As crowds poured into the township, it was bedlam: a case a kamikaze for those on bikes, as they avoided the pedestrians who, without looking, stepped off curbs and suddenly appeared in front of them. If one prefers a quieter visit, Monday to Thursday is the key we decided. It was to an older […]
One of the oldest parishes in the town of Ghent, St Jacob was named after St James the greater, the patron saint of pilgrims. People still depart from here on their pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. We found the image of the woman being led to her hanging an interesting one in the […]
It was time to visit the museums today. First on the rank was the Design Museum. It certainly wasn’t what we expected, which was the changing of design and innovation in the region over the centuries. This was really a modern art exhibition showing the works of a few successful minimalist artists, through a variety […]
Bordering the southern edge of Mariakerke, once a small township roughly five kilometres north west of Ghent, is the Bourgoyen – Ossemeeresen nature reserve of 600+ hectares. This was our destination for the day, and a pleasant change to the hustle and bustle of Ghent. Cycling – or walking – through the landscapes, listening to […]
Castle of the Counts, St Nicholas’ Church, the Belfry, Roeland’s Bell, and St Bavo’s Cathedral It may sound a lot, but Bob and took our time. The Castle of the Counts is the last remaining bastion from the 10th century medieval period that still retains much of its defence structure. This section of land on […]
Today was the day! By day’s end Gratis would be in Belgium. What excitement! The land of Belgian chocolate, Flanders Fields, Belgian beer and more!!!!!!! It was a pleasant 40km motor upon a waterway that was practically empty of commercial barges: it was Sunday and most – including the fuelling station just outside Terneuzen – […]
Today, the 9th June, found Bob and I arising to yet another foggy morning – last year it was rain, this year it’s fog: not that we are complaining. We will take fog over rain any day! Having lost a week, and already being a little behind in the itinerary, the decision was made to […]
28th May to 2nd June, 2018 Kapelle, Nisse Our ride today, took us along the banks of the Zuid Beveland Canal, before the bike way turned to lead us through beautiful farming country, the roadsides of which were bordered by masses of tiny flowers in bloom. Kapelle Upon passing through a cooling woods, the township […]
It’s been one of those unplanned weeks where the unexpected took place. With Gratis’ insurance due, Bob looked around and found a company in the Netherlands that is much cheaper than using those in Australia and so forth. The only stipulation was that to have full coverage for the hull, we had need to lift […]
Week 4 22nd to 27th May, 2018 The happenings this week are quite depleted, since our time was occupied with tidying, cleaning and restocking Gratis. However, that aside, the good news is, we are now underway! Vlissingen to Middelburg Saturday, what a glorious day we had for the commencement of the year’s cruising. Awaking to […]
How the weeks are flying by. It’s difficult to believe it’s been three weeks since we returned to Europe. A burst of cold weather found us glad to be indoors as Bob and I continued working on the renovations. Monday the outer frame work was installed. Tuesday I took a bit of time out as Bob […]
There’s a saying amongst boating cruisers: Cruising is boat work – or in our case, make that renovations – in exotic places. How true that is, as this week Bob and I worked at a pace to complete painting and varnishing the pilot house. By late Saturday, the pilot house reno was finished, with the […]
Week 1 1st to 7th May, 2018 At last, the long awaited 2018 European journey has commenced. The 1st of May saw Bob and I embarking the plane for a flight that took us from the heat of Bali to the chill of Vlissingen in the Netherlands. On arrival at Gratis, it was to find […]
Our European 2017 season has come to a close. We landed in Brisbane after a good flight back. Now it’s time to bring out the ‘Rolling G’ right and head north for a month or so. Check out our 2017 and 2018 journey in the Rolling G rig. http://www.gratisaustralis.com/category/australia-2017/ http://www.gratisaustralis.com/category/australia-2018/
The hard yakka has been completed and today the painting of the pilot house commences. Quick snap shots taken during the last few days. Clean out and removal of fans etc. Things always look worse before they improve… Bogging completed Ducting that covers the wires installed. Bob’s famous bean salad ready for dressing. Last muesli for the season…. […]
The decks have been cleaned and the covers are now on!
Having arrived in Vlissingen, another action packed year in Europe is almost at its end as we commence readying Gratis for her second winter on the European mainland. Don’t despair, however, as we continue uploading the missing links in the European 2017 journey. It’s interesting how initial ideas and plans change as the years pass us by. […]
During the summer months, Museum Veere offers the visitor the rare opportunity of experiencing a few hours on board a replica of one the smaller traditional Dutch barges. Once used for the harvesting of mussels, today these vessels play a vital role in the tourism trade. This morning, Bob and I did just that! Having […]
The province of Zeeland isn’t that large, so the towns are a hop and a skip apart. On departing Veere, it was a short 8km motor that took us to the beautiful old town of Middelburg. The moorings situated on the outer edge of the old township were peaceful and the view of the 16th/17th […]
