Home for the winter

Our golden years….

Spent drinking in the sunset on a beautiful lake. 

After many encounters on the river Maas with…

Cruising boats,

And tug boats, we are drifting down towards Maastricht, there to moor for a while and explore Belgium.

The canals are full of contrasts…

You can have breakfast outside your house and watch OCTO go by,

You can travel long stretches of bucolic (and sometimes smelly) countryside,

And you can keep out of the way of bloody enormous barges. 

On our way to Gorinchem. 

On the way to buy and eat cheese in Gouda

And, yes, the sun is shining….long may it last.

The deserters have returned and are ready for some culture

So we are on our way to the Rijks museum to do some art!

The Night Watch is an incredible painting, the Rembrandt self portrait is haunting and the Vermeer Milkmaid is delightful.  We had a great day in Amsterdam, touring more canals, and then returned to our little haven in Haarlem. It is such a great little town with 2 of its own museums, delicious food and friendly people. Too good to leave, but we will soon go South, like the swallows. The weather is….iffy. Some sun, no rain and a cool 18 degrees at most.

Nicci, James and Annie have left, Dan and Peter have come and gone and we are waiting for more guests to arrive.