Blogs from Drenthe, Netherlands, Europe

On our way to Leeuwarden yesterday, we had decided not to go over the Afsluitdijk since it might have been too much to do. Today, we believed it was a site too important to miss. We first had coffee at the hotel, but refused to pay €13 for a buffet breakfast that some other guests appeared to have included in their costs. So we decided to go have an Egg McMuffin at the McDonalds in Harlingen, first time eating at McD’s this trip. Their coffee was surprisingly good, though not at all the same as in Canada, because I think it’s made in the same kind of Nespresso coffee maker that everyone else uses. Got to get one of those! Harlingen had not been on our program but we were sure happy we went there. What ... read more

We have a motorhome, a house on wheels for the next 12 months or more and she had to have a name, we called her Matilda! A perfect name for two reasons, one its a German name and its a German built motorhome and two, it now has two Aussie owners and if you heard of "Waltzing Matilda" then you would know that the song could not be more Australian. Over the next 5 days while we waited for the finances to clear we spent time adding some improvements to our Matilda. Vaughan is very handy and we had access to Camperfun's shed and tools so he added a SOG unit to the toilet so we didn't have to use chemicals, an external access point to the LPG as some countries get sticky about not having ... read more

When we woke the next morning, we were excited and ready for the short trip to our family with a few pitstops along the way. Our first stop was at the scenic village of Zaanse Schans, a modern example of a historic Dutch village. Among all of the shops and windmills, there was a clog (traditional wooden shoe) museum and workshop. It was quite interesting to learn about and to watch craftsmen produce these shoes the same way they were many years ago. Another important past of Dutch history that we experienced was the crossing of a dike. Before reaching our destination, we stopped in the bustling town of Sneek for an incredible dinner. When we finally made it to Bovensmilde, our home for the next couple of days, we had a short visit with family ... read more

We arrived in Meppel to a lock closed for lunch time but a very nice Dutch couple invited us to moor up with them. They had a 15 year old dog Bongo and their boat was 37 years old. He had been a harbour master in different places but now retired and gave Paul well received advice about getting to the Friesian Islands or not – the bottom line was, watch the weather, don’t mistime it, get the tides right – in fact behave as you would on the East Coast! He also told a story of crossing the Ijsselmeer on a calm day and having to return the next day to be home for work despite the conditions being rough with his wife saying at the end of the very bumpy passage “I am never ... read more

Geo: 52.9244, 6.79119Our first day out with the Vonks, and a casual 380 kilometers covered. From Heteren, northbound, first to the town of Orvelte. This was a historic Dutch community, largely untouched from the 1800s onwards. We enjoyed a packed lunch then set off to explore the village, complete with cobblestone roads and homes with thatched rooves. We took a tour of an open residence, with a friendly and informative guide in a small group. We learned of the life of a wealthy Boer/farming family. From furniture, firewood and sleeping arrangements to chamber pots, witches balls and preserving food, it was all interesting stuff. The tour was nicely supplemented by a film in a stable coverted to theatre. Whilst in Dutch, we could follow much of the plot, of an American lady travelling to Orvelte to ... read more