Cruising the Canals

---

Seeing the Netherlands by boat is a magnificent way to get an appreciation for the lifestyle here. Today we hired a boat and cruised all through the canals of Leiden, Oegstgeest, and Haarlem. The boat we had was called a sloop, and fit 6 of us in comfort while we puttered around.

The city is very beautiful from the water, and there are some amazing homes set right on the edge of the canals. Meandering down the canals on a hot summers day, beer in hand is a tough way to live life. Every part of the city is accessible by canal, so theoretically you dont need a car to get to almost any place in the country.

It is also customary that you must wave and say hi to all other boaters as you pass. Very friendly.

We spent 5 hours cruising the canals, and saw a lot of the city and surrounding areas. We saw the place where Rembrant was born, the many working windmills, boat building yards, the pontoon where we had lunch the past 2 days, golf courses, water skiing parks, sailing clubs, and some sensational houses set on massive blocks of land that back onto the canal.

Our step cousin Stephen lives about 10 minutes drive from my Aunty and uncle's place in Oegstgeest, and right above a nice steakhouse restaurant. We had dinner there, with all the family.

We are starting to get used to the long hours of daylight, and drinking Dutch and Belgian beer until midnight on the back porch is a treat.

The weather is really hot - about 29-30 each day - yet there is talk of going skiing later in the week. For a country that is dead flat, this is going to be interesting.

---