Woudsend to Workum

This morning's 13km cruise to Workum via the de Fluezen lakes was BUSY. It is Saturday and there were LOTS of boats out enjoying the weekend on the water. 

As we always give way to EVERYONE, we decided to turn into the lake to our right and just let them all pass. I'm sure they all knew what they were doing, but you never know.

The weather started, again, grey and drizzly but, again, turned dry and sunny in the afternoon. Seems to be a pattern. 

We got through the first bridge into Workum ok, it was the next one that closed for lunch, 12:00 til 13:00.

As we pulled into the outskirts of the town the lights on the bridge 50m in front of us turned from one red light to two red lights. Oh oh, lunch time. Might as well have an early lunch ourselves. After toasted sandwiches on board we scouted out the moorings up ahead and discovered the new binnehaven with lovely moorings next to the church in the center of town - water, electricity, wifi all available and included in the price. 

The town has all the shops one needs for a quick re-provision and we made it back to the boat just before a little shower threatened to wash out our afternoon excursion to the small town of Hinderloopen, 6km away on the Ijsselmeer coast. Happily it only lasted half an hour and we were still able to head out on the bikes.

Since the 13thC this has been a busy little seaport, if somewhat overshadowed by its bigger neighbours Stavoren to the south and Makkum to the north. Since the closing of the enormous afsluitdijk it is now used primarily by recreation vessels.

Now I know I keep banging on about how pretty these towns are and you are probably sick of hearing about it. BUT Hinderloopen is SO SO SO pretty. 

Before the Ijsselmeer was turned into a lake in the 20thC, this was a busy little seaport. It is still busy, but now with recreation craft of all descriptions, mostly sailboats. Today it was also busy with people as a half-marathon was just getting underway as we got into the center of town. 

This was the main canal from the Zuidersee into Hinderlopen and the first lock was built here in 1619. It was built from wood and was damaged in storms in 1679 and 1690. It was then rebuilt in stone in 1700 and other than new doors and gubbins every 60 years or so is the same.

Masts as far as the eye can see. Makes a change from all the motorcruisers we have been rubbing shoulders with the last few weeks.

As our bikes were effectively stuck for the duration we took a walk through the town/village, around the harbour, browsing in the stores and spending a lovely hour with a coffee and applegebak at a harbourside café. The town was once called the' Friesland Venice" as every house was accessible by boat and in the old part of town this is still the case. 

It is also well known in the Netherlands for the folk-painting known as 'Hinderlopen" - similar to what I know as Bauernmalerei from Bavaria or Tollwork painting that you find on the canal boats in England. I took a course in it years ago and have various bits and pieces including a wooden chair covered in this style of flower painting.

Skutjes, Tjalks, Scows, Botters - well as I can't tell the difference, I dunno what these were, but I can tell you there were plenty of them.

Once the streets were open again, we meandered our way back to Workum on a cycle route suggested by my bike route book making it back on board Zoe by 18:30, BEER time! 

On our way back to the boat we passed a garden with this woman and a few sheep. She was bottle feeding three little orphans, including this one, who followed her around at her heels - after all, she is Mama. I had a lovely cuddle with this one.

Skip had planned to scrub the side of the boat, but discovered that the F1 qualifying was about to start so guess which he is doing???

Sloten o Woudsend

After a look at the knicker drawer this morning I declared that it had to be "washing day". We only had another 8km down to Woudsend which the bumpf informed us "was a boating center" for this area. OK, so the marinas there are sure to have washing machines. As it was a drizzly morning, we decided the afternoon would be dedicated to maintenance. The bumpf was, naturally, correct and there are heaps of marinas, boatyards, boat sheds, boat builders, boat maintenance places, boat shops, boats, boats, boats ….

We found a nice marina, with a laundry, and picked a spot close to the building so we didn't have far to monitor the machines. The afternoon weather improved, and by mid afternoon the sun was out. The tops of two windmills turning in the afternoon breeze were too much to resist, so we put the bikes ashore and went to take a look. The first mill, t Lam (they all have names) was a flour mill which was busy grinding flour for a group of german tourists. Turns out this is "Windmill Week" and people from all over are visiting mills all around the country. 

Inside 't Lam, the four mill. It was pretty small inside and impossible to come out without being covered in flour.

The second, much bigger, mill is a sawmill called "de Jager" (the hunter). Skip was fascinated as it was actually working sawing great logs which looked like they would make brilliant picnic tables. We spent ages watching the workings and admiring the view from the platform.

Still, the chores were calling so it was back to the boat.

Skip spent an hour under the floorboards fixing a leak in the tiny fuel pipe feeding the webasto diesel heater. The tiny pinhole leak had been dripping onto the hot exaust pipe below and creating unpleasant fumes into the boat when we turned the heater on. Thus all last week when it was chilly-willy-kins we couldn't use it. Anyway, all fixed now. Naturally though, the weather has warmed right up and we don't need it anymore!

By drinks time DOZENS of small 20ft sailing boats started arriving in the marina full of teenagers aged about 16-20. About an even spread of girls and boys and all told there must have been close to 100 of them. Fortunately they all pulled into the quay on the opposite side of the marina, whereupon they set up tents all along the bank and started a happily noisy, but well behaved, party. 

Unfortunately for them, it wasn't long before the heavens opened and we were treated to a spectacular lightning and thunderstorm with lashings of rain. 

The view from De Jager sawmill. The marina with Zoe in is through the bridge and turn left. Other than the boat business, which is huge here, Woudsend is obviously a day trip from wherever - the only shops were tourist knick-knacks, antique shops and lots of cafes and restaurants.

If you go through the bridge and turn right, there are at least a dozen boatyards and boat repair and building businesses.

Lemmer to Sloten

Sunny, sunny, blue skies, warm - what a gorgeous morning. We stayed in Lemmer until after lunch. We Give Lemmer a BIG thumbs up. Just the right size small town with all the amenities right on the doorstep, but none of the big town botherations like traffic, noisy buses, bustle or hoardes of people. 

Lemmer at night.

There are marinas around the outskirts of town, two on the Ijsselmeer side of the lock and one just off the big Princess Margriet canal, but who would want to stay there when there is such a charming and picturesque binnehaven in the old town center steps away from bars, restaurants and rather upmarket shops for browsing? 

Marina on the outskirts of Lemmer

At least 3/4 of the boats tied up on the town quays were charter boats, mostly full of Germans, which explains the German flags outside most of the restaurants. Oh, and Skip decided BOTH nights we spent in Lemmer were "date night", so we wandered 15m up the quay and had delicious greek food for dinner.

Crossing the Princess Margriet canal.

We had a grand total of 8kms to travel today, hence the late start. At some point, our cruise with no plan has turned into an Elsteden route. The Elfsteden (11 towns) is a 200km skating race that has been held for a hundred or more years whenever the canals are sufficiently frozen over in winter. In recent years, they have only been able to hold it every 10 years or so, and I think that the last one was in 1998 or thereabouts. Anyhow, it takes in 11 of the most picturesque of Friesland's towns which seemed like a good reason to follow along.

Pretty maids all in a row.

Outside of Lemmer, we dodged the big barges in the wide Princess Margriet canal and headed across to the small Langesloot leading up to Sloten (or Sleat in Fries - everything here has two names, the Dutch one and the Fries one). We couldn't believe our eyes when we came around the corner and found the most perfect mooring imaginable on a grassy corner right in front of a pretty stone bridge and a WINDMILL!!! What luck.

Isn't this the perfect mooring?

Sloten is the smallest official 'town' in Friesland and is cute, cute, cute, with one small supermarket, a post office, a lovely gastro pub, an antique shop and a post office (because it is a 'town'). There is also a really nice VVV (tourist information), with a friendly lady volunteer manning the desk. MORE maps :)

Bikes off!

This is what is on the other side of that stone bridge.

I had read somewhere that Balk, 6km away, was another pretty town so we followed a lovely cycle path through woods and villages to find it. I can report that it is indeed a pretty little town, although not a patch on Sloten.  

Jaqui collecting yet more maps at the tourist information.

Just outside Balk we saw our first ever refugee camp. HUNDREDS of portacabins, lined up in rows. I thought it was a rather ugly holiday camp (like a downmarket Butlins, if one can get any further downmarket than that) until Skip pointed out that all the women had headscarves and all the men were obviously middle-eastern. Ah - the penny dropped.

 Balk - we found a great coffee/milkshake place to rest our butts. Boy, I am missing my padding!

On the way back we stopped in at a garden centre. Skip couldn't resist some flowers.

Back on the boat, a glorious evening on the aft deck beckoned. Which beer to choose? Decisions, decisions …. 

"Straffe Hendrick" was the beer of choice ....

...... and a barbie. Yes please!

Some would say this is the perfect spot for him...

Lemmer

Shopping this morning. We were running out of essentials like wine, so a visit to the supermarket was called for. There is a Lidl and Jumbo just around the corner so that was a quick stop. Skip found an Action, one of his favourite shops, where he picked up bungee cords (the ones holding the bikes in place have rotted out), a CO2 alarm, a big bottle of windex and an extendable mop/window cleaner, 'cos he's in the mood for scrubbin' and wipin'. I'm steering clear of all that :)  He then rewarded himself with Kibbeling (fish & chips) for lunch. 

The binnehaven at Lemmer. The lock, where I am standing, leads out into the Ijsselmeer. This is the small lock, there is another, HUGE one, just up the canal for the big barges which can't get through the town.

I found some plastic files in Action and had a wonderful time sorting out all my maps. LOVE maps! But I was collecting too many - they hand them out for free everywhere you go - so needed to have a clear out. The keepers are now all catalogued according to area and even LABELLED. Oh my.

Getting the bikes ready. We are now in the habit of taking the extra batteries with us in the panniers, "Just in case".

We put the bikes ashore and took a 30km ride out along the coast to the small village of Nijemurden. Chilly, oh boy, with a sharp breeze coming off the meer, but very pretty. The beach at Lemmer is actually a beach, much to my surprise. With wide white sands and all the usual accoutrements of a beach, except for any bathers it being just shy of 13C. But I can see it must be very popular in summer, and safe for little kids without any waves or pesky salty seawater - the meer, after all, is fresh water.

Disappointingly there was NADA at Nijemurden, not even a coffee shop, so we turned around and headed back. 

It is now sunny again and almost time to decide which of our many different beers to have on the aft deck. Ain't life grand.

Our flag pole.
Near side:  Netherlands flag above and Overijssel province flag below. We have since changed this to Friesland.
Far side:  Azores above with South Africa below.
We have the British flag on the back.

Blokzijl to Lemmer

For a change we got an early-ish start and headed out of Blokzijl at 9:30. We knew we would have a long day - 42 km. It will be all short distances from here on, so figured we would get this lot out of the way. The first 3 hours were just wonderful. The day has been sunny and clear, if cold (it got down to 2.6C last night!). 

We turned left at the Giethoornse Meer up the Wetering/De Riet canal which was just so pretty. Narrow, winding, flat calm and with lovely small cottages and farms along the route. Some gorgeous gardens too. 

We are now back in Friesland, where "Bruggeld" is frequently requested. Usually a couple of euros which one places in the wooden shoe that the bridgemeester hangs out of his window.

By the time we reach Ossenzijl, we felt like a break so tied up for an hour for lunch, a walk and for Skip to scrub the side of the boat. For a change we had tied up on our starboard side, something we almost never do. "Oh my!!" said Skip. "We're pretty grubby this side!" So out came the brushes and the Mr Proper and he gave it a good go over while I took a walk.

A barge full of reeds. We saw many of these, as well as people re-thatching roofs.

From Ossenzijl to Echtenerbrug it gets less interesting - more nature, less villages & gardens - but still pleasant. We passed through a 3km long stretch of dead straight canal, with small platforms every 15m along one bank. At every other one was a fisherman with PILES of gear. There was obviously a fishing competition going on. Skip estimated there were about 150 of them.

Part of the charter fleet at Echtenerbrug. 

"Phew", said Skip "I'm glad they're all tied up and not cruising around!"

We pulled into Echtenerbrug to refuel. We hadn't topped up tanks since last summer.  290 Euros. Gulp. Anyhow, back into the Tjukkermeer which was a bit improved from the last time we passed through here 2 years ago. Then it was blowing a gale and pouring buckets. Still choppy today, but vastly better. 

Turned left into the Grutte Brekken and down to Lemmer which we have never visited before and which I had marked on the chart as a good spot on Jim's recommendation years ago. We are now tucked up on a great spot on the wall in the binnehaven and Skip informs me it's Date Night, so no need to think about dinner. Yay.

Relaxing 'cos tonight is Date Night and I don't have to cook. Actually, I have to be honest, Skip does most of the cooking on the BBQ.

Zwartsluis to Blokzijl

Much taken with the Kwak beer glass at the pub yesterday evening, Skip was on a mission to buy one this morning. Great! Except that Monday morning in the Netherlands is like Sunday everywhere else - alles gesluiten. We managed to while away the morning, though, doing nothing much of anything :), until the shops opened at 1pm. The local booze shop indeed had many beer glasses, but not the Kwak ones Skip was after. No problem, the proprietor will order some and have them in time for our predicted return in 3 weeks or so. 

The Waterijk National Park. We finished up at the small town of Blokzijl which was once a sea port but which is now 25kms inland after the noord polder was reclaimed earlier in the 20thC.

There were plenty of moorings through the park. This is what you look out for - this sign indicates free moorings where you may stay for 2 days.

We left, eventually, at 2pm for the 17km up to Blokzijl. Out of Zwartsluis, back into the Zwaarte Water for all of 500m and up through a cutsy liddle lock into the Wierden Waterijk national park. The lovely friendly lockkeeper even gave me a new map for the area (same as the old map, different photo on the front) AND a province flag to fly from our mast.

Two lift bridges and two locks today. At none of them did we wait for more than a couple of minutes. Ideal.

Moored alongside waiting for the lock into Blokzijl.

The reed beds had been cut pretty recently and everywhere were mountains of thatch reeds drying out. And when I say mountains, I am not exagerating. MOUNTAINS. Enough to thatch many, many villages of cottages.

By now the day had turned lovely and sunny albeit with a chilly breeze. Snug in our tent, we enjoyed the scenery through the national park. 

With only two lift bridges and two locks to negotiate we made Blokzijl in good time and found a prime open spot on the wall in front of the lock and a pub :) where naturally we had to sit with an Affligem and admire Zoe from a comfy chair in the sunshine ....