 |
| Shangri La double banked in Lemmer |
Read about this journey from the start by clicking on – this link – or to go back to the last post click – here.
The weather had been slowly changing and by early evening the heavens opened in Heeger Meer. I felt so sorry for people in tiny boats. Some had erected tents on the banks of the lake. They were standing in rain proof gear, trying to cook food under umbrellas.
Amenities at Heeger Meer were really basic. A row of 4 loos and an outside basin. That was it! Most amenities are single gender but some, like in Groningen, are mixed. In Leeuwarden and in Lemmer a bloke just
 |
| Sailing on the Heege Meer |
walked into the ladies shower while I was there and didn’t seem too fazed to see me.
The next morning, it was still cold and dreary. And a Sunday. We decided to hang around Heeger Meer another day. After lunch the weather suddenly cleared up and the sun came out. A friendly Dutch woman from the boat across the way was walking her dog. She came up to us and greeted. We must have spoken for about 45 minutes.
The next morning her husband walked the dog and he also chatted with us for quite some time. As is custom, they offered us a coffee. Conversation and coffee go together in The Netherlands. Dutch people
 |
| Sunset at Heege Meer |
LOVE their coffee. We noticed massive 2 kg bags of coffee beans for sale in their food stores. Those would be for commercial use back home!
Before we untied I went to see where the sound of running water was coming from. There are no mountains in this part of the world. A dijk is as good as it gets so I knew it wasn’t a river.
Our mooring for the night was on a mini island in the lake. It was the sound of water from the wind splashing on the banks of the lake.
But . . I found a big fat bush of blackberries. I grabbed my other half and we filled two big bowls with fresh blackberries which went into our breakfast smoothie.
 |
| Old Dutch boats in Lemmer |
The next part of our journey was toward Lemmer via Slotermeer, Brandemar and Grutte Brekken. The maps seem to alternate between Frisian and Dutch place names. Not sure which name is which. I guess they refer to the most commonly used name first. We thought we would motor straight into the centre of
 |
| Blackberries |
Lemmer and tie up.
The bridge man let us in – no problem. The harbour DID look crowded but we thought there had to be space further ahead, or why would he have let us pass?
But no, the harbour was chock-a-block full. We turned around and were heading out when the bloke at the bridge said we can double bank. Basically park abreast of another boat.
It was a group of Germans and they seemed amenable to the idea, so we tied up to their boat. It does feel a bit strange stepping all over someone else’s boat to get shore power and to go to the shops. That’s how it’s done.
Lemmer is an old fishing town that came to a halt when the Afsluitdijk
 |
| Lakeside at Heege Meer |
came into existence in 1932. From then on Lemmer had to rely on boating and tourism. It has a LOT of yacht harbours, camping and a white sandy beach. Not many beaches in this part of the world. There are plenty cafes and bars along the canal and a person is spoilt for choice if you want to eat out. We found a fabulous organic food emporium with a deli, fresh produce, store cupboard staples, personal products and certified organic wines selling at 3 bottles for €11.
 |
| Sundowners onboard Shangri La |
We opted for a central public mooring. The amenities were not great. But, it was a lovely location. However, after one night we decided to move to a privately owned marina with more facilities. We had been without Internet for three days, the electricity dispenser was swallowing €1 coins as opposed to 50 cent pieces everywhere else. The lights kept going off and the kettle wouldn’t boil. Fiddling about with coins in a shower or at the electricity meter in the dark was most frustrating.
This trip continues – here.
Go to – My Holidays and Trips – at the top of this page to read about other places we have visited. Or just click on – this link.
