Welcome to our World! Where we serve you cookies to ensure you get the best viewing experience on our site.

Did you know that you can remove censorship board-wide, use our advanced search functions, be notified when new content is posted, join our memberships, set episodes to show in any order you want & more if you are logged into your account?

Register or sign in here: ucp.php?mode=register

02x04 - Germany: The Health Resort

Episode transcripts for the TV show, "The Reluctant Traveler". Aired: February 24, 2023.*
Watch/Buy Amazon


Follows the adventures of Levy as he visits some of the world's most remarkable hotels, as well as explores the people, places, and cultures.

02x04 - Germany: The Health Resort

Post by bunniefuu »

[intercom chiming]

[Eugene Levy]

They say to travel is to live.

Well, maybe, if a day at the airport

doesn't suck the life out of you first.

I mean, where else would you be told

to arrive two hours early

- [metal detector beeping]

- only to become dangerously close

to being two hours late?

Still, I think my travels last year

were good for me.

They seemed to broaden my outlook.

To a degree.

So now, I'm taking on

what is apparently a must-do

for any respectable traveler.

[intercom chiming]

I'm doing Europe.

All right. Where are we, exactly?

I'm going all continental

from the very top to the very bottom.

I'm heading off the beaten track

to discover some real hidden gems

Are you getting this?

and embrace

this budding spirit for adventure.

Look at me. No hands.

Oh.

They're right here. What is this, the bow?

I'll be educating my taste buds

- [laughs]

- Wow, that was so good.

[whistles] Grapes are ready.

- and trying to live like a local.

- [dancers singing, cheering]

- Welcome to my village.

- [laughs]

- [Levy] This is insane.

- [sheep bleating]

I just saved your life. Remember me.

I'm packing any worries in my luggage

[imitates moose call]

Here they come. Here they come.

You never know what the body's gonna do

when it's in abject terror.

I don't think I've done anything

quite like this since I was a kid.

- [cheering]

- and I'm about to utter three words

I've never said before.

Ready for takeoff.

Okay, modern Germany has always been

a bit of a blank page for me.

Beer halls, big sausages, nice cars.

That's all I've got.

When I left Toronto,

I promised myself I'd try new things

and take the road less traveled.

So, I've steered clear of the big cities

and Oktoberfest.

And instead, I'm visiting the place

I'm told real Germans come for vacation.

What I definitely

was not expecting was this.

Welcome to the tiny island of Sylt,

at the northern tip of Germany.

This sandy seaside retreat

lures almost a million visitors a year.

I didn't know Germany even had islands

or beaches,

but apparently there's a lot I don't know.

After maybe one too many glasses

of champagne,

I left the south of France and headed to

this thin strip of land in the North Sea.

It might be just what I need.

Sylt is a magnet for the rich

and the health obsessed.

Germany has the largest wellness industry

in Europe,

worth more than

200 billion dollars a year.

Now, do you need to spend money

to feel like a million bucks?

Well, I'm here to dip my toe

in the German fascination with wellness,

despite the fact I've already

told everyone I feel just fine.

Careful with that precious cargo. Whoo!

Germany,

a nation of roughly 84 million people,

is about the size of Montana

and boasts the biggest economy in Europe.

I'm kind of shocked.

This is not what I was expecting.

This is more East Coast US to me.

Turns out Sylt is actually known

as the Hamptons of Germany.

And these thatched-roof homes

are some of the most expensive properties

in the whole country.

Even small cottages

can fetch up to five million dollars.

It's kind of otherworldly in a way.

It's like you're traveling

through a fairy tale.

It's like, uh, the Brothers Grimm

probably have a place up here.

Between the architecture and the landscape

and all the people

pursuing a healthy lifestyle,

I feel like I'm wading into

somewhat unfamiliar waters here.

Wellness is kind of a

totally foreign entity to me.

It always strikes me as something, uh,

that people do if they feel they need it.

It's a little hit of good health

and slimming down.

Okay, so I'm a little skeptical.

But I'm also 76 years old.

And I realize

that I'm not getting any younger.

Being 76 is fine

if you're still able to do things.

I mean, it really does

all come down to your health.

There's no question about it.

Ah, is that the Lanserhof?

Up there on the hill?

It looks like

one of those thatched houses,

but 800 times the size.

The Lanserhof is a world-famous,

holistic health resort.

I can honestly say I haven't

quite seen anything like this.

The program's attracted billionaires

and celebrities like Victoria Beckham,

Kate Moss, Cara Delevingne and now me.

- Thank you so much, Lars.

- [Lars] Yeah.

[Levy] Appreciate it.

- Eugene.

- Hi.

Wonderful to have you here.

My name is Dorit.

I'm the general manager at Lanserhof.

Hi, Dorit. So nice to meet you.

I welcome you to your Lanserhof experience

and would like to escort you to your room.

Good, good. Thank you. I'm very excited.

This is the perfect place

to detox and de-stress.

As long as you have deep pockets.

A stay here revolves around strict diets

and restorative treatments.

The gently curved interiors

are meant to be soothing

for anxious guests like me.

[Dorit] So, this is not just

a spectacular staircase, visually.

It has a beautiful acoustic.

I'll show you.

[singing]

The acoustic is brilliant, no?

- What?

- [Dorit] Let's go. [chuckling]

- Oh, my God. Are you an opera singer?

- [Dorit] Yes, I'm a trained singer.

- What are you doing working here?

- [Dorit chuckles] After you.

- Thank you, Dorit.

- [Dorit] Voilà.

[Levy] Oh.

- It's quite beautiful. It's, uh

- [Dorit chuckles]

Oh, there's an upstairs.

There are 55 rooms and suites here.

They're all very modern but minimalist.

Just like the welcome package.

[Dorit] We prepared

a little welcome for you.

Okay.

[Dorit] And here's a little beetroot shot.

Would you like to try?

[Levy] Would I like to try

a beetroot shot?

Well, at some hotels,

they'll have maybe a bottle of champagne.

This was a little, uh,

shot of beetroot juice.

- Special, right?

- I would say it's special.

[chuckles]

You will have your appointment

with Dr. Jan very soon.

- The schedule is on your desk.

- Thank you.

- Sounds scary, but I appreciate it.

- I see I'll see you later.

Thank you, Dorit.

It's kind of ominous to know that

the first thing you're gonna do

when you check into this hotel

is see the doctor.

The doctor is the last person

you hope to meet if you're in a hotel.

He's gonna probably do some probing.

Verbal. Hope I'm hoping.

Hi, Eugene.

- Dr. Jan. Nice to meet you.

- Nice to meet you. I'm Jan.

I will be responsible for your health

during your stay.

- Hopefully, you will survive.

- Hopefully.

As the medical director here

- [Dr. Jan] Please take your seat, Eugene.

- [Levy] Thank you.

Dr. Jan meets

many of the guests personally.

We are not a clinic. We are not a spa.

We are not a five-star hotel.

We are all together at the same time

because our diet or therapy

is especially designed for you.

And that's the reason why I have to know

a little bit about your health.

- Hmm. Sounds so ominous.

- [Dr. Jan] Mmm.

- Yeah, absolutely. [chuckles]

- [Levy chuckles] Yes.

How do you feel at the moment?

Or your stress level. You okay?

I don't really carry

a lot of stress generally.

And d-do you perform sports

on a regular basis?

Golf, uh, once or twice a week, which is

It's a workout.

I don't walk. I drive a cart,

but you know,

there is walking to the ball

and then walking back to the cart.

Have you ever fasted before?

When I was a kid in the Jewish religion,

the, uh, holiday of Yom Kippur

is the day of fasting.

- Yeah.

- I hated it.

- [chuckles]

- You know, I haven't fasted in a while.

- Well, maybe you should try it.

- Wanted, but

[Levy] Dr. Jan is hoping to convince me

that fasting

has a host of health benefits.

Okay.

He believes it boosts your metabolism,

lowers inflammation and blood pressure

and helps you lose weight.

So, the first four days

are always horrible.

You make it sound so enticing.

[Dr. Jan chuckles]

Because your body has to switch

its metabolism from sugar burning

to fat burning and, uh,

you will produce a lot of toxins

because the body starts to detox.

Um, I'm feeling, uh,

more tense by the second.

[chuckles] Okay.

[Levy] But luckily,

we're not talking about complete fasting.

Just small portions.

And you probably already have

the same question I do.

How small?

Well, we offer everything

between broth and tea.

- You can select between broth

- [Dr. Jan] No, no,

- not you can select. I can select.

- You You-You select?

- [Dr. Jan] Exactly. So, as Exactly.

- I pay for it and you select.

[both chuckle]

[Levy] And he's saying

one or two days of fasting a week

does wonders for your system.

I think my system's working fine

the way it is.

I feel duty bound to tell you

to see your own version of Dr. Jan

before doing anything drastic

like living solely off broth and tea.

But it's a new experience for me

and I'm gonna see what they do,

and I'll be as good a, uh,

patient or an inmate or a hotel guest,

um, as I can be.

I've heard that the whole island

is believed to be restorative.

So I'm keen to get explorative

in the non-surgical sense, I mean.

- Hello, Dorit.

- Eugene.

[Levy] Now knowing what's on the menu,

I'm hoping Dorit might take me somewhere

to get one of those big German pretzels.

- [chuckles]

- Have a seat.

Okay, let's go. Whoo! [chuckles]

[Levy] But it seems she has other plans.

- All I do is pedal.

- [Dorit chuckles] The weather is amazing.

[screams]

[Levy] This 38-square-mile retreat

is an ideal place to connect with nature.

Plus, out here on Sylt,

they get more sunny days

than over on the mainland.

It's a very famous holiday destination

because of the beauty of the island.

[Levy] Look at this, huh? Oh, my goodness.

[Dorit] It's a magic place.

It gives you so much peace

and freedom and energy.

You know, it really a paradise.

Okay, I slow down a bit

- because we're nearly there.

- Yeah. Yeah.

- [exclaims, chuckling]

- That's what I call a ride.

[Dorit]

Now I'm going to introduce you to Jan.

- Jan? A different Jan?

- It's a different Jan. Yes.

He's an expert

when it comes to the nature of Sylt,

and an expert for mudflats.

[Levy]

On this island, mudflats are a big deal.

Here on the East Coast,

there are more than

seven square miles of them.

Known as the Wadden Sea,

it's a national park

and UNESCO World Heritage Site.

- [Dorit] Jan!

- [Levy] Hello, Jan.

- [Jan] Eugene Levy.

- [Dorit laughing]

- Wow. Nice to meet you here. [chuckles]

- Ah! Nice to meet you, Jan.

I take it you spend

a lot of time out here.

Yes. It's the biggest, uh,

tidal flats in the world,

and you see many birds, many animals.

It's a very natural space here.

You don't have it anywhere else

in the world.

[Levy] At low tide,

Jan brings people like me

out onto the mud.

First, I think you have to, uh,

leave your shoes here.

- That's our little surprise. [chuckles]

- [Jan] Yeah.

- We want to surprise you. Yeah.

- Oh, we're walking in the mud.

- Let's do it.

- [chuckles] All right.

- [Dorit] Let's do it.

- [Levy] Off with the shoes.

Hey, that looks like a professional

Wadden Sea guide. Looks good.

- Great. Let's do it.

- How we doing?

- [Doris chuckles]

- [Levy] A hike in the mud we go.

- [Jan] Yes. Ready?

- [Dorit] Let's go.

- [Levy] Yeah.

- [Jan, Dorit chuckling]

- [Levy] Wow. Ooh.

- And [chuckling]

- This feels really terrific.

- This feels great.

[Levy] And look how black it is.

Black and thick,

because this isn't just any old mud.

[Dorit] Many people come especially

to cover themselves with the mud.

Like a mud bath?

Yeah, they laying in the mud,

coming out and the mud goes dry

- And it's mineralizing the skin.

- [Jan] That's it.

[Levy] But out here,

there's more than medicinal mud

to keep you looking and feeling young.

You see these algaes here.

Yeah, I open it on the end,

and there comes something out,

what looks like aloe vera.

[Levy] Like aloe vera,

Jan says the nutrient-rich gel

from the algae

rejuvenates your skin

and prevents wrinkles. I'm all for that.

How you feel now?

- I feel alive.

- [Jan, Dorit chuckling]

- I don't need glasses anymore.

- Wow. Oh, great! [chuckles]

- You see it goes a little bit deeper?

- [Levy] Ooh. [chuckles] Here we go.

- Oh, my Oh! Yeah.

- [Jan speaks German]

- [Dorit chuckling]

- Yeah.

- [Dorit] Ooh.

- Whoo-hoo.

- Oh, my God is right.

- [Jan] It's great to have you in here.

- [Jan sighs] Great.

- Oh, my God. This is insane.

[Dorit chuckling] You can make it.

- Here. You ca Pull me up this way.

- [Jan groans]

- [Dorit, Levy chuckling]

- Yes, yes. Thumbs up. Here, you see?

That is fun. [exhales deeply]

Looks like I've got boots on.

- [Dorit chuckling]

- Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Levy] I think it's something

everybody should try.

The fact is that there is

a natural wellness here on the island.

I'm sure there's something to it.

You know,

if you're slopping this stuff on,

it-it probably does do some wonders

for your skin.

- [Dorit] You want?

- [Levy] Mmm.

- [Jan] It looks good, right?

- [Levy] No. But thank you. Thank you.

It's certainly a good feeling

on your feet.

- [Dorit chuckles]

- [Levy] Look at my legs.

Now I can honestly say

I am not a stick in the mud.

I definitely worked up quite an appetite,

slopping through all that,

but my fasting is about to start.

Something tells me

I better not get my hopes up.

I don't know what's on the menu tonight.

I'm almost afraid to ask.

[speaks German]

I'm hoping this healthy food

actually tastes good.

[server] There you are.

Your dinner for tonight.

It looks like bread and water.

- It is broth and bread.

- [Levy] Ah.

And the bread is to train chewing.

- To train your chewing? Okay.

- [server] Mm-hmm.

We ask our guests to chew every bite

about 30 times before swallowing it.

Oh.

Then the whole digestion system knows

that food is gonna come.

Right. [stammers] I totally get that.

My dad used to tell us

he chewed his food 32 times.

Oh, he did?

We thought he was kind of crazy

when he said that,

but he never had

a digestive issue in his life.

So now you know why, maybe.

Yes.

So maybe then you can start chewing

also the broth.

- Start chewing the broth?

- Mm-hmm.

[stammers] You're actually telling me

to chew my soup?

- Yes, I am.

- Yes.

Yeah, I can I can, uh, do

I can chew the broth.

Sounds like an interesting experiment.

- Yeah.

- It's like eating in a science lab.

- [laughs] That is correct. So

- [Levy] Yes.

I will, uh, give it a go

and we'll see what happens. I'll

[crunching]

This is like a piece of very stale bread.

The broth has a flavor to it

that I can't quite put my finger on.

It's almost medicinal.

[sighs]

I never thought I would really love

to have a big hunk of bratwurst,

but, boy, I'd k*ll for it right now.

- How come you got a salad?

- But it's not a salad.

It's carrot in a different kind of ways.

I think dried, cooked

and some rice or stuff like that.

- Dry, cooked carrots?

- Yeah.

- Wow.

- [laughs] Enjoy your bread.

Yes. Thank Thank you.

- It's scrumptious.

- [diner laughs] You're welcome.

[Levy] I never like to go to bed hungry.

[crunching]

But I'm gonna finish this entire meal

in front of me,

and I'm still gonna go to bed

really hungry.

It's a new morning on Sylt,

and I'm up early,

to brace myself

for another day of fasting,

and who knows

what kind of special treatments.

But I'm going with it.

I'm trying to go through

this program here, this wellness thing.

I'm experiencing something

that I have not,

to date, ever experienced before.

Is it the easiest thing in the world?

Not for me.

I'd k*ll for a little food.

My breakfast consists of

[sighs]

a delicious-looking shot of wheatgrass.

I'd gladly finish the whole thing,

but Dr. Jan has requested my presence

in something called the cryotherapy room.

All the doors are written in German,

so I'm not sure which door

"Korpertherapy,"

wasser en licht, another "wasster."

Running out of hallway here.

To give me a crash course in cryotherapy

[Dr. Jan speaks German]

Jan's recruited a Lanserhof veteran.

This brave fellow, Holger.

- [Dr. Jan] Hello.

- [Levy] Hello, gentlemen.

- Ah, you want to do the cryotherapy too?

- [Levy] Yeah.

If he comes out and he's still breathing

- [Dr. Jan] Yeah.

- [Levy] there may be an opportunity

- for me to try it.

- [Dr. Jan chuckling]

[Levy] To burn calories,

guests like Holger enter the deep freeze,

exposing themselves to extreme cold.

Why am I nervous?

We want to use the cold

to stimulate his metabolism,

so he will burn more fat with that,

and also, we lower his inflammation

in the body.

Which means arthritis

This will become much better afterwards.

Do you have arthritis?

- Not yet. [chuckling]

- [laughing]

At minus 166 degrees Fahrenheit,

the chamber is actually colder

than the lowest temperature

ever recorded on Earth.

- Good luck.

- [Holger] Thank you.

[Levy] That's four times colder

than winter at the North Pole.

Holger's supposed to stay in there

for three whole minutes.

- [Dr. Jan] You okay, Holger?

- [Holger] Pretty cold.

- It's really cold.

- [Holger chuckles]

I can't believe that I do it,

but as Jan said, it's good for me.

[Levy] I think Holger represents

the mindset of people

who do come to this place.

[Dr. Jan]

Now he's burning roughly 600 calories.

Well, probably burning a few other things.

[Dr. Jan chuckling]

[Levy] They're ready for the challenge,

and this is what excites them.

They wanna leave the place

feeling better than they did

when they came in.

I'm seeing frost. The, you know

On his, um

- Oh, my God.

- Okay, Holger. That's it. You can go out.

[Holger] Okay. Thank you.

Wow. How amazing.

- Ooh. Like an ice cube.

- [Holger chuckles]

So, Eugene, you wanna try it?

We can go in together, if you want.

Uh, yeah, sure.

We can go in for, you know,

like a good f four or five seconds.

Okay. Let's give it a try.

[Levy] But if I go in,

the clothes stay on.

- [Dr. Jan] Yeah, I'm ready. Clothes on.

- [Levy] I'm sure you're ready.

Here we go.

- Okay. This is cold. Yeah.

- [Dr. Jan] This is cold. Yeah.

[coughing]

Yeah, this is very cold in here.

[Holger] Welcome back.

- Yeah, that's, uh, crazy cold.

- [Holger chuckles]

- [Levy] Three minutes is insanity.

- You're counting the time. I can promise.

You're a greater man than I,

I will say that.

I feel quite well.

That's the most important thing.

But finally, in the end,

the result is that what counts.

It's something like a holiday for

[stammers] body and soul.

Right.

I'm not so sure I'd necessarily

call it a holiday.

But in terms of treatments,

cryotherapy is just

the tip of the iceberg.

Around here,

they're all about cleansing the body

and mind. So now I'm

Ready for my hay bath.

All I'm told is that a hay bath

is supposed to be good for flushing out

those pesky toxins.

- This looks like a giant tea bag.

- Exactly.

Where is the hay? In the tea bag?

- [Dr. Jan] Exactly. Here, feel this hay.

- [Levy] Oh. I see.

So the high temperature

and the high humidity

will open the arteries

and open all the parts of the skin,

so the essential oils

will help with the detox process.

You will inhale that. Let's do it.

Okay. Yes, sir.

[Dr. Jan]

Okay, Eugene. You feel comfortable?

Uh, quite comfortable, Jan. Thank you.

And it's the first time

I've been on a waterbed.

- Really? Really?

- Yeah. So where was I in the '70s?

[Dr. Jan chuckling]

Here is a panic button.

Why would somebody need a panic button?

If you don't feel comfortable,

so then let me know.

[Levy] How many people

use the panic button?

- Almost nobody.

- [Levy] That's good.

- [Dr. Jan] Okay. Enjoy.

- Okay. Thank you.

[water bubbling]

Ooh. Feel like a sardine.

Um, I'm lying on a, uh,

tea bag full of hay.

That hay, I'm told,

is all the way from the Alps,

specially harvested,

along with a handful of healing herbs.

[sighs]

I think it's quite possible that some of

the hay elements, uh, did get inside me.

And at some point,

it might have an effect on me.

I may want to go into farming,

for example.

Safe in the knowledge

that I'm not gonna float away,

I can fully relax.

You know, that wasn't too bad.

And I do think it probably does have

a very positive effect on people.

I knew I'd find fasting difficult,

but this is harder than I imagined.

[crunching]

Apart from real food,

I realize I'm craving coffee.

So I've decided

to make a quick caffeine escape,

even though I'm not very proud

of my lack of willpower.

We're heading out for a coffee.

According to Dorit,

it's the best coffee on the island.

And I've never missed coffee more

in my life. I'm very excited.

Die Kupferkanne is German

for the copper kettle.

It's a café

that's a bit of an institution on Sylt.

- [Levy] Eugene.

- Eugene. Leif.

- Leif.

- Yeah. Can I show you a nice table?

- Yes. You can, Leif.

- Okay.

[Leif] What can we offer to you?

- Coffee would be wonderful.

- Coffee.

This is like walking into a mirage.

I realize that I'm

about to cheat on my diet

[chuckling]

and I do feel a bit guilty.

But a cappuccino. Come on.

I mean, it's better than a beetroot shot.

Here's a cup of cappuccino for you.

Ah.

That, to me, is That's living.

- Wow. That is great. [smacks lips]

- Thanks.

- I love your place, Leif.

- You're welcome. [chuckles]

[Levy] The Copper Kettle

has been here since 1950,

but it turns out the structures themselves

have been around a bit longer.

The buildings are from

the end of the World w*r the Second.

[Levy] The café, yeah,

is from the Second World w*r?

Yes, it was a bunker.

And also,

outside stand anti-aircraft g*ns.

Ah.

When I heard that this actually is

an anti-aircraft bunker

from the Second World w*r,

actually felt a couple of,

uh, palpitations.

Now you can't see it

because now it's a lovely place,

- but for a short time in history

- [Levy] Right.

it wasn't a lovely place.

[Levy] The history since I've been here

hasn't really come

to the forefront of my mind,

but it's kind of always ever-present in

in a way, you know.

For my generation,

you must know your evil in your history.

- We must talk about it

- Right.

- and do it never again.

- Right.

That's the important thing.

[Levy] I think Leif represents

the generation of Germans

that really wants to let the world know,

"We understand what happened,

it will never happen again.

And we're doing everything we can now

to let the world know

this is a new Germany."

[piano music playing]

Following that somewhat

sobering reminder of the island's history,

I'm back at the hotel

and back on the broth

after falling off the wagon.

In the lounge,

Dorit is treating the guests

to a performance.

[singing in Latin]

[Levy] I understand why people come here.

A lot of it makes perfect sense.

They get out of it what they need,

and they leave feeling really terrific.

And more than not,

they all tend to come back several times.

But I realized that for me,

enjoying my golden years will depend

less on therapies and treatments,

and more on making good choices.

[singing continues]

[Levy] I think stress and anxiety do more

to kind of take years off your life

than having, uh, one too many,

you know, ice cream cones.

But I've always felt

everything in moderation

will kind of do you well in the long run.

And I still feel that.

Everything in moderation.

- [singing stops]

- [all applauding]

[Levy] It's my last day on Sylt,

and I'm ready to explore

more of the island.

Not far away

is the wealthy town of Kampen,

one of the most exclusive communities

in the whole nation.

[sheep bleating]

[speaks North Frisian]

[Levy] I've been told to come here

and track down a local named Uta.

- Uta!

- Hello. Hello.

- [Levy] Apparently

- Hi.

she has a unique perspective on wellness.

- [laughing]

- So, this is the other side of Sylt.

- [chuckles]

- Nice to meet you and your family.

- That's the kids. Come on.

- [sheep bleating]

600 followers.

[laughing]

That's a flock.

600 sheep

- Oh, my.

- Would you come in?

grazing in the middle of town.

Hi, honeys. Oh, my.

You're a shepherdess?

Yes, I'm a nomadic shepherdess.

You're the first nomadic shepherd

I've ever met.

[chuckles] What have you expected?

[chuckles]

[Levy] Uta lives on the mainland

but brings her flock over to Sylt

every year to graze on the heather.

On an island filled with people

paying big bucks to achieve wellness,

Sylt offers Uta everything she needs

to be happy and healthy for free.

You sleep out with the sheep?

- I've got a camper van we're sleeping in.

- Okay.

So it's camping, basically, on the island.

This sounds like the world's perfect gig

for you, doesn't it?

I think so too.

[bleating continues]

- Beautiful animals. Sweet faces.

- [Uta] They are.

We're going to go out soon

and see if we can find some nice food.

- Good.

- Would you like to join?

- Let's do it. Yes.

- [indistinct]

And there's dogs that are going to help.

That's Vin, and this is Fanta.

- Fanta. Vin.

- They are really friendly.

[Levy]

We're going on an adventure together.

[Uta chuckles]

They've got some basic commands.

You've got to sing it a bit.

Fanta, in die vor.

In die vor.

Good. Yeah.

- Come back is [stammers] is wi what?

- Komm vor.

In die vor.

- Yeah, very good. You're getting there.

- Komm vor.

Komm vor.

- That's it. Oh, my goodness.

- [chuckles]

So, I could be doing this professionally.

Professional dog singer.

[laughing]

Let's go and herd some sheep.

Luckily, I think I know what I'm doing.

With my official shepherd's crook in hand,

I'm ready to go.

Will you call the sheep?

In die vor.

- [chuckles]

- In die vor.

In die vor.

[Uta] Eugene, that's a dog command.

Oh.

You need a sheep command.

- Oh. Well, the dogs are here

- [Uta] They are here.

so I guess it worked.

Turns out there's only

one command for the sheep.

- Komman, Schopi.

- Komman, Schopi. Komman.

- [Uta] Let's go.

- Oh, "Schopi" is sheep.

- Komman, Schopi.

- Fanta, komm vor.

[Levy] We have to move the flock

to a fresh field of heather.

It's not far. Less than half a mile.

The only problem:

We'll be walking right past

some of the priciest homes in Germany.

[sighs] I'm feeling the weight

of the responsibility.

Komman, Schopi.

- I should be wearing robes like Moses.

- [speaks indistinctly]

As we come around the corner,

members of the flock start to stray.

Uh-oh.

I can't help wishing

I was more fluent in sheep.

- I may be losing control here.

- [chuckles]

- 600 sheep behind me.

- Don't [chuckles]

- Geez. That's all right.

- [Uta] Sorry.

When they do that with me, I stop.

[Uta whistles]

This is not a good place to stop.

- Not a good place to stop.

- [Uta] Komman.

[Levy] No, not a good place to stop.

- [horn honking]

- [sheep bleating]

Uta?

Way out of my element here. Way out.

[Uta] Komman.

[Levy] Now I know

what it means when you say,

"Let's get the flock out of here."

- [Uta chuckling]

- [Levy] Right?

- Uh-oh. Uh-oh. All right. Whoa, whoa.

- [speaks North Frisian]

This really is like parting of the sea.

[whistles] Follow me.

Um. Well, I'm trying.

- [Uta speaks North Frisian]

- [Levy chuckles]

So [speaks North Frisian, laughs]

- Whoo-hoo-hoo.

- [Uta] We're getting there.

- We're almost there, fellas.

- [Uta] We're getting there.

Komman, Schopi. Komman, Schopi.

Boy, you're very good at this. [laughing]

[Uta] You just keep calm.

[Levy] Thanks to Uta's inner calm,

we finally reach the promised land.

Fanta, in die vor. In die vor.

And miraculously, I'm still in one piece

and on both feet.

They're very gentle animals.

But boy, when they want to move,

you better not be in their way.

- [chuckles] That's right.

- [Levy] Yeah.

[Uta] Fanta, komm vor.

[Levy] Like I learned in Sweden,

life is a lot less stressful

if you just go with the flow.

You have to take everything in stride

[Uta] Komman, Schopi.

because you're gonna

k*ll yourself with stress and anxiety

when you overthink too much in your life.

For Uta, fresh air and exercise

is a way of life.

It's the kind of common-sense

wellness program

that I could easily become a disciple of.

[sheep bleating]

For my final evening on Sylt,

I'm heading over to the beach

on the west side of the island.

[Dorit] Whoo! Hi.

[Levy] My cryotherapy buddy, Holger,

is ending his day in a very Sylt-like way.

Good to be here.

He's gonna go for a swim

in the North Sea, where it's really cold.

You'll come in? Joining me?

If I'm not there when you go in,

don't wait.

[all laugh]

[Levy] At long last,

my fast is officially over.

So cheers to that.

- All right.

- Go for a swim.

Let's go. Come on!

It's been a genuinely surprising

and fun few days on the island.

[laughing]

And it makes me very thankful

for my good health

and almost eight decades on this planet.

[laughing]

The best thing about being 76 right now

is that you just don't necessarily care

what people think.

And the worst thing about being 76 is

that you're not 36.

Are you not tempted to go in?

- Not remotely. No.

- [laughing]

Are there things I could be doing

more than what I'm doing?

Sure, there are.

I just don't really like doing it.

I mean, should I start running?

Why? I can walk.

- [beachgoers cheering]

- [Dorit] Bravo!

[Levy] Good experience. Glad you did it.

- Yeah.

- [Levy] Yeah.

And really, for me,

I don't need to spend a lot of money

to feel good.

I do understand that for some people,

treatments and therapies work wonders.

But in my book, it all comes down to

finding your own healthy balance.

It's kind of pretty, isn't it?

Just try to enjoy life,

and get as much pleasure out of it

as you can in a way that suits you.

I think that's pretty much it

in a nutshell, for me.

You take each day as it comes.

If you wake up in the morning

and, you know [inhales deeply]

still breathing, it's a good day.

- Next time

- Buongiorno.

I've just used up all my Italian.

Here we go.

This is my favorite country to visit

in the world.

The most famous a*s in Italy.

This is really something.

- Big smile.

- Yeah.

[artist vocalizing, chuckling]

- What do you want?

- There are more than 250

- official Italian hand gestures.

- Hey.

I'm in the middle of a vineyard

in Tuscany.

How many tourists get a chance to do this?