Wednesday evening we went out for dinner at a restaurant I had found recommended on TripAdvisor - De Lachende Koe (The Laughing Cow). We had their special offer of two dishes each from the menu and drinks included at 21 euro a head. Well, as you can imagine they didn't make a lot of profit out of us! The food was excellent, and the wines very drinkable :):):)

Thursday was a lay-day which I spent in the Friesian museum. Most interesting and all the more so without Clive trying to scoot me through it. He took the bike shopping and browsed the flea market instead.

Friday - yet another sunny morning. It was market day in Leeuwarden, so we were there bright and early(ish) to pick up some fresh supplies - came home with veggies, olives and lots of rookworst, some of which will be dinner. We also bought a delicious small loaf of bread, dense with nuts and seeds.

The trip today up to Dokkum was 22kms along a small rural canal. Like most of Friesland, we were surrounded, for the most part, by farms and lots of cows. At the small village of Buurward, we were forced to stop as it was 12 o'clock - bridge master's lunch hour. We took a stroll through the pretty village and discovered that the impressive windmill  on the canalside was open to visitors.

The "Swallow" windmill, Buurward.

Zoe from the top of the windmill.

Well, that was 2 euros very well spent. Fascinating and all the more so because the mill was actually working at the time. There wasn't a lot of wind, but enough to turn his sails. The mill is also connected by a drive shaft to the sawmill next door, which was even more interesting. These days the sawmill is only operated by enthusiasts on weekends, but the grain mill is still a flour-ishing :) business.

Checking out the "Product". They grind 6 different flours.
Today was wheat and semolina.

The miller filling sacks.

These saws move up and down when the drive shaft is connected to the mill. Not today.

We are now tied up between two more windmills in the middle of Dokkum - another pretty old town.

At many of the Friesian bridges you have to pay a toll of around 2 euros.
The bridge master sticks a pole out of his booth with a small wooden clog
into which you put your money.

 We are hoping to take the bikes up to the Waddenzee on the north coast tomorrow, but it will depend on the weather. We'll decide in the morning.

Nope, me neither ...