Of trucks and boats and planes (and busses and trains)

We have had a busy week, but not reported a lot, so here is a bit of a 'catch-up'.

Last Sunday there was a truck festival in Medemblik. Now we are far from being 'truckies', but it was still interesting to see over 100 trucks parked in the main street, which was closed off for the occasion. Not just trucks, but beautifully polished monsters.





On Monday we did another cycle trip. The weather was still great and the surroundings of Medemblik are nice, with picturesque villages such as Twisk. Of course still a lot of bulb fields.





On Tuesday we took a bus, two trains, a plane, and two more trains to get to Coulsdon, London. From there we had a few interesting and potentially promising meetings about expanding Lyn's business activities to the UK.
On Friday night we travelled back to Onbekommerd. The following day, the weather returned to 'cold and windy' as can be seen from the chicks of the ducks huddling together.





Last night we had a nice dinner with some 35 people from the Valk Yachts Club, who finished their 'spring Tour' here.

The plan is to leave tomorrow direction Wadden Islands. There is some promise of slightly better weather, it's blowing strongly at the moment.




Live from Onbekommerd

Location:Pekelharinghaven,Medemblik,The Netherlands

Is it summer now?

A week ago, we were trying how many layers of clothing we could wear without looking like the 'Michelin Man'. It really felt like winter. Yesterday we opened all sides of our new tent and had dinner outside for the first time this year.





Today it was close to 30 degrees. We went for a nice cycle ride through the countryside. Unfortunately we did not bring the 'real' camera and these 'phone pictures' are not that great.











They are however typical Dutch spring scenes. The forecast for the next few days remains good, with a bit more wind. We have not packed the bikes away yet.

Location:Pekelharinghaven,Medemblik,The Netherlands

15 miles in 7 hours!

After Alkmaar, we had a short trip north and when we passed a jetty 'in the wild' near Oudkarspel, we decided to tie up there. It was wonderfully quiet, being woken up by the birds, followed by the crowing of the cock and finally the ducks was much more soothing than the Alkmaar traffic and police sirens.
At 10 we left and passed a few bulb fields, after the windmills a few days earlier probably the best known Dutch vista:














As we left, another motorboat passed and we followed him. No problem there. After about an hour we arrived at the first lock of the day, only to find that there was no lock keeper. He was away, apparently operating a different lock. During the wait a number of other boats appeared and they, together with the one we had followed, we part of a 'club tour', a group of 20 boats travelling together. They were the rear guard. After a wait of close to an hour, the lock keeper arrived and let us though. All 6 boats fitted in the lock. Not a lot further was the second lock. Here you drop 6 m into the 'polder' and the lock is quite a bit smaller but we all crammed in after quite a long wait. Then it was another 2 hours to lock number three. This one takes only 4 boats and with typical Dutch 'pushiness' there was a scrum to get in. If only the Dutch could learn to queue like the Brits or the Swedes.... A lock cycle takes about an hour so the total delay here was close to two hours. The fourth lock is only a mile further. But there were quite a few boats waiting already, so another wait. We finally tied up in Medemblik after 7 hours and 10 minutes, one of our 5 'longest' trips to date! But as the weather was very nice (sun, little wind and not cold), it was not all that bad an experience.

We rewarded ourselves with 'dinner on shore' and had a nice and restful sleep. This morning the weather is again excellent so we'll go and do a bit of a meander around.
We'll be here for about a week, we go back to London on Tuesday for a few days for a few meetings. So probably not too much blogging until then, unless we have something special to tell.

Location:Pekelharinghaven,Medemblik,The Netherlands

Alkmaar

Our plan to go to the chandler (Dekker), did not work as the bridge we had planned to go under was not the advertised 2.8m but 2.4 m. We are finding quite a few inaccuracies in the inland charts this year. We could have taken another (longer) route, but the urge was not sufficient to do so and we headed for the Wilhelmina lock instead. We arrived just in time to lock together with a commercial barge and a few other pleasure craft. It was a bit of shuffling and squeezing, but in the end we all managed to fit in.
After the lock, one travels over the Zaan, along which are a lot of old industries. This was an important industrial area in the late 19th and early 20th century. Quite a bit of it remains (although of lesser overall importance) and some of the old factory buildings have been beautifully preserved or restored. This building is an example:





Also along the Zaan are a few nicely preserved windmills. Windmills were part of the early industrial establishment, they were used to saw wood or mill wheat or dye stuffs. Anything requiring 'work' before the advent of steam engines. Of course windmills were also used to pump water, but the industrial use is not as well understood. The 'Zaanse Schans', just north of Zaandam is a collection of various windmills, some operating as the would have been hundreds of years ago. It understandably is an important tourist attraction. We saw it from the river:








We continued to Alkmaar where we will stay until tomorrow. The previous owners of Onbekommerd live near here and we always enjoy catching up with them!

Location:Korte Vondelstraat,Alkmaar,The Netherlands

Still in Amsterdam

After a nice family gathering in Zevenbergen on Saturday, we returned to Onbekommerd at 11pm. During the day, 'Rebel' had arrived next to us. This is a yacht owned by Iain, a Cruising Association member who had asked some questions on the CA forum which we had been able to assist with. So although we had never met, we sort of 'knew' him through email. Yesterday morning we knocked on his boat and we had coffee together.
After that, we went into Amsterdam for our annual 'Amsterdam fix'. As the weather has improved considerably (still cold, but sunny and not a lot of wind), it was heaving with people in the city centre. We walked to the Museumplein and had 'kroketten met frites' and a beer.





Straight back after that, although we stopped to look at the Tesla dealership in the P.C. Hooft straat.








This car has two boots.... 😳

Then back to Onbekommerd, we had Iain for supper and had a nice and interesting conversation.

This morning, the weather is still nice. We'll go past my favourite chandlers (Dekker water sport in Zaandam) and then on to Alkmaar.

Location:Buiksloterweg,Amsterdam,The Netherlands

Amsterdam

When entering the harbour of Amsterdam from the IJsselmeer, you first need to pass through the 'Oranjesluis', a complex of four locks. It was busy there, with quite a few commercial ships waiting. Fortunately there is a separate lock for pleasure craft.





Then you enter the 'IJ', the busy harbour of Amsterdam. Most big cargo ships stay to the Western side, but the big cruise liners moor right in the city centre. Here are a few impressions.











Just across from the Central railway station, you wind the narrow entrance to the Sixhaven.





This is our favourite place in Amsterdam, the facilities are good, there is a lively international atmosphere and it is a short ferry ride from the city centre.

Yesterday we stayed on board, the weather was bad and we had some stuff to do anyway. We had the daily hailstorm too:





This morning the sun is out! We are going to a family gathering, by train.

Location:Havikslaan,Amsterdam,The Netherlands

Koningsdag

The weathe yesterday on Koningsdag was not as bad as predicted. Cold it was, but the rain stayed away until late afternoon.
Here are a few pictures of the 'freemarket' I mentioned in my last post:




























The kids in the last picture made and sold delicious crepes with Nutella!

Today we continued to Amsterdam where we will stay for 4 nights. We will post some pictures of the harbour tomorrow.

Location:IJ-Tunnel,Amsterdam,The Netherlands