Laundry Room Party at Lauwersoog Marina

After 25 days on board Jennifer I was running low on clean clothes, despite doing a bit of laundry by hand. The challenge is to dry your hand washed clothes in this wet environment. Tore was also running low on clean things to wear so we decided to pool our resources together and head for the laundry room at the marina.

Doing laundry on a Friday night can be really fun if you have nice company and a bottle of wine while Miele is doing the job for you!

Scenic Canal Motoring in Northern Holland

After leaving Leeuwarden we headed northwest on our way to the North Sea.

We passed through a postcard picturesque landscape with small villages, neat looking farms with grazing animals and thousands of boats in all sizes and types. On our way we passed a countless number of bridges. 

Some of the road bridges are free and at some you have to pay. The bridge keeper will then, when the boat is in the middle of the bridge opening, lower a traditional Dutch wooden shoe attached to a fishing line and fishing rod. You just have to drop the fee into the shoe. Typical cost is €3.50.

At 7 PM, after some 32 NM, we reached a final canal lock and when the lock door was open we could see the North Sea in front of us. Located just outside the lock on the seaside is Lauwersoog Marina, our destination for the day.

Leeuwarden...

...is, in my opinion, a beautiful city with a village feeling. It is the capital of Friesland in the northwest of the Netherlands As a tourist destination I would choose Leeuwarden rather than Amsterdam. The city is perfect for exploration on foot and there are lots of interesting shops and restaurants. Most outdoor cafes are overlooking a canal.

The people in Leeuwarden are, according to an article I have just read, in general really down to earth and they don't like to boast. If you tell them how beautiful Leeuwarden is, they will reply by saying 'it kin minder' or 'it kin nog wos wut wurde' meaning as much as 'it could have been worse' and 'maybe it can become something'. That's the local way of being positive.

The Jennifer Galley Crew..

...having a sip of Portuguese wine some where on Dokkumer Ee (a very shallow canal) between Leeuwarden and the North Sea. Dinner will soon be ready; Alaska koolvis filets in cream sauce with mashed potatoes and a cheese topping. 

Cheers to you all from Tore and Staffan!

Cul de sac escape!

We left our involuntary overnight moring at 8.30 AM after a good nights sleep between a permanently closed road bridge and a railway bridges with limited opening hours. At exactly 9 AM the railway bridge swung open and we could continue back tracking.

Including the railway bridge we have to clear 9 bridges before reaching the Northern part of Leeuwarden. Six of those bridges are located in the central part of the city - perfect for sightseeing at low speed. The opening of railway bridges depends of course on train schedules. The waiting time can easily reach 30 minutes. As for road bridges there is usually no waiting time.