A senior European Union ambassador visiting from the Czech Republic came to Bowen recently to meet up with a longtime pen pal that bears that same last name as him.
When longtime Bowen resident Sigurd Sabathil starting searching online 20 years ago for the root of his family name, he came across Dr. Gerhard Sabathil.
“We are related, but how exactly I couldn’t tell. We are just part of the same tribe,” said Sigurd, who is also from the Czech Republic.
After corresponding for decades the two men finally met in early June on Bowen, when Gerhard and his family made a side trip from Vancouver.
“They wanted to meet us and I wanted to show off Bowen Island -and they were thrilled,” said Sigurd.
In one afternoon the ambassador saw: a scenic ferry ride, Snug Cove, Tunstall Bay beach, Artisan Square, a waterfront log house with a harpsichord inside, Gardner Lane as a prime example of sustainable management, the Sabathil property with its miracle spring and scenic views.
When asked how he liked Bowen Island he had only one word: “Paradise!”
“We had so many things to talk about, I mean, a man like that has done some wonderful things,” said Sigurd.
Dr. Gerhard is a senior ambassador of the European Union to the Republic of Korea, with a staff of 25. Previously, he held positions as the director for Foreign Policy Strategy and Coordination of the European Commission, the UN Alliance of Civilizations
Coordinator of the EU, and the inspector general of the European External Action Service.
