If only we were here to visit today... It's bright sunshine and the temperature has shot up to 14 deg. We have a chat with an English couple in the next bay and exchange a few names of places to visit before setting off around 10:30 As expected the motorway around Rotterdam is busy with many interchanges but no hold ups and once we have crossed the enormous coathanger bridge we are out in lush green countryside. The plan was to head south to an aire at Hanswe...

Last night it rained heavily and there are still plenty of showers this morning. We send a few 'Happy Easter' messages then prepare to set off, hoping we get off the sloping grass pitch OK after all the rain. We do, then go to the service point before setting off to Gouda. It's a busy and relatively uninteresting 90 minute motorway journey until the last 3 miles into the camperstop where we are lucky to get the last free electricity point. After a quick coffe...

Another morning, another marina. The German school ships start sailing away from 08:30, hoisting vast areas of sail as they process down the dyke. By the time we get underway ourselves nearly all of the ships that were in last night have returned to sea. We head towards Hoorn over more areas of wetland and canals, but there are noticably more trees here than we've seen to date. Approaching Edam we decide to see if there is any camper parking in the town and w...

At 09:00 the harbour master arrives on his golf buggy to collect our mooring fee of €7.50, half the advertised amount and a bargain considering the amount of electric heating we've used. Ali asks if there is a grey water dump here. "Yes", He says and races off on his cart. Phlegmatic islanders again. Next to the washblock is a drain so we drop our waste there and get on our way. Just ouside Urk we stop for fuel. It's attendant service by a happy chap who '...

The beauty of having no real itinerary is the freedom to change your mind. Last night we decided to get going early and cross the inner dyke to Enkhuizen but this morning after checking the laundry facilities Ali decides to get some washing done. The harbour master provides the key and gives some friendly but unnecessary advice and instruction on how to operate the washing machine. The most helpful bit is that the 1 hour cycle is quicker than the 2 hour cycle....