The final stage - destination reached

Yesterday evening it started raining, just as hundreds of runners of all ages and sexes started streaming by on the tow path. Obviously an organized marathon, or half-marathon or something. It started with the children, then the runners got progressively older. We tried to take some pix, but the lack of light and the rain made it impossible. Impressive commitment though!

This morning the weather had improved, and we set off at a reasonable hour, just in time to catch Mobility Man on his scooter passing by:

It was an easy and gentle run down to Utrecht - slow through the well-named Weerdsluis, though - and the canoe rental place launched a couple of punters directly in our path, without looking:

Lots of businesses along the canal bank: a good place for management consultants – that modern aristocracy – perhaps:

There were plenty of bridges, as before, though it was interesting to negotiate them from the other direction:

Finally we came up behind a large hire boat that was proceeding with great care: one could see why:

Emerging we wondered what would become of this skeleton of an old warehouse – expensive loft conversions perhaps:

After Utrecht we crossed the Rhine-Amsterdam canal and stopped briefly for an excellent lunch – the last potato salad of the season! Then the short distance up to Ijsselstein, and our harbour at Marnemoende. Harvest time soon for the corn:

And a last few contented Dutch cows:

So this will be our last post of the season; cleaning tomorrow and off home on Friday. It has been a terrific summer cruise. We have greatly appreciated the Netheralnds and the Dutch people and their way of life, their values, their attitudes, their bicycling, their food. They are house – and boat – proud, they tend their gardens beautifully, there is little graffiti, they appreciate the good things of life, and they almost all speak English – which is definitely a bonus.

We look forward to next year, when we will head east and north into Friesland, and visit Groningen and other places. Thanks to all who have read this account from time to time – we’ll let you know when the next one starts!

Pottering up the Vecht

The man who came to collect his 10 euros for our mooring told us that it was market day in Weesp today – if we had known, we might not have bothered to stop at the little supermarket in Amsterdam. But you can never know. Anyway, it was just a stroll into the centre of the village:

The first sight that greeted us was a copiously provided fruit and veg stand, with just a few strawberries on offer:

As well as plenty of cherries (/still in season here in the north), peaches etc etc. The market also had very attractive plant stalls:

All along the waterways we have admired the way the Dutch keep their gardens, and I guess that means buying plants from time to time. We dropped in at the bakery for get some crackers and a couple of rolls ...

... and admired the patience of this would-be customer at the fish stall:

In fact, we bought probably our last helping of kibeling to heat up for lunch. Delicious they were, too.

It was windy when we set off, with a dramatic sky:

A pleasant run up the river Vecht, which we have travelled before, but not in this direction. Windmills, of course – one or two turning, which is always good to see:

We were struck by the practicality of this method of trimming and fertilizing your lawn at the same time:

And also by yet more houses for sale – Te Koop – including this quite palatial number:

We don’t want to arrive too early at the marina tomorrow – not a very interesting spot – so decided to moor up quite early this afternoon to give us a full day’s cruise tomorrow: once more through the centre of Utrecht, though North to South for a change, and this time without stopping, rather than bypassing it on the commercial Rhine-Amsterdam canal.

And that will be the final day of our long cruise: Thursday will be chores: cleaning etc, then  Friday morning we are due to meet our BlaBlaCar ride at 7.30 for the long drive back to St Jean de Losne, where we hope to find our car, and that it starts!

Winding through to Weesp

While we had our coffee – no sign of the gale force winds forecast – we saw another of the Dutch navy ship leaving - t  the patrol boat Zeeland, helicopter at the ready on the aft deck:

We stopped briefly for a few supplies - not much needed now with only a few days left of our cruise, but wine was running short – and this time we were able to tie up right beside the central station, where there is a small but just adequate supermarket. Lots of boats have left after the week of festivities. Then we turned into the east dock, which is where the Amstel starts:

We were a bit worried about the height of the bridges, but managed to get through all without problems:

Amsterdam has many, many houseboats lining the canals – apparently it was a policy at one time to encourage them to relieve a housing crisis, and now there are more than 2,500:

It was a delightful cruise down the Amstel. (or more properly up, since it is upstream, even if heading south).

Plenty more houseboats and charming canal-side facades:

Also the famous Amstel Hotel, now owned by Intercontinental. A great luxury 19^th century pile, where room rates apparently start at 589 euro. The “special” rate for US government employees is 1,160 euro. Glad I’m not a US tax payer!

All the same, it seems the General Manager sends a personal letter to everyone who comments on the hotel on TripAdviser: not a bad marketing ploy!

After emerging from the city, we turned off the Amstel, heading east across the Rhine-Amsterdam canal to Weesp. We have been here before, but we have to retrace some of our steps to get to our winter resting place. We found a good mooring, just before the sunny morning turned to rain. But only a shower, I think/hope. (Just had another one while writing this.)

Tall, taller, tallest

It was a good thing we squatted tenaciously on our expensive, service-free mooring: as the hour approached for the big parade, the Sail-out, more and more boats, large and small, started arriving, looking for places to tie up and see the show. Ours would undoubtedly have gone in a flash if we had risked vacating it. The day started with the arrival of an enormous Japanese bulk carrier – 60,000 tons and more than 200 metres long. It set the tone for the day.

Fortunately it was sunny, though breezy. It wouldn’t have been too much fun navigating in a crowd with the wind, and we were pleased not to have tried it. Saskia tends to wander in such conditions. We made a friend of a chatty Dutchman, Jos, who brought along some beer to pass the time on our grandstand dock. There were a few threats of large boats anchoring in front of us and blocking the view, but they faded away, dragging their anchors.

Lots of people out on the canal were partying, though quite why in Hawaiian mode was not clear:

The parade finally got under way, and there were a host of enormously impressive ships from many countries. The best thing would seem to be to give you a flavour of the fleet, starting with the undoubted star of the show, ARC Gloria from Colombia:

There were girls as well as boys up there in the rigging!

We had imposing ships from Russia (Kruzenshtern):

Severe and stern ones from Germany (Alexander von Humboldt II):

Intriguing ones from France (Belem):

And the Etoile du Roy:

A couple from Norway and this imposing entry from Sweden – Gothenborg – accompanied down the canal by the strains of ABBA from a party barge:

The Portuguese got in on the act with Sagres:

With the crew in action:

The Australians were there too, and the Indians, but I can’t find the photos. But for us, the Polish stole the show at the end with the Dar Mlodzieczy – which apparently means Gift of Youth. She was spectacular:

The only one missing was the host - Stadt Amsterdam - who finally appeared after everyone had gone home, and we were having our supper, with the camera memory card stuck in the laptop to produce this blog - so no pic!

Now we have fifty knots of wind forecast for tomorrow, but we have three days to get down to our final resting place. Watch this space.

Getting a grandstand view

The lifting bridge to release us from our harbour didn’t open till 10, by which time there was quite a queue of boats ready to go:

We were first out, but stopped almost immediately to fill up with water and let the armada proceed. We prefer sailing on our own if possible. After a while we came to the Alkmaar lake, which is large and ideal for sailing:

Then into the river Zaan. Plenty of people enjoying a sunny weekend by the riverside with their families:

Around lunchtime we approached Wormeveer, first encountering an enormous chocolate factory. Barge loads of chocolate were being delivered:

The smell was very pleasant – though whether one would like to live with it full time, I’m not sure. Anyway, we stopped for lunch at Wormeveer, but failed to buy any chocolate – strange that! On our way out of town we passed another chocolate factory, different company, with a supremely meaningless slogan, doubtless crafted by some overpaid branding consultant!

We then approached a row of traditional windmills, all turning in the breeze, and almost immediately a parade of sailing barges, many with sails rigged:

We slid gingerly under a low bridge, and then queued for a large lock that took dozens of boats and raised us all of 50 centimetres!

Finally we emerged onto the North Sea canal, where the tall ships will sail away from Amsterdam tomorrow afternoon. By a stroke of luck we found a free berth (not exactly free in cash terms – the Sail event has certainly brought some inflation with it) on the outer pontoon of a small marina, giving us a perfect view of the canal and the streams of boats passing to and fro. Some of the tall ships seemed to be practicing for tomorrow – or perhaps just giving their paying customers a thrill:

Having got this place, we will probably stay put tomorrow and enjoy a grandstand view of the so-called Sail-out.

Cheese and Sail

The lifting bridge to release us from our harbour didn’t open till 10, by which time there was quite a queue of boats ready to go:

We were first out, but stopped almost immediately to fill up with water and let the armada proceed. We prefer sailing on our own if possible. After a while we came to the Alkmaar lake, which is large and ideal for sailing:

Then into the river Zaan. Plenty of people enjoying a sunny weekend by the riverside with their families:

Around lunchtime we approached Wormeveer, first encountering an enormous chocolate factory. Barge loads of chocolate were being delivered:

The smell was very pleasant – though whether one would like to live with it full time, I’m not sure. Anyway, we stopped for lunch at Wormeveer, but failed to buy any chocolate – strange that! On our way out of town we passed another chocolate factory, different company, with a supremely meaningless slogan, doubtless crafted by some overpaid branding consultant!

We then approached a row of traditional windmills, all turning in the breeze, and almost immediately a parade of sailing barges, many with sails rigged:

We slid gingerly under a low bridge, and then queued for a large lock that took dozens of boats and raised us all of 50 centimetres!

Finally we emerged onto the North Sea canal, where the tall ships will sail away from Amsterdam tomorrow afternoon. By a stroke of luck we found a free berth (not exactly free in cash terms – the Sail event has certainly brought some inflation with it) on the outer pontoon of a small marina, giving us a perfect view of the canal and the streams of boats passing to and fro. Some of the tall ships seemed to be practicing for tomorrow – or perhaps just giving their paying customers a thrill:

Having got this place, we will probably stay put tomorrow and enjoy a grandstand view of the so-called sail out.