Ijsselmeer - Hoorn, Volendam, Edam, Marken

22 - 25 August

Sailed to Hoorn. Very narrow entrance into attractive tree lined harbour but only stayed 1 night.

Sailed to Volendam. Very touristy, but attractive, with the harbour lined by restaurants, cafes, souvenir and 'your photograph in Dutch costume' shops (very popular with children).

We cycled to Edam for a day out. Attractive place where we strolled around for some time. Interesting cheese museum where we bought an Edam cheese. An extraordinarily large church for the size of village, with a impressive and interesting interior.

Short motor across the bay to Marken, an island attached to the mainland by a dyke built in 1950's. Old houses were built on piles although now filled in with another floor, with painted wooden gables. Cycled around most of perimeter of island. Very popular with day trippers.

For more pictures please click here.

Ijsselmeer - Medemblik & Enkhuisen

19 -21 August

Sailed across Ijsselmeer to Medemblik in blue sky and sunshine - perfect sailing weather. Spent 1 night in marina and walked around the town.

Enkhuisen. A fairly large town with many old buildings. Visited Zuider Zee Museum – open air part consisted of old buildings, homes and businesses which had been moved to this site. Boards gave information about history of building - some were set up as home and/or shop/business contents. Also a reproduction of the harbour at Marken with boathouse and working boats. Inside part of museum had large collection of vessels and artefacts from history. Excellent museum and spent whole day there.

For more pictures of Medemblik and the Zuiderzee Museum please click here

Friesland - Leeuwarden, Grouw & Lemmer

14 – 18 August

Leeuwarden, moored rafted out by against a Swiss boat at canalside. Nice town, capital of Friesland, with a leaning tower.  Fries museum very interesting. Rained a lot. Jim fell in the canal, by mistake Anne rescued him.

Grouw, moored at canalside. Small town with some older parts.  In the evening we watched a visiting folk dancing group in local costume.

Lemmer. A very attractive seaside type of town. Moored alongside on the canal in the centre of town.

For further pictures of Leeuwarden, Grouw & Lemmer please click here

Friesland - Heeg & Sneek

10 – 13 August

Sailed down Ijsselmeer to Stavoren and went through lock into inland waterways, motored and sailed along the Franz Josef canal (genoa only) to Heeg Passentenhaven. Nice village, popular with yachts; wandered and lazed around for a couple of days.

Sneek. Moored at canalside on municipal moorings. Very attractive, espeically around Waterpoort and along canals.

After leaving Sneek we sailed across the Sneekermeer.

For more pictures of Heeg and Sneek please click here

Friesland - Hindeloopen & Workum

3 – 9 August

We stayed a further couple of days at Den Helder to get some washing done. The washer and drier needed tokens from the Harbourmaster. As he wasn't around we had to use our small hand-cranked washing machine for the first time - fortunately the weather was good enough to dry the washing on a line strung around the boat.

On leaving, we passed through the Den Oever lock into the Ijsselmeer and crossed to Hindeloopen, a small village with miniature canals running through it - very picturesque and quiet.

We cycled to Workum for an afternoon for provisions and a walk round – nice church and weighhouse, had coffee in main square.

For more pictures of Hindeloopen and Workum please click here

Sharyn & Will's Wedding - Malcesine, Italy

26 July – 2 August

Took the train from Den Helder to Bremen in Germany for our flight to Verona, Italy where we joined the rest of the wedding party for Sharyn & Will's wedding, preceded by a week's holiday near Malcesine on Lake Garda.

Hotel was great, scenery absolutely fabulous and, best of all, the wedding was beautiful and romantic, held on top of a tower in the Castle at Malcesine. Sharyn and Will both looked fantastically happy, with a very beautiful bridesmaid, Victoria.

For pictures of the wedding please click here.

For more pictures of Italy please click here.