Barging through the Netherlands

Barging through the Netherlands in 2013

Shangri La connected to shore power in Zwolle

I’ve put some tips and advice for wannabe boaters – on this link.

Gosh, it’s been so long since I last did a travel blog. We down-scaled residence considerably and moved to a smaller house. Shortly after that we went on another long holiday. I managed to keep my other blog going – see that one here – but I let this one lapse.

We finally began what we hope to be a decade or three of travelling along the waterways of Europe on my husband’s boat. He’s been blogging about his boat in this blog – read here – but I’m sure you can appreciate our ideas about boating are very different.

It was always my intention to keep this blog going and hopefully I will have lots to write about. Over the next few weeks I will share our trip which took us from Zwartsluis near Zwolle in central Holland, up north east to Groningen near the German border, then west through Friesland and back to Zwartsluis where we left our boat 10 days ago.

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My husband has been wanting his very own boat for a long, long time. I was less keen. I like boats, but to have one? Not so sure. And since we married, if he has a boat, he’s going to want to use it. Which means either I go with, or he goes alone. Or he goes with someone else. See my dilemma?

Frozen canals in Zwartsluis

We had a good few boating holidays on hired boats together before finally deciding to get our own boat. We finally bought her a year ago.We found our boat in The Netherlands. Her name is Shangri La. Our plan is to spend the next decade, hopefully, a whole lot more, exploring the European waterways. Obviously Holland was our starting point.

Our first attempt to get going was a flop. Unseasonably cold weather meant the canals were frozen. We had to abandoned that idea. The next attempt was aborted before we even got going. We bought and sold a few properties back home and had to be around until everything was sorted.

This time, our holiday was delayed as my husband wanted to get to know the boat and do a few vital

Canal/moat surrounding Zwolle

repairs or renovations. Boats need constant work. Fact of life. We had to accept that some upgrades and fixing would have to wait or we might never get going.

Obligatory Wateralmanak

I also spent the first days going through items the previous owners left behind. Some were discarded – a single boating glove, lip liner and empty cleaning agent bottles. But I kept really nice stainless steel cookware, buckets, pegs, washing line, AEG vacuum cleaner and all their tools. Our boat is 20 years old. It’s not new. But I wanted it to feel new, so I was allocating a few hours a day to ensure a thorough spring clean.

After a week we both wanted a break from fixing and cleaning and looked forward to some travelling. We set off from our home marina in Zwartsluis, topping up with fuel, adding diesel bug deterrent, and made our way south to Zwolle. The last 7 days had been perfect weather, even a stonking hot 34’C on the one day. But half an hour before we left Zwartsluis, the heavens opened and the temperature dropped.

Scenery along the canal is mixed. Pretty old towns like Hasselt (pronounced hastle) sit on the banks of the canal. Also visible are large factories, ship yards and big piles of ground stones. There is also much diversity on the waterways; massive barges, speed boats, skiers, yachts, rowers, stand up board sailors and an assortment of pleasure boats all share space.

We arrived in Zwolle around 16.00. There were two bridges where we had to wait to pass. In high season, moorings get full quickly. In a place like Zwolle, we really needed to arrive much earlier. Or phone ahead and reserve a space. That info can be found in the obligatory Wateralmanak. After much

Zwartsluis marina at dusk

deliberation and angst, we moored alongside another boat, or ‘double-banked’ as it’s called, and headed straight indoors to escape the relentless rain and cold. A nice hot shower, a glass of wine and a curry were next on the agenda.

There is a saying – the best two days in a boat owners life are; the day s/he buys the boat and – the day s/he sells it.
The definition of a boat is – a hole in the water in which to throw money.
And lastly, sailing is defined as – standing under a cold shower tearing up bank notes.

Although the major defects had been picked up by a surveyor and dealt with by the seller and agent, minor things like dud switches and leaks were now popping up. Rain was streaming in our

Boats tied together or ‘double banked” in Zwolle

bedroom port and my husband managed to twist the invertor/shore power button clean off. He wondered what the ‘Interdit’ setting might be. Our first proper night on our new boat wasn’t a heap of fun.

Was I right about having a boat, or was I right? Thing is, I had also fallen in love with Shangri La and slowing meandering the countryside, old towns and bustling cities of Europe for the next 20 odd years was most appealing. I was hooked.

Think you understand Dutch? Read this

Read Part 2 – 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.

Barging in France

Barging in France in 2008

Read my advice and hints for boating on Europe – by using this link.

Tuesday 1st September 2009

Ibis Hotel Toulouse

We flew in to a warm, slightly overcast day in Toulouse, the pink city of France, and the epicentre of aeronautics and aviation. We planned to arrive and leave via Toulouse for our canal boat holiday along the historical Canal du Midi.

The French style of doing things was immediately apparent as we spent our first hour making our way to the hotel. We had done a basic French Speaking course to be on the safe side. We like the Michel Thomas method of learning a language. We did try a language school but forgot all they taught us. With Michel Thomas we were able to at least make ourselves understood and string words together.

Maybe we were lucky, but we found the French helpful and friendly, contrary to expectation. It started at immigration. Border control let you through with a stamp in your passport and skipped the harrowing interrogation some countries find necessary. It’s a much nicer way to start a holiday.

View from hotel room

The airport was clean and their information or ‘accueil’ went beyond what was required to help us. They phoned the Ibis Hotels to find out which one we’d booked into. Who knew there were three? And they gave us plenty information and maps so we could find the shuttle bus, all in perfect English.

At least two people saw us with our map and offered us directions as we walked to our hotel so we eventually hid our map. We were not expecting the French to be so helpful.

Anglicization going on here

After checking in and showering we popped out for a bite and promptly changed our minds. Toulouse is bigger and so much prettier than we imagined. We bought snacks and went back to our room to furiously read up on Toulouse and what to do. We like Wiki travel for travel information. wikitravel Toulouse

Our rudimentary French was slowly coming back. The complimentary Wi-Fi was great but you sign-on in French. And one has to be able to ask things like, “Can I drink the tap water here?” or “Where is breakfast please?”

We were glad we have made the effort to learn basic French many times.

Wednesday 2nd September 2009

Jardin du Plante

We like Ibis Hotels. Ibis Hotels Booking on-line is easy, and the rooms, although cosy, are always clean and comfortable. We opted to have the hotel French style breakfast at €7.50 each, which was a spread of the usual fruits, cereals, pastries as well as some regional foods such as cheeses, tortilla and good coffee.

Pont Neuf on the River Garonne

We had two days to explore the city on foot before we collected our boat. Toulouse is the 4th largest city in France. It’s home to Airbus, the aeroplane manufacturers, and has the 2nd highest number of universities in France. The modern energy contrasts sharply with the old architecture of the city. We strolled through cobbled walkways passing by cafes and buildings with typical Mediterranean architecture, terracotta roofs and shutters on the windows.

Then we went to the city gardens, which had fountains, sculptures and plants grown to resemble faces and objects. We ambled along the Garonne River and the Canal du Midi, which was built in the 1600’s, and was a vital link between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.

At lunchtime we remembered the superstores in France often have cafeterias, which offer local cuisine at excellent prices. We found Monoprix, a block away, and we each had a plate of assorted fresh salads from the buffet, boiled eggs, a small carafe of red wine to share and two carafes of water.
Not bad for €10.00?

Streets of Toulouse

The French style of eating is right up our street. They utilise lots of fresh vegetables. Fruits and salads are common components of a meal. Plain tap water and a small glass of wine usually accompany food. They take their time to enjoy lunch, which is from 12.00 to 14.00. Everything comes to a complete halt lunchtime in France, as people head home, baguettes in hand, to enjoy their midday meal.

That said that, we avoided the pricey French Bistros and Brassieres. The challenge of deciphering what we could receive on our plate, as well as the prices, kept us on the streets where we found great food. We regularly ate at Lebanese cafés where a huge combination mezze and salad platter would cost around €8.00 each, and a large carafe of wine to share (500 ml) was about €4.00.

We ended the evening with a stroll along the Garonne River, which came alive at night with students engaged in various activities along the banks.

Click here for Barging in France Day 3 and 4.

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.

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