Once in Brighton we looked for the Tourism or Info offices. There aren’t any! You might want to go on-line and do a search of things to do before you get to Brighton. We found their local municipal offices where a man kindly gave us a map.
We took our map and headed to V Bites, a vegan cafe owned by Heather Mills. (Sir Paul McCartney’s ex wife.) We ordered breakfast and looked at our map, deciding what to see and do. V Bites also sell vegan alternatives to animal foods. Think along the lines of vegan deli meats, cheeses and even . . .
More lanes
. vegan tuna.
Brighton is famous for it’s “Lanes”. Their Lanes are narrow, often cobbled alleys with old specialist shops selling antiques, crafts, hippie chic clothing, organic foods and fair trade coffees. I can’t work out how many actual Lanes or lane areas exist as also found Lanes in Hove. You want to walk around in the area from the seafront up to where the station is. If a spot looks quaint, walk there, it might turn out to
Royal Pavilion
be yet more Lanes.
We found a place called hiSbe – short for – How it Should be – a fair trade, organic supermarket that focuses on sustainability. Wow! The next vegan place we ate was called The Loving Hut Cafe. It’s a hut in a park run by an Asian couple. Expect yummy curries as opposed to toasted sandwiches. The couple are
Brighton Marina
committed vegans by the looks of things. Lots of anti-cruelty leaflets scattered about. Forks over Knives video runs over and over.
We walked past a good few other veggie restaurants but a quick glance at the menu was enough to put us off. Won’t name them, but no way am I ever paying those prices for food. I don’t care who the chef or owner is. Most nights we holed up in our room and watched
Loving Hut vegan food
our tiny telly. We had both been hit hard by a cold or flu. (Can never tell the difference.) We just wanted to sleep. And we did a LOT of walking in the day.
On a whim we decided to take a bus to Brighton Marina. The buses run from next to the train station. Our bus took a meander via council housing and residential areas to the marina. One doesn’t realise how tidal the UK coastline is. Or how fierce the waves can be until you see the breakwater designed to shelter the boats in the marina.
Brighton Marina is a housing, boating, commercial, residential and social space. We walked around the harbour and along the breakwater. And we had a nice hot cup of tea at one of the cafes.
The promenade is quite a stretch. You can
Even more lanes
walk for hours if you like walking. The actual pier is a bustling place. It’s bursting with games arcades, amusement rides and daft things to do. Expect flashing lights and tin can music. In the height of summer, people flock in their droves to Brighton. Apparently the 2008 Pride festival saw 150 000 people crammed onto Brighton Beach. Europeans love the sun. We’re a bit more used to covering up and sun protection in Africa.
Another eatery we visited for a really early supper was Iydea. And what a good idea it was to visit that time. They
hiSbe
have a food “happy hour”. Great food. Great value. There are two of them in Brighton.
Yet another area we went to was the Cultural Quarter. I really wanted to go to the Brighton Museum and Art Gallery, which is free. But it’s closed on Mondays. We left it to our last day so never got a chance to go back. Sigh! It’s set in lovely gardens. A great place to sit and enjoy a take-out lunch. Right opposite is the Royal Pavilion. A palace built in 1783 for the Prince of Wales. It
Brighton Marina
might be a British Royal Palace but this pavilion looks like something you would find in India. Like the Taj Mahal. I really don’t what that Prince was thinking. It looks out of place to me.
I’m sure we missed out on so much. But we took in a lot. I’m glad we didn’t go in the height of summer on a bight sunny bank holiday weekend. That would be my idea of hell. We picked the right time to go. Just the wrong place. Given it’s proximity to London, good chance there will be a next time.
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.
Our guide focused on historical buildings and Roman ruins. They have lots of heavy stone carved Roman coffins lying about. She pointed out cats on the buildings. Not real ones. Cat statues. They put concrete or metal cats on the walls in York. She took us through The Shambles, an area that used to trade in meat and produce. One can only imagine how it could have been a helluva mess.
She took us around
Cat on building
the outside of the Minster which is York’s key attraction. I’m still not sure what the difference is between a minster and a cathedral. However I now know that York Minster has the biggest stained glass window in the world.
Inside York Minster
We were in York during Easter. York Minster had a special Easter service. Access during a service is free. I really wanted to go. I’m not particularly religious but I love the drama of a full mass. I raced out the hotel only to forget my glasses. I couldn’t read the song sheet. Felt a bit stupid mumbling as I had no idea what the words were. My other half meanwhile went to the railway expo. I met him there after mass.
We wanted to try as many vegan/meat-free eateries as we could. Good old Happy Cow on-line guide had a few. (How did we ever live without Happy Cow?) We ate at El Piano, a Spanish eatery that just happens to have an outlet in York. And we ate at Goji Cafe and Deli.
For bargain food in the UK, you cannot beat Wetherspoons. A local pub and grub chain that is unbeatable for good prices. Food is OK. You get what you pay for. My favourite there is a Jacket Potato with beans or veg chili.
Of course a trip to York without a ghost tour is unthinkable. And there are plenty to choose from. The guides dress up in dark clothes with a top hat and tails. Our guide was a history boffin so his slant was very much about actual events as opposed to scary stories. He talked about grim happenings to Margaret Clitherow and Guy Fawkes who were locals. We were in York early in May. The sun goes down late, but it was bitterly cold. My teeth were chattering and my feet
River Ouse
were numb as we walked through winding alleys. Much as I enjoyed the Terror Trail, I couldn’t wait for that tour to be over and head somewhere warm.
There are so many museums in York. Too many. We always go for the cheapies and freebies first. Some of the museums, like the Viking museum were really tempting. But the entrance fees are steep and it can all add up to a LOT of money. We also skipped a boat trip up and down the River Ouse and walked along the river for free. Lots of lovely pubs line the river. Be sure to try a local craft beer.
Greenie walking the wall in York
You can walk on the sections of the old wall that used to surround York. Also free. The wall is not complete anymore but it’s a lovely walk as you can see the city from higher up. Even local pubs have mini excursions in their dungeons. We found a pub in town that had Roman Baths underneath. Except they were closed the day we were there.
Apparently the first Easter egg was invented in 1798 by a Yorkshire woman called Esther Burnay. She painted an ostrich egg and threw it at the Archbishop of York. Turns out the world
York skyline with the minster looming large
liked the idea of painted eggs but did not adopt the concept of throwing them at clergymen. Chocolate comes from Yorkshire. The Rowntree, Cadbury and Fry families were Quakers who were in the Yorkshire area. We were told at one of the specialist chocolate shops that more Kit Kats are sold than any other chocolate snack.
York is apparently one of the top 10 cities to visit in England. Our guide seemed to think it had more going for it than Bath. So there you go. If you heading north, why not take a detour and visit York.
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.
Please click – here – to read from the start of this trip
The cottages were nicely decorated and comfortable. We had welcome drinks and snacks waiting for us. After a nice hot bath or shower we all met at one cottage for sundowners before heading to the Leisure
Bathroom at a Sandpiper Cottage
Centre where we had more sundowners on the deck and then supper. The tour organisers pride themselves on making authentic South African food. Food like Babotie, Karoo lamb, I really don’t think they have catered for so many vegans before. If any at all. One chef bought a vegan recipe book and had been practicing. She did well.
Day Two was beach hiking
The next day we had breakfast at the Leisure Centre and were bundled into a van and taken back to where we finished the day before. We resumed our hike. If Day One was about the coast and cliffs, Day Two was mostly flat and along the beach. Day Two was 12 kilometres.
There is abundant wildlife in the area. Various buck, wild cats such as the caracal, mongoose and genets, penguins, eagles, cranes and gulls are amongst the creatures that can be spotted in the area. We were looking out for Southern Right Whales which are present from January to May and again from September to November. Dolphins are present all year round. Amongst the bird life are of course the black Oystercatchers. Turns they eat mussels and not oysters. They are unique to a strip of the South
African coast. The Oystercatcher Trail is right
Black Oyster Catchers
in the middle of this strip. We saw loads of them on the beach.
The key thing with a group of people traveling together is – getting along. It’s hard. People all want different things from a holiday. A sure fire recipe for tension. We had a nice group. We chatted so much we probably missed on wildlife spotting.
Preparing for a swim in a lagoon
Suppertimes were fun with lots of bawdy commentary. Our organiser asked us to have awards for dumb things. At first I wasn’t so keen. Seemed a bit, well, high school. But the guy nominated to give the awards did it in such a way, it was bags of fun.
Day Three was 21 kilometres. Um, that’s a half marathon! Not going to lie, I was a bit anxious about it. Especially shortly after we got going and scrambled up an almighty hill. Fortunately the rest of course was a LOT easier. That didn’t stop me climbing up a dinkum sand dune later in the day. How could I not?
The organisers brought us lunch al fresco. I’m talking a proper table with a cloth, stainless steel cutlery, pasta and salad, drinks and fruit.
Day Three
A person could almost never move again. But we got going and headed to the finale, which was a boat trip along the Gourits River.
The end almost never came. We walked and walked and just could not find the boat. And then – there it was. We took off our shoes. Stepped on board and went across the river. Very. Very. Slowly. Heaven.
On the boat were ice cold beers. A few brave folk were swimming in the river next to the
River boat on Gourits River
boat. Eish. On the other side the crew collected us and took us back to our cottages for a hot shower and if you wanted – a massage or treatment at the Leisure Centre.
The staff were amazing. Real warm proper South African hospitality. I loved the rustic charm of the cottages. The sincere efforts of the chefs to cater for vegans. They did a fabulous job. The beauty of the coast and time out to enjoy it all. It doesn’t get much better!
There is lots of info on the Internet should you want to do this hike. Google – oystercatchertrail.co.za.
Hiking up a dune Day Two
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.
Read Part 1 by going to the last blog post or click – here.
Saturday morning we raced out to make sure we didn’t miss the “short’
market. Our city mentality meant we over budgeted time-wise and had
LOADS of time to kill. The first marketer pitched long after us. We hid
around the corner and waited for the market to start. A whole six
stalls happened. We bought at nearly every one. But it was over so fast
that we can’t be sure it was in fact a market! We bought spinach pies,
ginger beer, quiche, milk tart, pea shoots and fresh spinach. While we
were waiting for things to happen we got chatting to a local about
property prices. OMG!!! A house in Mc Gregor STARTS at just below R1
million. Prices go up to R3 million. Hello! This is a village in the
middle of nowhere.
We collected our ethically sourced raw honey
from Deli Girls
Donkey sanctuary Mc Gregor
and had a quick cup of tea. Quick because ESKOM power
was about to fail and they had to make sure they had hot water. A
friendly American joined us and regaled us with tales of his life as a
pilot and global traveler. He had decided he wanted to make Mc Gregor
his home. He prophesied that Las Vegas and Austin in Texas had a bleak
future as water was fast becoming scarce in America. He saw South Africa
as a better option to the United States of America. Who knew?
After
our tea and conversation we headed off on a
Mc Gregor Winery
wine tour. At Mc Gregor
Winery we bought a bargain Ruby Cabernet (R19 per bottle) and a Pinotage
(R38 per bottle). No discount for bulk at Mc Gregor Winery. Sigh. Then
we went to Tanagra down the road. Prices were a bit steep there (R70 a
bottle). We tasted Grappa. Hated it. Not for us. The price (R200 a tiny
bottle) didn’t help.
We also stopped in at Esseltjerus, a donkey
sanctuary. They let you pat the friendly donkeys and you can have a bite
to eat. We picked prickly pears off the cacti with a piece of paper.
They are yummy but a mission as they have long fine thorns that get
stuck in your fingers and are a nightmare to remove.
Came
home and soaked up the 35’C sun. Snoozed. Bathed and then went on a
village historical walk. There
Greenie at the Saturday market
are four walks to choose from. Mill Walk.
Gaol Walk. Graveyard Walk. Church Walk. We did the Mill Walk. After our
walk we had a quick drink at the Old Post Office Pub. Then headed back
to Temenos for supper. I had a veg curry and my other half had hake en papillote. And yet more Mc Gregor wine. We tried again to see the Temenos gardens but again we were not allowed. Sigh! Staggered home and slept like logs.
We
had a slow start to the day. Late brekka and a very late lunch. Lots of
snoozing and reading in between. Around 14.30pm we ventured out to do
Kleinberg hiking trail
the The Kleinberg Hike. We found a sign off Voortrekker Street saying
1.5 kilometres. We thought that was the start of the hike. But no. That
was – to the start – of the start of the hike.
And we managed to miss the start. We
saw a sign saying Kingfisher River but walked on. Luckily a bakkie (pick-up truck) came past and directed us to the start. When we went back, we saw below in much
smaller letters, it said Kleinberg Hike. We finally got
going with the hike.
The lady at Deli Girls
recommended we do the Heron Trail at the Vrolijkheid Nature Reserve. I
wish we had
Sign depicting Old Mill historical walk
taken her advice. Apparently they have two hides to
observe wildlife. I was not thrilled to see a big baboon sitting at
a brick works on the side of the road. Turns out there are lots of
baboons around. And they have been known to be violent.
We
hotfooted it up the hill but sadly we never got to the top. The signs
dried up and we kept getting lost so we gave up and went home.
On the
way back we passed the town brass band. I was
Mc Gregor brass band
clapping enthusiastically
only to find out later they march at funerals. Major oops. Sunday was a
quiet night with home cooking and scrabble.
The next day,
Monday, we had a long lie in before we packed up to head back home. We
visited the free museum hoping to see the original king James bible with
Rob Roy’s signature but it was out on loan. It’s hardly a big museum. One
room, but I could have spent hours reading all the history and looking
at the exhibits. Then we set off to have a last lunch en route at Bon
Cap organic wine farm. Yummy lunch and nice to be able to get some
Bon Cap wine estate
seriously good
organic wines.
Then came the anti climax as we headed back home. I would love to go back to Mc Gregor but I fear many of the other fabulous places we have yet to see in South Africa may take priority. Will keep you posted.
Greenie.
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.
We left Urk knowing there was rubbish weather brewing. All our glassware and breakables were stowed safely. Our boat was rolling a bit, but we only had a short distance to cover and then we entered the Ketelmeer.
We did the short distance in force 3 winds with 3 metre waves on the beam. Do I sound like I know what I am talking about? Don’t be fooled. My better half told me that. But you know what? I’m glad we dodged the brewing
Bouncing about on IJsselmeer
storm. We later bumped into people, who told us, they heard on the radio that over 30 boats had to be rescued on the IJsselmeer and Markermeer later that day. Winds climbed to force 7 on the IJsselmeer.
Our next stop was Kampen Buitenhaven. We knew we wanted to stay there coz we had stayed there before. It’s a compact harbour. It’s walking distance from the city and has full amenities. We tied up at 13.00 by which time the marina was almost full.
Double, double banked boats in Urk
While we were tying up, two more boats came in. Within an hour of us arriving, there was no space left in the marina. This was Saturday 14th September – hardly high season. If we learned anything about the waterways in The Netherlands, it is this – find a marina early! The next day as we
Traditional clothing in Kampen
were leaving – at 10.30am – new boats were already coming in to tie up.
We didn’t even try to explore Kampen. We’ve been there twice, the weather was shite, and it was a Sunday. Nothing happens on Sundays. The following morning, we set off for another “wild” stop en-route to our home marina in Zwartsluis along the Ganze Diep. We were feeling pretty pleased with ourselves and our boat. We entered Ganzesluis (Ganze lock)
Fishing nets in Urk
which was a peasy few inches and as we were about to exit the lock, nothing happened. The lockie motioned us out and I waved at my other half to say “We can go now”. To which he replied “If only I had an engine”. Turns out the engine wouldn’t start.
You have to turn motors off in a lock. NOT the best place to bomb out. The lockie helped us pull our boat out the lock. As it turned out a boat mechanic lived right next to the lock. He wasn’t thrilled to be summoned on a Sunday – at lunch time – but he kindly came aboard and ascertained our ignition switch wasn’t working. He bypassed it and jump-started the engine to get us going. Then he did it again to show us how to do it. He wouldn’t accept money. We
Wild stop near Emmeloord
were beyond grateful and I guess he didn’t feel like having his Sunday interrupted with a full-on repair job.
Our over-night mooring was in the middle of farmland. We had cows to the right and sheep to the left. Two other boats were also tied up but we hardly saw or heard them. We were using up food, so it was a meal of left-overs.
Last day in Zwartsluis
Nothing spectacular. We opened a bottle of bubbly to celebrate the last night of our first trip on our very own boat.
The next day, the boat started no problem and we headed straight to Zwartsluis. Our previous berth had been taken but we got an even better place to tie up. We thought we had mastered mooring the boat by now, but we struggled to tie up. In our defence, there was a brisk and gusting wind. We were thankful to get the boat safely in place.
The waterways back to Zwartsluis were quiet and the marina was bereft of people. Just one month earlier before we left Zwartsuis, the boats were full of families and friends. We regularly heard people chattering and the clink of cutlery on crockery. Now mid September, it was starting
Shangri La being lifted out the water
to get cold. We got battered with hail coming back from a mini shop-up in town.
The next day Shangri La was lifted out the canal and put up on the hard. Her water tanks were drained, diesel bug and anti freeze was added to the appropriate tanks, and she was wheeled away by tractor to a large shed to wait for the return of summer. We
The captain climbing a ladder to get on board
stayed on her one more night before leaving to go back home via Amsterdam.
Just like that, our 2013 Netherlands canal boat trip was over. The waterways are filled with boats, canoes,
water-skis and people swimming in summer. Then it goes quiet. The canals
freeze up and people come back to skate on them in winter. It goes quiet when the canals melt and it starts all over again. Next year we will explore the southern half of The Netherlands.
Watch this space.
Greenie.
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.
Read this travel blog from the beginning on – this link.
Or read from here
Five metre deep lock at Friese Sluis
The Netherlands has 6 000 kilometres of navigable waterways, which given the size of the country is a LOT. The story of land reclaiming and the polders is fascinating. When we locked down from the IJsselmeer at Lemmer and back up again at Urk, you are in a lock that is 5 metres deep. You realise that you should be underwater. No wonder Dutch people do not pooh pooh global warming theories.
En route in Noordoospolder
Some of the biggest European rivers including the Rhine flow out to sea in the deltas in southern Holland and the narrow channel between Great Britain and the Netherlands funnels water from the North Sea. Heavy rains or a spring tide could be a national disaster. And that’s not all.
As the reclaimed land has dried over the years, it has contracted and shrunk. You have contracting
Emmeloord
landmass and rising water levels. The Netherlands have a complicated system of pumping water in and out. They have salt and fresh water areas that require not just water movement but desalination as well. This is all going on at differing times 24 hours a day. The Dutch people are also keen to re-introduce fauna and flora that weren’t a consideration when they created the polders. Reclaimed land went toward housing and farming.
Emmeloord to Urk
I wasn’t looking forward to bypassing the IJsselmeer and travelling via Noordoostpolder, but I am so glad we did. The Lemstervaart was tree lined with neat farms along the canal. Emmeloord, although new, has been created to incorporate a distinct Dutch look and feel. There was a global potato convention on the go. Noordoostpolder is THE potato growing region. The VVV gave us a leaflet with a list of all the must-do’s. You can climb the clock tower above the VVV and get a panoramic view of the city for around €3. We did a day stop, wandered around Emmelooord, had lunch
Market in Emmeloord
and a coffee at HEMA, and got going again to spend the evening in Urk.
As an aspirant vegan I really don’t like murdering insects, but the waterways are breeding grounds for all sorts of things that find their way onto a boat. I had to keep our bin far out on the deck so flies wouldn’t come in. We kept the door closed after sunset and put up screens on the ports and hatches to keep mosquitoes out. Overnight, spiders would weave webs on our boat. Every morning boat owners, mostly men, wash and sweep their boats with buckets of water from the canals to
Traditional Dutch boat
remove spider webs and dust. It’s a morning ritual. My other half would cringe with shame. He had to take it easy with his back and vigorous bends were prohibited.
After tying up in Urk, we headed to the local cafe/pub for a sun downer Afflingem TRIPLE beer. We not sure what the difference is between a single, double and triple beer. Lighter to darker or weaker to stronger? No idea, but triples always taste better and we like to think we’re getting more of whatever it is.
Urk is at pains to preserve it’s history as a fishing island. It
Beach at Urk
was included into the Noordoostpolder during land reclamation and is now part of the mainland. What to do? On a good day you can join the masses on the white sandy beach, have a drink or a bite the harbour side cafes or take in the museum showcasing traditional fishing and clothing.
We originally only planned one night in Urk,
Lighthouse in Urk
but ended up spending two nights. The tourist guide says you can visit the 18 m high lighthouse built in 1844. We found a PRIVE sign on the front door so it’s clearly a domestic dwelling. Also visit Bethel Kerk (Church) and Church at the Sea. Neither were open when we went past.
What was poignant – was the Fisherman Memorial. Next to a statue of a local woman are the names of people who never came home. Some as young as 8 years old and as recent as 2010. Just wandering the streets is a fabulous way to see the preserved fishing houses of old. And the new – old – homes.
Read the final part of this journey on – this link.
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.
