Thurs 23rd – Sun 26th May – New crew arrive – and it’s Winter again!

Thurs 23^rd – As you can see, we’re well wrapped up against the elements …

Jackie and Alexander joined us for a few days as we sailed from Hoorn …

Alexander steered us across the Markermeer and Ijsselmeer …

… past a fine Dutch sailing ship …

… while Jackie went by road and joined us in Lemmer.

Fri 24^th – we entered the Prinses Margriet Canal with some large commercial barges …

Jackie joined us on board for this part of the trip and enjoyed the sunnier weather.

We tied up for the night under a tree (again) alongside the canal bank in the attractive small town of Sneek.

This is the Sneek Watergate, an old entry point into the town …

Sat 25^th – the next day it’s back on the Prinses Margriet Canal, through a swivelling rail bridge …

Past rowing races in the town of Grouw …

Over the motorway on an aqueduct …

Another swivelling rail bridge, where the whole thing turns, including the overhead power lines …

… and yet more lifting road bridges …

… past some unusual wildlife!

To Burdaard, where we just ‘parked’ along the canal side in the middle of a residential area.

Sun 26^th – There’s never time to get bored going through the canals.  There’s always something to do to get ready for a bridge or lock – putting out fenders, coiling ropes, etc – and someone always needs to steer as it’s generally too narrow to rely on the autopilot.

Sometimes you have to pay a bridge toll.  The bridge man holds out a wooden clog on a fishing line and you have to hover the boat near it long enough to put in the money and receive the change …

We stopped for lunch in Dokkum …

… and went for a walk around the town …

Finally we made our way to Jachthaven Lunegat for the night, passing a fisherman in what looks like an inflatable chair!

Sun 20th – Tues 22nd May – To the Baltic – via Rome !!!

We enjoyed a couple of days in warm, sunny Rome – I made the most of the opportunity to do some sightseeing while Charles was at meetings.

I went to the Colosseum …

 … the Forum and the Palatine Hill …

… the Trevi Fountain …

… the Spanish Steps …

… St Peter’s Basilica …

… the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican …

… and saw the Swiss Guards in their colourful uniforms.

There is so much to see and do in Rome, and it’s several decades since I was last there!  I particularly enjoyed the ancient sites – there is a real atmosphere among the ruins and it’s not quite so crowded with tourists as the Vatican.

It was also a very welcome break from Arctic temperatures in Holland!

Friday 17th – Sunday 19th May – To Hoorn – and back to Winter!

From Amsterdam, we motored straight into the wind and waves across the Markermeer to Hoorn – it was grey, cold, wet and wintry, and this is the middle of May!  I can hardly believe the sunny picture taken on the 6^th of me wearing a sunhat!  I had to dig out an old skiing jacket and woolly hat …

The crew ‘off watch’ could get warmed up ‘down below’ …

A very grey and rainy view of our destination – Hoorn …

This is what Hoorn looks like on a better day …

We found a cosy berth in Grashaven Marina next to the old prison.  It’s now a ‘Museum of the 20^th Century’ which was quite fun and nostalgic to go round – we remembered using many of the items in it, and still have one or two at home!

Hoorn is a delightful small town dating from the 13^th century, and becoming prosperous during the 17^th century due to trade with the East Indies.  The Westfries Museum is housed in a striking building dating from 1632, and currently has a very interesting exhibition of Rembrandt’s sketches and etchings.

Sunday 12th – Wednesday 15th May – Amsterdam

Here is Central Station from the front, much more attractive than the back entrance.  From Sixhaven Marina, we can be here in about 15 minutes – so handy …

We both enjoyed wandering around the Amsterdam canals …

There are so many bikes in this city – they are literally everywhere – though I don’t think I saw a single person wearing a bike helmet, and not many motorcyclists wearing them either.

Here is the multi-storey bike park at the station …

… and here’s someone who seems to be moving house or going to the tip by bike …

I also saw one woman “walking” two dogs attached to her bike, which looked a bit precarious!

Some people had a more novel way of getting around!

We wandered past many interesting old buildings, boats and houseboats …

In the centre of this picture is the narrowest house in Amsterdam, built to try to avoid paying the high canal frontage tax …

These are called the ‘dancing houses’ because they are all higgledy-piggledy due to being built on mud foundations …

Everywhere you go in Amsterdam, if you breathe in, you can enjoy second-hand the effect of all the cannabis being smoked around you!  There are also quite a few shops that sell seeds for you to grow your own …

I spent a couple more days in Amsterdam, enjoying some sightseeing and culture, while Charles went back to UK for work.  I took a canal boat trip – even though you might think I’d had quite a lot of boating on canals already!

It was a different way to see the city – here we are looking through 7 bridges …

At every corner, there are old manual lock gates …

... and lifting bridges.

I went to Dam Square …

… and to the newly renovated and recently re-opened Rijksmuseum, which is beautiful, and contains many famous works of art …

… and I also very much enjoyed the Van Gogh At Work exhibition.

I visited one of the old Canal houses …

and the Maritime Museum.

In the evenings, I went to a performance of La Traviata at the Muziektheater and a Beethoven and Nielsen concert at the Concertgebouw – both excellent.

Back ‘home’ at night to the boat tucked up in the corner of the marina.