Sloten

Underway on the canals

"I did it!" ..... my triumphant cry as I emerged from the onboard loo. "Relieved" doesn't begin to explain it, but suffice it to say the toilet holds no terrors now.

Have I mentioned that the weather here is glorious, if a tad cool in the mornings? Poor Al and Beth had ten days of vile weather for their visit, but we seem to have bought the sun with us. Woohoo!

This morning, our first on board Kuah, we breakfasted on pannenkoeken - Dutch pancakes - with fresh fruit and schenkstroop - syrup - to fortify ourselves for the journey to Sloten.

First we had to turn the boats around in a very narrow canal. There was an option to wait for the bridge master to raise the bridge so they could turn round with ease on the other side ... but that would be no challenge at all. With much manouvering and application of bow thrusters and brute force, the turn around was achieved ... .and two euros bridge toll saved. Another WooHoo!.

A tight turn for the boats in the canal

Duck to go under the bridge

The boats puttered down the canal single file, ducking our heads under three very low bridges as we went. The scenery was breathtakingly picturesque along the way. Up went the umbrella on the back deck once we'd installed ourselves comfortably in folding chairs, and out came the hot chocolate drinks with stroopwaffles - caramel waffle sandwiches - and speculass - cinanmon biscuits - for morning tea. Does life get any better?

this is the life

serenity on the lake

paying the bridge master

We proceeded serenely down the canals at a slow and majestic pace. There's lots of bird life to see on the water and animals grazed lazily in the surrounding farmland. I was filled with a sence of well-being. I think I'm beginning to GET this canal boating thing and day one has barely started!

As we come to bridges crossing the canal, the bridgemaster signals that he has seen us, and we approach slowly whilst he stops the road traffic and raises the bridge. As we glide through slowly he also lowers a wooden clog tied to a fishing pole to us and we insert two euros into it as payment. It is all managed seemlessly without stopping. It's fascinating to observe the different sorts of bridges too. Some raise up on one side. Some raise a little at the mid-point then the whole road pivots at 90 degress. Others have a combination of pivoting with raised flaps. Maintaining and manning these bridges must cost a bomb. Two euros is a very cheap toll for the service.

bad boy in the stocks

We arrive at Sloten and by some miracle we find room for both boats to berth right under the town windmill. It is divine! There is an arched brick bridge over the canal with a set of stocks for bad boys to be punished, and beyond that the town nestles round the central canal. Some ducks and their ducklings gather eagerly around out boats wanting to be fed. Pamela throws Ryvita crumbs and ends up with ducks on Shanty's duckboard.

The boats at Sloten

ducks on the duckboard

Not only is this town absolutely gorgeous, it has showers! Toilets! And oh luxury ... laundry facilities! There is a scramble for the machines and the amenities block.

This is also the place Janice chose to celebrate her 60th birthday last year. There is a lovely restaurant in a converted barn that serves the best ribs ever, or so it was reported to us. It wasn't anyone's birthday this time. Bum.

the three sisters



the restaurant where Jan held her 60th B'day last year

We are really enjoying the long twilight evenings. It doesn't really get dark until well after 9pm, so evening drinks on the deck are extended affairs that naturally roll into dinner. This is the life!