Sneek pronounced Snake

Leeuwarden to Sneek

So here we are in Sneek, pronounced, as indicated, Snake, according to a charming lady shopkeeper we came across. It's a major boating centre in Friesland, and certainly there are hundreds, if not thousands, of boats all around. We left Leeuwarden after taking advantage of our credit with the port to top up the water tank, and then it took half an hour to get through the four bridges back onto the main canal.

To begin with we were on minor canals, which was pleasant, and the bridges lifted rapidly for us. Then it started to rain, and bucketed down for a couple of hours, which was not fun. The important thing, however, is that we did finally see some, indeed very large numbers, of those famous Frisian cows, after yesterday's encounter with the statue:

We stopped for lunch at a remote mooring in the middle of a bleak, flat landscape. On the road, rather canal, again, we passed through some attractive villages. One had a stretch of canal barely wide enough for a single boat, let alone some of the monsters we've encountered. Finally we emerged on the Snits Mar (or Sneekermeer), where we enjoyed seeing this barge under sail:

Another, more modern version, came charging past. You have to keep a close eye on the rear-view mirror on these waterways.

On our way into Sneek, we paused to top up the fuel tank at a handy canal-side Texaco station. We found a good, but very tight mooring, free apparently, and with free electricity supplies. The owner of the boat in front was on the quayside looking quite nervous as we approached. But all went well.

It was a bit of a hike into town, but probably good for us after a day's navigation:

A major attraction of Sneek is the 16th century water gate. Unfortunately we approached from the wrong direction so we didn't come across it on the water:

We sought out the St. Martin's Church, which apparently has a delightful baroque interior. Unfortunately, it was closed when we got there:

However, the famous wine shop of the Widow Joustra was open, and we took the opportunity to lay in much-needed supplies of whisky: liquor stores are surprisingly hard to find in the Netherlands.

This is the widow:

Not quite sure where we're heading tomorrow, but further south I think.