A photo diary, by Julia Stone:

It was a spontaneous decision to head north from Berlin to the Baltic coast. We were aiming for the island of Poel, close to the town of Wismar and linked by causeway road to the mainland. It was the day of the first snows of the year, the wind threatening to freeze my nose off, but the beauty of seeing snow on the sands made it all worthwhile. I love Poel because of the landscape, its old brick church, the bird reserve and some wonderful beaches, the most hidden of which remain deserted even in summer when the rest of the Baltic coast is teeming with tourists. On a winter’s day, it felt like we had the whole island to ourselves:

Words and Pictures: Julia Stone