France 2010 – Le Fin

Dear Family and Friends;


There is a conspiracy – seriously! The weather has been horrible ever since we arrived in France. I  downloaded my pictures from the camera to the computer and realized that I haven't taken pictures for more than a week. That's because we were holed up in the boat trying hard to stay warm and dry. But even though we haven't been able to do much, we are loving being in France. The scenery and terrain are delightful and we are eating better – not drinking yet, but that too will come. The reason for that is the first thing I picked up in France wasn't a designer frock but a 'bug' of some sort. My tummy was not my best friend and after a week I finally went to the doctor and got antibiotics and am now on the mend. That of course was after Phil got a vicious cold in Belgium and it took over a week for him to feel up to par. This getting old totally sucks – we can't seem to fight off bugs the way we used to.

Beautiful Cruising

 

The upshot of both of us being sick is that we are not going to make it to Meaux where we had hoped to leave the boat for the winter and also get in some last minute Paris excursions. But we did find a good spot at Pont à Bar that is a hire boat base so they have pretty good boat facilities. However there is only one little bar and no stores so we had to drive into Sedan to get groceries. Luckily there was another British couple, Diana and Conrad from Southhampton who also winter at Pont à Bar and have their car there. Conrad, bless his heart, drove me in and waited patiently while I filled up my basket. What a place – rows and rows of wines, specialty items like pate, terrines, local sausages, etc, etc. I even bought a prepared crème brulée - all I had to do was grill the sugar topping – awesome! And the meat tastes like real meat – what a change! Holland supplies Europe with fresh produce, but the French seem to have the market for meat and poultry, especially duck and goose of course. The ham is of the dried variety – prosciutto, salamis and all other kinds of spiced meats. A gastronomic delight!


Diana and Conrad with Phil

The second upshot (that some of you already know) is that we are coming home early. We have returned to Charleville Mézières, a large town close to Pont à Bar for the final week of our stay before we catch a train to Amsterdam and then fly home to Vancouver from Schipol on the 9^th of September. I get to celebrate my birthday for 33 hours with the time difference! C-M has a lovely huge square – Place Ducale – that is quite beautiful with a gorgeous merry-go-round permanently running and all kinds of cafes and restaurants along the main streets and down every little side street as well. I swear all the French do is eat and drink. The stores all closed between 12:30 and 2:00 while everyone lunches and while the cafes remain open the restaurants close at 2:00 and don't open again until about 6:00 or even 7:00PM. We've had to change our cruising schedule so we can get to places just after 12:00 and still be able to make it into the local village for lunch. On top of that, they also close the shops at 2:00 on Saturdays and don't open again until Monday. So I guess, really, they eat, drink and 'ne travaillent pas'. France is a very socialist society and it's more about enjoying life rather than work, work, work. Not sure there's anything wrong with that at the end of the day.


Charleville Mezieres has the largest square in Europe

Beautiful merry-go-round

As you know one of the delights of doing this is meeting other people who are doing the same thing. For the very first time we actually saw 2 Canadian flags. The first boat we met was coming out of a lock as we were going in so all we could do was squeal in delight. But as we were travelling from Chateau Regnault to Revin, we saw a boat moored flying a Canadian flag. They hollered as we passed so Phil quickly turned the boat and we moored up alongside them. They are Liz and Dave Carr from near London, ON and we had a nice chat before we had to leave. That was one of the days when I was still sick, so I wasn't up to much visiting. We also really enjoyed having Diana and Conrad as neighbours for 6 days in Pont à Bar – we were very sorry to leave them behind but they were busy getting the boat ready for the winter and were heading home soon anyway. 


Liz and Dave

We are sitting here in C-M right along the bank of the Meuse on a pontoon with water and electricity. The view is quite nice – trees, paths and typical French architecture on the street that runs along the river. So despite the crap weather, life on the boat is good. We have our books – both paper and digital, my Soduko, our TV is tuned to British stations, we have our own shower, access to French food – like I said, Life is Good! 


Lovely view – lousy weather!

And we have an added bonus in Katinka and Scott, an Australian couple on a beautiful big barge for neighbours. Katinka's kitchen is as lovely as any kitchen in a real home, they have a living area you can square dance in and a walk around bed!!! Am I envious – you bet! Could I manoeuvre a 24 metre tjalk that is 4.4 metres wide – nope! So our sweet little Calypso will just have to do. But it is a beautiful boat that they live on all year round. 


Katinka, Scott and Phil

'Eendracht' – gorgeous!

So as well as a few last pictures to show you, this is my last blog for 2010. While we haven't had the year we had planned over the course of the '09/10' winter, it's still been a wonderful adventure. We are learning all the time, adjusting to different countries and cultures and thoroughly enjoying ourselves. Do we miss home? You bet - but for the moment this is what we dreamed about doing. We toyed with the idea of shipping the boat from the north of France next spring directly to Provence but we have been given good advice by an Aussie/Danish boater who lives permanently on his gorgeous barge. Cruising, like fine food and fine wine, is to be enjoyed slowly and savoured. So next year we will continue heading south and we'll stop for the winter based on time and schedule. If Phil goes back to NAIT to teach, we will probably only get to the centre of France but if he doesn't teach then we will continue until we get to the Midi and perhaps overwinter in Europe. Who knows – plans are final until they change and if nothing else we are flexible!!


Much love to all – Sharlene and Phil (now at home in Nanaimo but looking forward to next year's adventure)


 

Holland 2010 – Week 9

Dear Family and Friends;


We have seriously died and gone to heaven!!!! This is what the original dream was all about – French language and French food! And while we are still only in Belgium, it still feels French. My Champagne region wine growing ancestors are smiling and greeting me from their 16^th century graves - "Bienvenue, mon petite. Enfin, tu as arrivée." We now feel that we are on our way and that this year's journey has really begun. Holland has the most amazing havens and is very supportive of pleasure boaters but it is also lovely to be in a country that has more terrain. We climbed up through the south of Holland and as we got closer and closer to Belgium the landscape changed quite dramatically. It was a case of "A hill! A hill!" It is also really wonderful to hear a language with which we are both familiar. It will be some time before we are fluent (probably several years) but at least we can read a menu because, as you know, l'estomac est plus important!


Our first hill sighting!

It's hard to understand how the Belgique authority in charge of the waterways would even consider the closure of a major lock (écluse) on a major river (the Meuse) during the height of the summer season, but despite `zee little gray cells', some idiot did make the pronouncement and the lock at Andennes closed Monday morning for 3 weeks. I`m sure some Greek Deity made winter months for repairs and servicing but nobody told the Water Board! The original plan was to spend 2 nights in Liege but we had to miss it entirely and hurry to Huy to overnight and then get to the Andennes lock early Sunday morning. We were really surprised that the lock wasn't busier but maybe other boaters had known well in advance and had adjusted their cruising plans accordingly. We are just grateful that we got the information in time. The cruise from Maastricht to Huy was very long with some big locks so we were grateful to eat at the Yachtclub restaurant – our first non-Dutch meal in some time. We were also a little startled by the fact that the Customs representative at the first lock inside the Belgian border didn`t even ask to see our passports. He was more concerned to know if we were returning to Holland at the end of the season and if so, we would have to pay a fee to use their waterways. But as we were passing through on our way to France - `` C` est gratuit, Madame.``
 

Kinder, gentler locks in Belgium – but a lot more of them!

We are finding that the boating community is small-ish and friendly. When we were in Gennup in Holland last week, we met Willem (Wim) Gerrits. Wim had actually emigrated to Canada for a short time back in 1980. The early 80`s were bust years in our economy and Wim headed back to Holland. However, his English is still excellent and he and Phil had a great chat. Then, surprise, we were moored up in Namur and who should arrive but Wim and his wife, Loes (pronounced Loose) cruising in Belgium on their four week vacation. We had a nice visit and many chats and have promised to keep in touch. Phil had a terrible cold arriving in Namur and then I got it, so we were glad to stay in this lovely town for 4 nights. There is a lot to see – Namur is the capital of Wallonia and is also at the junction of the Sambre and Meuse rivers. At the point of intersection, way up on a high cliff is a very imposing citadel (walled fort) built centuries ago. Our moorage was directly across from the foot of the cliff and we had the most amazing view of the citadel lit up at night from our aft deck. We tried to find the little train that would take us to the top only to discover later that it was out of commision for the week so we ended up walking almost to the top. Phil was amazing – he made it without re-injuring his Achilles. He has definitely turned a corner. But once at the top, prudence exerted itself and we toured the facility from the comforts of the other little train that was working!


The little ferry which took us to the other side of the Meuse (so Phil didn`t have to walk)

The citadel during the day is quite imposing

...and beautiful at night!

This little train toured us around the complex so Phil didn`t have to walk even further

View of Calypso moored below the citadel wall – it is very high up here!

We finally took leave of Namur and headed to Dinant – another town on the Meuse River and a very busy tourist centre. The river on both sides are lined with restaurants and brasseries. It has an ancient cathedral with an interesting history - destroyed when part of the cliff came down in 1277 and rebuilt in 13^th and 18^th centuries. There is another citadel at the top of the cliff but not nearly so imposing or large as the one at Namur. But Dinant is very much restricted by the cliff walls – the town is built right up to and under them.


The cathedral is still tucked up and under the rock wall.

The cliff may tumble at any time!

One more day in Belgium and then .... you-know-where! The Meuse River between Dinant and Givet was truly superb. The river was calm, the landscape beautiful and lovely villages all along the shore. It was one of the best cruising days ever. Just as we imagined it!


Bayard Rock - very famous

Gorgeous calm cruising

We have arrived! (On one side Belgium, on the other France!)

Holland 2010 – Week 6, 7 & 8

Dear Family and Friends


Can you hear me singing "On the Road Again" – granted it's out of tune, but it should still be recognizable. I swear I'm the only Welshman who can't sing. After 5 weeks in Vollenhove, we hit the waterway on Monday, July 19^th. And it would have been a perfect getaway had Phil been able to get the motor started! Our stomachs dropped and our wallets clenched their little cheeks in protest. But we tried starting it from the inside steering station and it purred like a kitten. Gerard did a great job of tuning it up as part of the winter mooring fee. Phil repaired the cover to the upper steering station and probably did something to the electric wires that are stored in the station. 


Saying goodbye to our awesome havenmeester, Rob and his little daughter.

So off we headed to Hasselt our first stop and one which we know well as we stayed there for almost a week last year. The weather was beautifully sunny and bright and we made good headway arriving in time to cycle into the town square for lunch. Yahoo, we are underway! The next day was a longer cruise to Veesson but the weather was lovely and we weren't bothered by many barges. The only downside was that the havenmeester (harbour master) was grumpy! It was a tiny village with a 711 type store but after 4.5 hours cruising we were ready to stop. Every now and then we get hassled by older Dutchmen who give us a hard time because we can't speak the language. We try but our pronunciation is so awful that sadly, they can't understand what we are saying anyway. We smilingly remind them (in a friendly way as only Canadians can) that we are spending our hard earned pensions here in Holland, adding to the economy and we don't cost them a euro cent! That usually does the trick. Though our 'high road' was somewhat blemished with pot holes as we left the next morning - the engine overheated and we had to slink back to the dock. We didn't give it enough 'wellie' so the engine water cooling system hadn't kicked in. We left quickly after a few minutes and headed off to Zutphen.


Zutphen is gorgeous. Another grumpy havenmeester but he did end up giving us a highly prized mooring right next to the facilities so that Phil didn't have to walk too far. His grumpiness was more than offset by a great meal at The Vatican – wonderful Italian cooking. Zutphen is fairly big, great shopping, lots of restaurants and a huge market day with several bands playing and lots of activities for the kids. 


Zutphen is a busy little city.

We stayed 4 nights partly because we wanted to go Driebergen. Marian and John kindly offered us their house as a place for Phil to recover for several weeks. But as we decided subsequently to head off to France, we now have a deadline to meet – flying home on September 23^rd and it will take all of that to get to Paris and perhaps beyond. However, one night in a real bed, in a real house with a large screen TV was well worth the train ride. As well as enjoying the brand newly hatched baby chicks, I had a B-A-T-H!!!! When we got back the next day, we bumped the suitcase down the hatch and took a moment to look around our little Calypso. At once I could hear a fairly loud and distinct buzzing noise. Oh crap! What now? We cocked our ears to walls, inside lockers, the engine room (twice) and back again. It seemed to be loudest in the salon. Then all of a sudden I started to laugh. Phil gave me a look – as only he can. Once I dried my tears, I opened the suitcase, took out the overnight wash kit and turned off my electric toothbrush! All that bumping down the stairs must have turned it on. Panic averted! 


Later on our last evening there, a boat a little smaller than ours was towed in to the harbour. An English couple (Roger and Susan from Chichester) had been swamped by a power boat going far too fast creating a huge wake behind them. There was water in their bilge and when they were swamped the water shorted out their electrical system so they lost power. Phil gave him our diapers which soaked up the water like a charm and also lent him our grease gun so he could stop the water leaking by sealing up the stern gland where the prop shaft is. I was very impressed by how calm they were (they are very seasoned sailors) as getting someone to come fix the wiring won't be easy. We invited them to Calypso for a drink – to help calm the nerves – ours! We now have another thing to worry about – just add it to the worry list!


We finally left Zutphen on the 25^th and made our way to Doesburg. Hazy bright but a good journey taking only 3 hours. Doesburg is a lovely old village, best known for its mustard. There is a mustard museum but Phil still isn't able to walk far so we usually stick to eating, drinking and buying food. We did go to De Waag which claims to be the oldest restaurant in the Netherlands having been the town's inn since 1478. 


De Waag – beautiful building and microbrewery.

Doesburg had a second treat in store. The boat next to us – a lovely Success 1080 – had a Dutch couple from near Rotterdam. As it turns out – small world and coincidences – Robert and Christa are dental technicians. As you can imagine Phil was in seventh heaven meeting up with a fellow techie. In fact, Robert owns his own laboratory. We went aboard the next night for drinks and appies and had a wonderful time. They are a lovely couple and we hope that we will run into them again in the future. Robert has been to Canada and we tried to convince him that it is his bounden duty to take Christa there too.


Arnhem, our next stop, was rebuilt after the war so many of the buildings are new. It suffered so much damage that the townspeople were forced to abandon their homes and only returned after the war. However, Nijmegen was delightful. The journey there was a little yucky! Very windy and rough and I suffered from nausea with all the rolling around. But once we turned the corner – literally – we entered the Waal and as we are now heading downstream, we made excellent time. We moored right by the 'Bridge Too Far.' Operation Market Garden was fought in and around Arnhem. The Allies tried hard to take the Nijmegen bridge but failed. Nijmegen is one of the oldest towns in Holland and there is a castle that has Roman engineering, was one of Charlemagne's castles and rebuilt in 1155. Well worth a return visit some day when Phil is able to get about and we can get around to see all the various museums and historic buildings.


The remains of Charlemagne's castle.

St Nicolaaskapel, one of the oldest stone buildings in Holland.

We were moored right by the Bridge Too Far

Gennup had market day when we arrived so was able to buy some tatziki, pesto and tapenade so we could have afternoon 'fourses'. This is Nancy's tradition that we have come to enjoy when we get a chance to buy the ingredients for appetizers to accompany a nice glass of wine. Makes for very late suppers – but oh well – we have nothing but time on our hands. Found a very delightful haven just north of Venlo the next day – the cleanest washrooms ever!!! It was a short cruise from Neer to Maasbracht – too far to make it to Maastricht in one go. However, we found a very posh jachthaven. We feel like the poor cousins. Our little Calypso is much outclassed by all the other boats here. They even have some beautiful houseboats that I would gladly trade for. The clubhouse has tablecloth dining and gorgeous outdoor wicker furniture. I had to dig out my best sweater from the bottom of the pile to wear to supper. Needed to show some semblance of Canadian respectability. 


Posh clubhouse and a houseboat for anyone with half a million to spare!

It was a long day cruising to Maastricht – it took 5 ½ hours which is about twice what we would normally do. Two of the locks were over 11 metres deep! When you enter the lock it seems like a great huge cavern and is overwhelming. Once the lock is filled and you look back you can appreciate how high the lock really is.


Huge lock near Maastricht – going in. Too late to change my mind!

Looking back – it really is a long way up!

But we found a nice haven right in Maastricht centre with a number of restaurants around the little basin. We had a choice of Italian, Greek, seafood (lobster!!) and several others. We chose Greek as I was way too tired to cook. Ate quickly and then joined Peter and Eileen Kimber on their boat for a drink. In life's little coincidences we actually met them briefly last year in Vollenhove. Then this year again while we were waiting out Phil's healing, they arrived in Vollenhove again! We renewed acquaintances and made arrangements to meet up again in Maastricht. But in fact one day when we were in Zutphen, I was looking for a craft store and who should be coming down the street – but the Kimbers. We had a nice visit over a drink in a little cafe and then had them over for a drink on Calypso and we had a great time trading war stories.


Peter and Eileen Kimber

There was a great Friday market in Maasbracht – there must have been about 10,000 people. We wandered around a bit and made our way to the chandlers. We needed several boat items including rope, grease, maps – the usual! But what a stroke of good fortune that we did. We had planned to spend two more days exploring Maastricht as it is rich in history and a major centre. The man serving us happened to mention that the lock at Andennes in Belgium was closing on Monday for 3 weeks. You have to wonder about an organization that closes a major lock in the middle of summer! As the only way for us to get to France via the Meuse is to go through the Andennes lock, we had to cancel our plans to spend time with the Kimbers in Maastricht and leave first thing Saturday morning. We had planned to take 3 days to get to Namur (the lock is between Huy and Namur) but had to cut it to 2 days. So off we go – first Belgium and finally – FRANCE!!!!

Maastricht Square – after the market.


Brand new coot – only a few hours old!

We loved the pun – Molo's (the restaurant) and Quasi Molo's (the bar next door) – too cute!

So our cruising continues – we are excited about getting to a new country and other than a 6 foot long scratch on the side of the boat and a pretty good ding on the back, all is well!!! But the beauty of owning a steel boat is that it is quite indestructible (thank goodness) and rust preventer and white paint is pretty cheap especially when you buy it by the gallon! It's hard to believe but we are getting better with the boat. Phil usually moors beautifully and we think we have finally cracked the secret to the locks. (More on that next time.) We'll hopefully have new and exciting things to say about Belgium and France – we can hardly wait.


Much love to all

Sharlene and 'Crash' Coss


 

Holland 2010 – Week 5

I swear I'm the unluckiest person in the world – or the dumbest. Last year before we arrived, I had packed all hot weather clothes expecting Holland (which is virtually the same latitude as Nanaimo) to be like home – warm, sunny summers. So we froze our Asses off as you know. So having learned my lesson I purchased flannelette PJ's, 3 sweaters and lots of long sleeved T-shirts! Wrong again! This is a record breaking hot summer and I'm dying!! Last year I used my little fan on about 2 days – this year? It's on every day, all day. Sleeping at night is a little uncomfortable. Phil insists on breathing and giving off body heat and I'm sweating up a storm. I need to get an extension for the fan so I can plug it in at night in the bedroom – oops, aft cabin! Must practice being nautical. It's moor not park, fenders not bumpers, etc. etc. And he who shall not be named is insisting I learn how to tie ropes and other things shippy. He doesn't get it – this is my cottage on the water. I just want to put my feet up and enjoy!


Along with the hot weather, we had another storm (July 11) that quickly brought back memories of last year's terror. What is it about Vollenhove? If they do 'Perfect Storm 2' they can film it here. There we were - in our 'jammies, settling down the for the night, just starting into our nightcap of Southern Comfort when a wicked storm came up with wind that just whipped up the waves and tossed the boat around. We had to scramble up on deck to bring down the bimini before it went the way of the cabriole just like last year. The sweet little man on the boat behind us came out to help me and got soaked in the process. Can't say enough about the helpfulness of the Dutch. It was the night before the World Cup final and there was a big party with live music and a ton of electrical equipment in the square. They had to quickly scramble to save all the instruments, amps and other paraphernalia. 


But the next night was lovely, clear and warm and they set up a huge TV screen in the square where everyone gathered to watch the game and drink beer. Sadly, Holland were in tough and managed to hold on as long as they could but in the end Spain prevailed. But it was wonderful to see a sea of orange shirts and costumes cheering wildly for their national team. We went up, ordered some beer and went back to watch the game in comfort on the boat.
Party time!

Even the boats were decorated.

Last Friday I took the rental back to Emmeloord. We affectionately called it "The Pimple". The Smart Car is the size of a zit, a small Corsica is a boil, thus our little car was the carbuncle in between. But she was very handy whether we were just going out for lunch or off buying furniture, wood or materials needed to construct new screens. So now we are back to biking which is a good thing. Maybe now I'll lose a little more weight!

The Pimple!

Our new chairs are so much more comfortable.

Phil has been really busy this past week doing odd jobs around the boat and is feeling very chuffed with himself. He made 5 new screens to keep the bugs out, mended the steering station cover which was literally falling apart and managed to mop up the water and oil floating in the hold. He has discovered a new use for disposable diapers! They make prefect rags to soak and mop up gunk.

Mr Fix-It !

And now for the big news! Last Sunday Phil woke up with a pronouncement. We are going to France!!!! After cancelling all the plans we had made, he has now determined that even with the boot on for stability, there's no reason why we can't get going. We are leaving it a little close to make our winter moorage in Migennes, and our stay in Paris will be cut short, but we are both excited to get going. Holland has been lovely, our havenmeester and the village have all embraced us with kindness and open hearts, but we are determined to keep the dream going and are heading off to France. We've changed the route and will take the shortest route through Belgium ( a 4 day journey) and we should hit the north of France by about August 8^th. Then we have about 5 ½ weeks to get to Migennes where we will leave the boat for the winter. Then we'll make our way back to Amsterdam to fly home on September 23^rd. I'm already having nightmares about French locks but presume that fortified by lots and lots of good French wine, I'll survive – or not!


Not sure when the next blog will be posted but I'll keep in touch as events unfold. I am always pleased to hear from you so don't hesitate to email or post a comment on the blog. The distribution email will have an attachment that Kristen prepared to indicate how to Post a Comment directly on the blog.


Much love to all,

The Excited but Nervous Nellie and the Master Mariner


 

 

Holland 2010 - Weeks 2, 3 and 4

Wow, can hardly believe that we’ve been here almost a month. The days sometime drag but on others, they go quickly. We’ve been busy provisioning the boat even though we thought it had all been done. Because we’ve been doing a lot of sitting (Phil isn’t able to walk far) we are spending more time in the salon. We discovered that our cheap-as-chips Ikea chairs were very uncomfortable to sit in for any length of time. And we are spending a lot of time in front of the TV watching soccer!! So that hole-in-the-water-into-which-we-pour-money - lovingly known as Calypso - is getting bigger! We bought new leather chairs, new pillows for the bed and sundry other items.

Phil now has a complete set of tools to do any repairs or renovations. Getting him to use them is a whole other story! Mind you as we speak he is mounting the bracket we bought in Nanaimo which will hold the TV satellite dish. His next job is to make screens for the windows to keep out the bugs at night.  The midges are attracted to our white ceilings and I spend a good deal of time laying in bed (Did I tell you I hate bugs? Another one of my many phobias) squishing the little suckers. Then, in the morning, I have to wash down the ceiling! Sigh, women’s work is never done! That being said, cleaning the boat takes minutes. I can get the dusting, vacuuming and cleaning done in about 20 minutes. Having only one bathroom helps! Mind you the vacuum cleaner is very small and only draws a very low amperage. So I end up picking the lint out of the rug by hand and then stuffing it down the hose!

We found the rental car very handy so after I took the first one back to Schipol airport, we decided let’s rent locally. Our Havenmeester Rob came through and found us an Opel dealer who would rent for 4 weeks at a very good price. Right – we’ll take it.

My car and driver – I WISH!!!!

We have been getting about in the car a little. Mostly for shopping but we discovered Lemmer, a little harbour town about ½ hour away. Just lovely – lots of shops and restaurants along the many canals. We will take the boat there once we start cruising.

Sitting at the cafe watching the boats come through from the Islmeer.

Great moorings right in the heart of the town.

Our friends, Marian and John Berg from near Utrecht came to visit in their RV, which is right alongside the moorage. We had a great visit – it was so good to see them again. They took us to Staphorst, a town known throughout Holland as a stronghold of strict Christian beliefs. The lovely old farmhouses are painted in characteristic green and blue. 

The townspeople continue to wear traditional dress, a custom that has virtually disappeared elsewhere in the country. The elderly women are seen in blue or black dress which indicates the mourning period.

They also have a unique decoration for their bikes – crocheted wheel protectors in a variety of beautiful colours and designs.

After visiting Staphorst, we stopped on the side of the road by a farmer’s field and had an afternoon snack. Very peaceful as we watched the storks feeding, the cows mooing and the four of us munching and slurping our cider.

We continued our touring by travelling by car in our little rental to Gouda to visit with our Australians friends Arthur and Diana Dixon from Perth and finally meeting Yvonne and Kevin Gilbert. Yvonne does an excellent blog on their cruising through Holland, France, Germany and Belgium. They’ve been doing this for some time and are a fount of good information about how and where to cruise. We arrived for lunch and left after supper dining alongside the canal where they are moored.

L-R: Phil, Kevin, Diana, Arthur, Yvonne alongside the Dixon’s “Secundus”

Diana, Yvonne and I managed to do a little shopping and Yvonne and I took a wander through the town to see some of the remarkable buildings. 

The beautiful town hall (Geementehuis). The main square was set up for a festival – beach volleyball included – and everyone was in orange as Holland was playing soccer that night.

And who says the Dutch don’t have a sense of humour! See below!

Then last Monday, we drove to Driebergen (near Utrecht) to visit with Marian and John Berg in their home. We felt very privileged to have been invited and had a wonderful time in their beautiful home and gardens.

Marian also keeps a few chickens.

Driebergen is in a forested area, intertwined by small roads, bike paths and hiking trails. So different from the north of Holland. Marian and John took us around the countryside to show just a few of the amazing country homes – built by wealthy Amsterdamers in the 17^th and 18^th century and who wanted to escape the noise and stench of the city in the summers. Some were pretty spectacular and though many have since been taken over and run as conference or educational centres, much of their early glory remains.

This is “just” the orangerie.

And at another country home, this was “just” the carriage house!

We were introduced to a local summer pastime that was a hoot! Marian and John took us to the Cherry Inn – a local cherry orchard where you can join in on the cherry pit spitting contest!! What else would you do with the pit once you sucked all the goodness off the cherry? Makes sense – spit it out. But not just anywhere. Make your way to what looks like a shuffle board marked in metres and centimetres. Standing at one end, grab one of the poles in each hand, work the pit to the front of your mouth, lean way back, launch yourself forward spitting the pit at the same time. Marian, John and Phil did reasonably well. My pathetic try landed at John’s feet! About a half a metre – but then I’ve never been able to spit out my gum from the car window either.

Phil tries with Marian watching.

John’s turn

  The CHAMP!!!!!

 We are now back on Calypso struggling with the heat. However, Phil did manage to get 3 new screens built – 2 more to go. He did an awesome job so I take back what I said. They work like a hot damn and I no longer have to wipe down the cabin ceiling each morning!

It has been a great first four weeks. We are hoping that Phil’s cast will come off next week and then shortly after that we will try cruising. Stay tuned – this could be interesting!!!!

Much love to all

Sharlene and the Recovering Master Mariner.