A morning of pleasant motoring and waiting for bridges, heading southward we arrived in the larger town of Alkmaar around lunch time. Situated in the land of Leeghwater, the town of Almaar is surrounded by peat bogs and reclaimed landscape. During the afternoon, Bob and I motored the dinghy into the centre and wandered the […]
The first part of the morning was spent wandering through the Medemblik castle museum. During the late thirteenth century, Count Floris V of Holland gained control of West Friesland. The local populations balked at his rulership and continual attempts were undertaken to wrest their land from his hands. Deciding enough was enough, the count had […]
Map showing our path over the past couple of days. Medemblik: Exquisite!!!!
Sunlight skies, the sun emitting a rarely felt warmth, it was perfect for a motor across the Ijsselmeer, thereby leaving Friesland behind us. Once the Zuiderzee (to we English speakers, the South Sea), this man – made lake was created upon the completion of the 32km long Afsluitdijk that protects the region from the forces […]
Another pleasant day, motoring through waterways filled to the brim with boats. As with all towns since Grou, mooring spaces are few and far between. Here, too, is a beautiful lakeside holiday town that is also the base for a small fishing fleet and the larger Dutch tourist barges and this one was a […]
For a change, we were blessed with a warm sunny day as Gratis motored us upon the canals and lakes. First, a walk through Lemmer, which proved to be a pleasant holiday town, then off Bob and I went. A short ten or so kilometres later, Sloten with its old stone arched gateway and working […]
A pleasant 21km motor in a bit of rain led us through the Langwarder Wielen along Langwarder Feart, back into the Princeses Margriet Kanaal, across the Grutte Brekken and into Lemmer. It was an afternoon where Bob continued working on the installation of the hot water tank, whilst I attempted to catch up on bit […]
Our trip this morning took us across the Sneekermeer and Goaliingarypster waterways. It was on these large lakes that the sailing races were taking place. For Gratis, it meant a game of ‘Dodgem Boats’ as she wove her way through the field whilst simultaneously keeping clear of the shallows. At one stage, a quick 360 […]
During the morning hours, Bob continued working upon hot water system installation. Lunch finished, it was time to head out for the last of our Sneek exploration. A little more was learned about the township’s history. Situated on the edge of peat and clay areas, the township took form in the eleventh century when two […]
Bob spent the day on installing our new hot water system It was a bit of tight fit, but he made it work! I relaxed and worked on photos There is so much water traffic here that it is like being on a sea full of swells. I actually felt ‘sea – sick’.
Pleasant walk Bob and I are gradually wending our way along the 11 Frisian Cities route. The towns are generally more like a typical Australian country town or German dorf. According to the Sneek tourism (VVV) website: ‘Where in the world are the cities smaller than villages? In Friesland of course. Our cities do not thank the […]
Today was the day of days: our opportunity to experience the vibe and excitement of a Skûtsjesilen (pronounced ‘skootshuh’ – oo as in book) race! The Skûtsje is a style of Frisian ship that was once used by the Frisian farmers for ferrying cargo along the narrow, shallow waterways. Ranging from 12 – 20 […]
Waking to a cool, wet day Bob and I visited the two museums, both of which were entirely different. The first, the Fries Landbouw Museum (Frisian Agricultural Museum) focussed on the landscape and whilst the second was all about the traditional Dutch Skûtsje. In the Fries Landbouwmuseum, the visitor was taken on a journey that […]
It was Little G2 day as we motored through the waterways of this beautiful landscape. Sadly, it must have been the wrong time of year to view the animals – or else it was just far too busy. Lazing in the dinghy after midday, a barge appeared on the horizon. Imagine our surprise to find it […]
A pleasant motor in which we bypassed Leeuwarden to arrive in the National Park ‘De Alde Feanen’ (‘feen’ and ‘veen’ mean bog, fen, or peat), situated slightly south of the major town. Moored on the edge of the township, Earnewald, this particular section was a thriving holiday metropolis. Dinghies, generally full of youngsters, crisscrossed the […]
A pleasant two – hour ferry ride took us across to this West – Terschelling on this Frisian island, one of several that assist in protecting the northern landscape from the threat of the raging sea storms and helps create the UNESCO status Waddensee. From the height, it was possible to espy the full extent […]
Resting on the shores of the Wadden Sea, Harlingen is an historical fishing/seaport, that is today a mecca for the tourists and a connection point for those wishing to visit the Frisian island of Terschelling. Some hours were spent exploring the tiny waterways of the township: quite different to those of Leeuwarden, these generally came […]
A short 8km motor brought took us to the outskirts of the port side town of Harlingen this morning. Just past the Konigsbrug, we exited the Van Harinxmakanaal and found ourselves winding past a multitude of moored boats – which Bob intently studied in passing. On arrival at Industriebrug, Bob phoned the bridge operator, who […]
Amidst heavy rain showers, squalls and wind Bob and I motored the short distance to Franeker, which is situated half – way between Leeuwarden and Harlingen on the Van Harinxmakanaal. Moored in a quiet channel on the doorstep of the township’s centre, Bob and his knees couldn’t have wanted for more. The highlight today was […]
Terry’s three week visit had rapidly come to a close. After dropping her at the railway station where she would depart, Bob and I headed out for a day of relaxing countryside exploration in Little G2. Narrow waterways that led to shallow waterlily clad lagoons. Farmhouses. A child’s playground delight! Travel came to an abrupt end […]
