and blessed even if I have no religion.

Christmas Eve dinner was a sumptuous feast. I had chicken broth, deer liver and green apple for starter, North Sea seafood platter for main course and dessert platter.

After dinner, we were invited to the bar. Claas-Erik likes to mingle with guests at the evening bar. He offered me a glass of fragrant peach liquor and started his story-telling.

Claas-Erik said his family started as farmers. It was his mother's idea to run a guest house for travellers. The abode started as a husband and wife operation then grew bigger and bigger. Claas-Erik and wife Anja took over the twenty thousand square meter property and business in 1996.

Having received formal education in hotel management and a CV filled with international big hotel names, Claas-Erik gives high regards to his visionary mother and entrepreneurial father as great hoteliers of early years.