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Nieuwkoop
Entrance to houseDocked 7.00a.m. Rotterdam, ha arranged to meet our friends Karsten and Janette who live about 20 minutes out of Rotterdam at Alphen aan den Rijn (Karsten and his team were our FIRST guests at Yarravillas in Williamstown Road, when they were sailing 49ers in the World Championships in Melbourne 1998 before the Olympics in Sydney in 2000), we just had the best day! Arranged to meet at 8.00a.m and they took us to the most gorgeous breaky place (Dutch really don't do the breaky thing like we do) on the edge of a lake in Rotterdam where he sometimes sailed. Little mound of dirt all over the lush lawns where the moles had been digging! Then out into the countryside around narrow little roads between dikes and small channels, the houses were just so beautiful but very expensive too, previously been big farm houses and lot been renovated into more suburban type homes with the stables originally been connect to the homes but now converted into more living areas. Had to stop on a small road while the bridge was lifted up and the small local boats were able to go through the locks, just amazing! If you wanted to you
could sail through all the little locks all the way to Berlin - we were just blown away with the scale of the channels. Then to a beautiful little village Called Nienwkoop, another lake where Karsten sails, and met his boat builder who was a very funny jolly fellow, (family own quite a bit of land including restaurant etc) then took one of the yachts out for a sail. Then a typical Dutch lunch which was scrummy! Then went onto the still operating typical Dutch mills, where are dotted all over the lush farmlands. Onto Amsterdan for an hour or so and saw a few sites including the beautifully renovated Central Station and also Karsten stopped by a shop that sold herring (raw of course) with the trimmings, it was delicious! Back to ship by 5.30p.m. Had the most wonderful day just seeing how the locals live, which we love! Thank you so much Karsten and Janette. xx
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