Before we left for the UK our ‘mooring hosts’ had coffee with us and looked round Riccall and we made a return visit to their home.
Harma gave us a couple of slices of delicious homemade cheesecake with cherries and Arie fried us some freshly caught cod (too small to sell and not really supposed to be landed!) but delicious for all that.
Krommenie Dijk, the original village, was having its annual artists’ showcase day. We visited about 20 different ‘bottom-of-the-garden studios’ to look at the work they were producing and selling.
Prices ranged from E35 for a mediocre painting to E1000 for an 8" x 6" stylised painting of a Dutch peasant girl. Louise did like a couple of watercolours by one artist and Alex was very taken by a small surrealist picture produced using coloured wax and a hot iron, a system called encaustic. He didn’t dare, however, ask the price!
As we were riding along, we overheard an English voice commenting on how nice Dutch bikes were (ours!) so we just had to stop and chat to the two women, one English, one Dutch, until her sister arrived in a huge 4x4 and we caused a traffic jam on the narrow road and had to move on.
We also rode into Zaandam to look for the elusive wi-fi at the library. It did not exist! However, not to be outdone in the accident stakes, Louise managed to fall off her bike and become totally tangled up in it. Not hurt – well not much, but Alex had to lift the bike off for her to escape.
And then, on the day of our return to the UK, Arie very kindly gave us a lift to the station, which was great as it was pouring with rain and we made an uneventful trip back home.
Angela (living up to her name) was waiting at the airport to give us a lift to our car at Methley Bridge. She asked Alex to drive as she had pulled her Achilles tendon. He was more than happy to oblige but on reaching the first mini roundabout out of the airport, managed to go round it the wrong way! Fortunately there was only one other (bemused) car driver some way off, so we all had a good laugh, and Alex managed the rest of the UK break without putting a wheel out of place, which was lucky as we have been haring up and down the country, London, Bedford, Birmingham and Newcastle seeing everybody and getting things like dentists, doctors, spectacles, haircuts, accountants (tax returns) done.
Now we are back in Holland, but before we set sail Harma took us on a half-day trip to Alkmaar, which was great as we had had to pass straight through on Riccall and never got a glimpse of the city which is really lovely.
We have said a fond farewell to our kind mooring hosts and are back in amazing Amsterdam. We have spent the whole day (well nearly) in the library on the internet managing our changed blog which Robert and Alex have been working hard to improve. We have also got our good camera back (replaced) so no more under-exposed phone pics.
The photos are now in slideshow format at the bottom of the text to which they relate. With the click of a mouse you can watch the slideshow, enlarge the images to full screen and by clicking on ‘Info’ reveal the title (and caption if any). We hope this will prove less confusing but would appreciate comments, as ever.
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