Giethoorn to Meppel

16Km - about average for us this trip - from Giethoorn to Meppel. The day has been gorgeous - blue, blue skies and a very pleasant 25C. Our route took us through the Beulaker lakes, which looked very inviting in the warm windless conditions although there were not many boats about enjoying the weather being a Monday morning. We noticed that the boats we passed were crewed by OAP's like us :) and the occasional charter boat. Fewer of those about this far south. Most of the yacht charter operations seem to be up in Friesland.

 The outskirts of Meppel are quite industrial with big barges loading and offloading. This one was being loaded with containers, others were offloading grain of some sort.

 This chap was just parking his car :)

I'm glad I don't have to scrub and paint this bottom.

We arrived in Meppel too early for the small lock into the pretty binnehaven. There is a passantahaven on the outskirts of town, with bow-to mooring slots and about a half-dozen side on spots on the wall just before the lock, with power. The next lock opening was at 13:00 and as it was only 12:00 we tied up at the water point to fill up. With the great water heater we have on board now, I tend to use a LOT more water so we refill our 700lt tanks up whenever we spot a convenient water point.

When we eventually got through the lock we ended up choosing a mooring spot just the other side. From here we had a great view of : the pretty lock, a pretty windmill, a pretty sailing barge, a pretty bridge and a pretty church steeple!

"I remember the last time we were here it poured with rain the whole time." I reminisced to Skip. "It was so awful the only thing I did was go and get a haircut."

"Mmmmm." muttered Skip looking at my unruly mop. So, while we waited for the lock I biked into town to the same hairdresser and had a good 14 euro haircut.

At one bottom-break these cuties came over to say hello. There were a dozen or more of them in the paddock.

 A convenient tower offered us views across the nature reserve.

There were loads of these ladies in traditional getup going about their business in the farmyards along our route. Digging in gardens, feeding chickens, hanging the wash, all wearing voluminous ankle-length black dresses with long sleeves and a blue floral overtunic. All worn with thick black stockings and clogs, with a little doekie or cap on their heads. I didn't have the gutspa to stop and take a photo so here is a postcard instead.

We took a lovely 32km cycle through the neighbouring villages in the afternoon which ended up back in Meppel at the pretty church square in the centre of town where an atmospheric  bar with outdoor seating called to us. Duvel this time, which we have had before. Not bad but not as flavoursome as I remembered. We have had better beers this trip. 

A pretty Meppel window.

We stopped at the Albert Heijn on the way back to the boat as I had forgotten to take anything out the freezer for dinner. We spotted a chunk of pulled-pork already pre-cooked (for 6 hours!) in sauce and oven ready which we can report worked really well on the weber.