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Okay, buckle up, everyone, because today's deep dive is taking us somewhere.

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Well, let's just say it's a bit off the beaten path.

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Ooh, I like where this is going.

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Hidden gems, seeker histories.

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That's what we live for, right?

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You know it.

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We're talking Schleswig-Holstein.

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Schleswig-Holstein.

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Okay.

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I'm intrigued.

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I'll admit, I don't have a ton of preconceived notions about the place, which is great.

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It means we can go in fresh.

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Exactly.

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And trust me, these sources, news articles, government websites, even some social media

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buzz, they're painting a picture that's way more interesting than your average travel

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brochure.

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See, that's what gets me going.

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Those unexpected layers.

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You think you're getting the basic facts, but then bam, something completely throws

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you for a loop.

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Yeah.

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Like I saw windmills and coastlines, right?

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Pretty standard stuff.

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But then sunken cities, digital pioneers battling deep fakes.

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And don't even get me started on the smoke fish controversy we'll be digging into.

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Okay.

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Now you're speaking my language.

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See, this is why we do these deep dives.

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It's all about going beyond those initial impressions and uncovering the unexpected.

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Right.

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And with Slusswick Holstein, it seems like we're dealing with a place that's both

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deeply rooted in its history and traditions, but also charging headfirst into the

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future.

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A fascinating paradox.

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It's like they're trying to bridge the gap between the old and the new.

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And I'm all for it.

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So where do we start our journey into this land of contrasts?

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Well, let's start by grounding ourselves in some current events, shall we?

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I'm talking about those news headlines from slusswickholstein.de.

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What jumped out at you when you took a look?

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Honestly, it was the variety.

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I mean, we've got everything from storm, flutterleaf efforts, a stork reminder of

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their vulnerability to nature's forces, to articles about modernizing their railway

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system.

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It's like they're juggling these immediate challenges with these long-term

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visions for the future.

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OK, so they're not shying away from the tough stuff, but they're also looking

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ahead, planning for the future.

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Precisely.

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And then to top it off, they're at this smart country convention in Berlin.

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It's like they're saying, hey, we're a small state, but we're not afraid to be

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at the forefront of innovation.

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OK, I'm getting a sense of their ambition, that's for sure.

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This isn't a place content with just being picturesque.

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They want to be players on a larger stage.

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Absolutely. And I think that's what makes this so exciting.

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They're not just resting on their laurels.

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They're actively shaping their own destiny.

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Now, you're making me think about that sunken city you mentioned earlier.

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It sounds almost mythical.

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Are we talking Atlantis levels of legend here or is there some

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historical basis to this tale?

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Well, that's where things get really interesting.

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OK, sunken cities. We'll come back to that.

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But first, I got to ask about these Kielers Broughton.

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I mean, it's right there in the name Kieler.

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But then you read a bit further and find out they're not actually from Kiel.

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It is a bit of a head scratcher, isn't it?

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And it really highlights how these food traditions, they often have these,

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well, let's call them twists and turns in their history.

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Right. Like some culinary curveball.

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So spill the beans.

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If they're not from Kiel, where are these famous Broughton actually from?

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Well, it turns out Echernfurta,

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charming seaside town, not too far from Kiel itself.

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That's where these tasty little fish really call home.

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OK, so then how does Kiel end up getting top billing in the name?

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Did they just like borrow the brand recognition or something?

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It's more a case of, shall we say,

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accidental marketing than any sort of grand scheme.

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See, Echernfurta had a much smaller harbor than Kiel back in the day.

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So practicality dictated that the Sprat,

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they'd be shipped out from the bigger port, which was, you guessed it, Kiel.

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So it's like a logistical loophole that ended up defining the whole brand.

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It's funny how these things work out sometimes.

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But, hey, while we're on the topic of names and branding,

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this whole digital Andy human thing that Shalessia Holstein is promoting that

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really jumped out at me. It feels very much of the moment, wouldn't you say?

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Oh, absolutely.

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And I think it speaks to a very real tension

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that a lot of places are grappling with right now, which is how do you embrace

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technological progress without losing sight of, well,

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what makes you human in the first place?

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Right. It's like they're saying we can

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have our high speed Internet and our strong sense of community, too.

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But I'm curious, how does that actually play out in practice?

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Is it more of a marketing slogan or are they walking the walk, so to speak?

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From what I've gathered,

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they're definitely putting their money where their mouth is.

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For example, their participation in that

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smart country convention we talked about earlier,

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they were showcasing some really interesting initiatives there.

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Oh, yeah. Like what?

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Well, they were talking about their use of LoRaWAN technology.

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LoRa what? No, you've lost me.

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OK, so in a nutshell, it's a way to connect devices

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over long distances without needing a ton of power.

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So we're talking like rural broadband, that kind of thing.

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Exactly. It's perfect for those more remote areas where it's not always

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cost effective to roll out traditional broadband infrastructure.

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OK, so that's pretty cool.

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Using cutting edge tech to bridge the digital divide.

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But they're also tackling some of the,

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shall we say, less rosy aspects of the digital age, right?

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That whole deep fake problem that's been causing such a stir.

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Absolutely.

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They're not shying away from those ethical considerations at all.

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In fact, they have this initiative.

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They call it deep fake detectives.

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It's all about educating people about

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the dangers of deep fakes and developing tools to spot them.

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OK, that's smart, because honestly,

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it feels like we're on the verge of this whole post truth world where you can't

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believe anything you see or hear, but deep fakes.

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I mean, trying to fight those.

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It feels like playing whack-a-mole, doesn't it?

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It's a huge challenge for sure, right.

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But I think it's commendable that they're

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not just throwing their hands up in the air and saying it's too big a problem.

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They're actively trying to find solutions.

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I like their style.

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OK, but let's switch gears for a minute

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and talk about something near and dear to my heart.

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Culture, specifically those five, count them, five UNESCO intangible cultural

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heritage traditions you mentioned, five.

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That's going to be some kind of record for a single state, right?

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It's definitely impressive.

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And it speaks to the incredible richness and diversity of Schleswig Holstein's

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cultural heritage. OK, so enough with the teasers giving the rundown.

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What kind of traditions are we talking about here?

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Well, prepare to be amazed because we've got everything from like

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horseback riding competitions to ancient building techniques, even a boat.

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That's like a symbol of resilience.

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It's a real smorgasbord of tradition.

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OK, you definitely piqued my curiosity.

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Let's start with something that sounds, well, a little more high action.

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This ring writing horseback riding competition, you said.

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Tell me more.

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So picture this.

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You've got a whole procession of riders on horseback, right?

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All decked out in traditional garb, looking very stately and they're galloping

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along, lances in hand, aiming to spear this tiny little ring.

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OK, that sounds like something out of a movie and a tad bit dangerous.

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No, it definitely takes a lot of skill, that's for sure.

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But it's not just about showmanship.

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What's fascinating is that Tippish SH, they suggest this whole tradition might

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have evolved from this practical necessity.

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Back in the day, it was a way for people

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to demonstrate their writing skills, just in case they needed to defend their community.

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So it's rooted in this idea of being prepared, being ready to protect your own.

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I love how these traditions often have these like hidden layers of meaning.

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Speaking of which, those bonfires on the beach, the bike Brennan, that sounds a bit

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more my speed, less lance wielding, more marshmallow roasting, right?

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Well, I wouldn't recommend roasting marshmallows over these bonfires.

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They're massive. Imagine this.

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Towering flames, lighting up the night sky,

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casting these flickering shadows across the sand and the air is filled with the

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crackle of the fire, people singing traditional songs.

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It's quite the spectacle.

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OK, you had me at towering flames,

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but there's got to be more to it than just, you know, a really big bonfire, right?

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What's the deeper meaning behind this tradition?

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It's all about transition.

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See, this takes place in February,

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marking the end of winter, the beginning of spring.

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So it's this symbolic way of saying goodbye to the darkness,

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welcoming back the light and the warmth.

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I love that.

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It's like a ritual for shaking off the winter blues.

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OK, so we've got our equestrian skills

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on display, our bonfire ritual to chase away the winter.

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Right.

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What about that boat you mentioned, the one that's like a symbol of resilience?

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How does a boat become such a powerful symbol?

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Well, the Helgelander Dam for Berta, it's not just any boat.

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It represents this like lifeline for the islanders.

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You see Helgeland, it's this island out in the North Sea.

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And this boat, it symbolizes their connection to the mainland,

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their determination to stay connected.

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Even when the weather is rough, the seas are treacherous.

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It's about that unwavering spirit, that refusal to be isolated.

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I dig it.

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OK, before we get too carried away with boats and bonfires,

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we can't forget about the other two UNESCO traditions,

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the theater and the thatching, right?

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Right. So Niederdeutsche Theater.

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It's all about keeping the low German language alive,

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but it's also about preserving a whole cultural identity.

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It's a way for them to tell their stories in their own words, on their own terms.

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It's like this living, breathing link to their heritage.

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And then there's the reed, dock, decker, handwork.

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Try saying that five times fast.

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It's about thatching roofs with reeds, right?

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It is. And it's amazing, you know, because on the surface,

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it's a very practical skill, but it goes deeper than that.

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It represents this deep connection

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to nature, to using these traditional sustainable materials.

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Yeah. Plus, you got to admit those thatched roofs.

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They're just so charming.

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OK, they really do add to the whole fairy tale aesthetic.

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I'll give you that. Yeah.

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So we've got horseback riders, bonfires, a resilient boat,

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traditional theater and thatched roofs, Schleswig-Holstein.

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It's like a greatest hits compilation of culture and history.

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It really is.

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And, you know, it's funny because we started

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with this seemingly simple collection of sources.

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But look where we ended up.

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We uncovered sunken cities.

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We explored this fascinating dance between tradition and innovation.

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We even cracked the case of the misnamed fish.

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That's the beauty of these deep dives, right?

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You never know where they're going to take you.

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Exactly.

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So to our listeners out there, if you ever

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find yourselves with a chance to explore Schleswig-Holstein, don't hesitate.

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You might be surprised by what you discover.

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Couldn't have said it better myself.

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And with that, we'll wrap up this deep dive into the heart of Schleswig-Holstein.

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Thanks for joining us.