Part 2 of this journey can be found – here. Or read from the beginning – on this link.
After cleaning the brimstone or lava off the deck from the fireworks the night before, we headed back to Zwartsluis from Zwolle to resume our repairs. The bloke managing the bridges into Zwolle overslept and a group of about 16 boats waited around over half an hour to get out. A gaggle of boats made a mass exodus from Zwolle, all heading in different directions along the canal networks.
My husband had bought a new VHF radio in Zwolle. Apparently it’s easier and cheaper to buy a new one than reprogramme ATIS numbers from the previous owner. ATIS = Automatic Transmission Identification System, an EU requirement on inland waterways. Yip, I’m leaving all the complicated stuff to my better half. I
General purpose gloves
prefer ‘cheesing’ (curling in English) the ropes and making tea.
Zwartsluis is becoming a bit like home now. We know the back roads, even met a South African girl married to a Dutch guy. I was happy to take a walk into town and do the washing while my other half set about fitting his new VHF. Not quite as easy as he thought. He bought the exact same make, but once out the box, it was a completely different shape to the last one. At one point I found him staring blankly after he had cut a pile of wood away from his instrument consul only to discover his original
Short jetty with half ladder in Meppel
plan wasn’t going to work. Time for a lunch and tea break. It all worked out in the end. He glued a new piece of wood back into the hole and added a new fascia. There’s a lot more to boating than swanking about with a drink in your hand.
We said – Goobye or Tot Ziens – to the folk at Zwartsulis and headed off toward Meppel. We referred to the Wateralmanak – all in Dutch – which we ‘sort of’ understand and our other handy guide – Inland Waterways of the Netherlands by L. Busby and D. Broad. Local maps, which are easily found in many shops, are also a source of information.
Meppel wasn’t a long trip and had few bridges. The harbour master was a hands-on guy so we were shown an appropriate berth and moored in mild wind. I reckon boating is a bit like ballroom dancing.
Spped of 7.7 kilometres an hour
One of you needs to know what to do, and the other needs to know how to do what they are told. My husband tells me what to do, and I try to do it. Unfortunately he tends to speak in ‘boat-ese’ which drives me bonkers. Especially when we are battling to tie up. I have to translate ‘starboard stern rope’ or ‘for’d back spring’ in seconds. Why don’t boat lovers just speak English?
We made sure we got to Meppel by lunch time to ensure we got a mooring. Strange jetty in Meppel. A really short one. We put down a half ladder that we found on the boat – and leapt off! Literally.
Meppel printers museum
Meppel is a lovely place to stop. Lots of historical buildings, a really helpful VVV (Tourist Info), a marine shop, stacks of other shops and a lovely marina that curled through the old town.
Clearly lots of other people thought so too. That part of the marina was full. But then we did arrive the day before the Meppel Thursday Festival. One Thursday a month the folk in Meppel celebrate something. And have a big fat street market.
This month the theme was fashion and culture. There were loads of retail and clothing shops with specials on tables outside their shops. We loved the market where people spread their un-used
Working mill and museum in Meppel
possessions on the streets to sell them off. We bought 6 ramekins, a cereal container and a salad bowl, all for €4.
We went to visit the working mill, which is run by volunteers. Entrance is free and it’s open when the windmill turns. They showed us how it worked. We understood about 50% of what they said. Two Dutch girls helped translate what we didn’t get.
Happy campers next to the marina in Meppel
They don’t clean away spider webs becasue spiders eat the bugs that normally attack the flour. We left with a bag of freshly ground whole wheat flour for €1.
Inland Waterways also mentioned a printing museum – Drukkerijmuseum Meppel. They were closed when we went past. Admission was around €3.
People selling unwanted goods in Meppel
The shore power in Meppel was 10 amps as opposed to 6 amps in Zwolle. Which meant our kettle only took 10 minutes to boil and not 20 minutes. But the meter ran out fast. We started using our generator to heat the shower water and kettle. We were getting more comfortable with the workings of our boat. It was starting to feel like home.
Our second night in Zwolle was a whole lot better than the first. The sun came out and we went walk-about. Zwolle is quite a big place. The old city is an island completely surrounded by a canal or moat. It’s definitely worth a day or three depending on your time budget. If you pop into the Stedelijk Museum – click here for more – which is also the Tourism Office, they will give you a complimentary map of the old city so you can locate the special places. We did a shop-up at G and W Gesondheidzwinkel (a Dutch health shop chain), Waanders in de Broeren (map, post card, souvenir and book store) and at Huisman – a boat supply store near the marina.
Shangri La covered up
Overnight we heard a commotion which went on until the early hours. The next day, the old town had been completely transformed. A mobile amusement park had set up and the town was overwhelmed by dodgem car rides, roller coasters, stalls where you can win ‘prizes’ and God alone knows what else! You hardly had place to walk as all the spare space had been filled. And by late morning the peace and quiet was gone. Boom boom music, flashing lights, squeals and screams and
Fireworks in Zwolle
heaving motors permeated the area.
We escaped by taking a walk to Korendijk Watersport shop which is hell and gone, in an industrial area, to look for boat supplies. A new VHF radio, fly screens, light bulbs and rain repellent for the windscreen. The owners of Koerndijk were surprised we walked there and suggested we walk back along the canal. Great idea and a lovely walk next to boat and water houses on the banks of the canal.
Wi-fi at the marina was courtesy of the local hotel, but, you had to pop in for coffee or a drink to get signal.
Entrance to Shangri La
Which we did. Clearly the locals were also fed up with the racket from the fun fair. Our waitress had to lean in close, and we had to scream to get our order in. Next to the cafe, a dragon ride was going round and round shouting – Yabba Dabba Doo! After catching up on communication we did a bit of people watching, then headed home for a vegan burger which my husband made before we left.
The marina at Zwolle was OK. The water and power were coin operated and metered. Their ablution facilities looked like a portable add-on arrangement. A bit like a ship container box. We certainly have had better marinas, but what we liked was the proximity to the city. We were right next to the shops and eateries. A bit too close if they happen to have a festival in town. All was forgiven when they staged a spectacular fireworks display on the banks opposite our boat later that evening. We got to prepare our boat for a possible fire. Not so easy on a boat that was still strange to us.
Shangri La cellar storage
Each boat is different. Apart from different makes, there’s a lot going on. My husband says a boat is like a mini city. It has generators, banks of batteries, inverters, water supplies, hot water systems, central heating, navigation, electronics, engines, bow-thrusters, and so on. Over the years new things are added and figuring out what and how it all works and fits together is a challenge. Thank God my husband knows a fair amount and cares enough to want to manage as much as he can on his own. I realise I will have to learn how to turn on the various functions and what not to do as some point. For now, I’m letting him do it all.
What we like about our new boat is our generator gets the
Zwolle invaded by fun fair
shower water piping hot in 15 minutes flat, that our water and fuel supply is more than adequate (750 litres each). There is plenty storage space – even a wine cellar in the hull! We love the nautical touches, brass lamps, wooden decking, a clock that chimes the bells of a watch on a ship and brass hooks everywhere – they all get used.
What we thought we wouldn’t like is – the electric hob, but we are realising that electric cooking is going to be a lot easier than gas. We thought we would get a dinghy and bicycles but we’re not so sure anymore. My husband was nervous about how the boat would handle and whether the bow-thruster had enough oomph but he’s more than happy with all that.
Zwolle before it was invaded
However, we knew that the curtains, upholstery and some of the navigation equipment will ultimately have to be replaced. And the shower door leaks. And the loo doesn’t always properly fill with water. But then boats and toilets are always a problem. Nautical people will understand. Besides it’s always better to use shore ablution facilities as they pump sewerage away. And we keep bumping out heads when we walk into the galley.
We’ll get there.
This blog started almost by mistake. I had been trying to teach myself to create web pages from a DVD. Not a recommended way to learn such an intricate skill! Around that time my husband suggested I start a blog about the 2010 Soccer World Cup to get a bit of practice.
When I look back at older blog posts I cringe. They are awful – but – they are part of the progress of this blog. The focus shifted over time from Soccer Cup to Cape Town and writing about things guests at our B and B would ask. As we traveled more and more I started to include posts on our trips and holidays.
Our house
Whenever I read a travel feature in a magazine, it seems more like a novel to me than a feature. They always set a scene and a huge amount of effort goes into talking about ambiance. I don’t want romantic backdrops. I want to know stuff like what to do and where to go. How much things cost and most importantly, how to travel on a budget.
Many travel writers are staying for free at swanky places and are obliged to say good things. People ask us how we are able to travel so much? It’s becasue we don’t stay at the places travel writers wax lyrical about. We always travel on the cheap. And so this blog evolved into writing about what I would want to find in a travel feature.
Our kitchen
I have been posting every week on this blog for a while now and have every intention of building up a big fat archive of hopefully useful, on-line information about our travels.
However I have to take a short break. Won’t be too long. There is still plenty to write about.
We have sold our house/guest house and will be putting our possessions into storage for a bit. We heading back to Europe to get my husband’s boat back in the water. See his boating blog – on this link.
We need a smaller lock-up-and-go home that is consistent with our current lifestyle.
Our living area
As soon as we get back to South Africa and settled into our new home (a semi-detached house two houses down the road) the weekly blog posts will resume. The plan is to take the next decade (or two) and see the inland waterways of Europe on our boat.
And there is always more to say on my home city – Cape Town. We’re the world design capital for 2014. Read about that here.
Without the guest house we will have way more time to explore our home country. And more time for our blogs too.
You can visit the Greenie archives to read up about older trips and travels by following – this link.
Back soon.
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.
Last week in – Part 2 – of this three part series on Glasgow, I suggest what to do in the city.
I never got to the other side of the Clyde this time. I would have liked to see the Tall Ship, Armadillo building and take a Clyde River cruise. If you have time, you can move out from the centre city to Pollock Country Park where you can see Pollock House which is also free entry and filled with antique furniture, silverware and art.
The Burrel Collection nearby is a space show-casing over 8000 objects such as tapestries, stained glass and Chinese art which was donated by Sir William Burrel to Glasgow. Also situated there is House for an Art Lover which was built after Charles Rennie Mackintosh died and was his dream home. Glasgow has their ubiquitous black cabs if you can’t figure out the bus service or your feet need a rest from all the walking. Check the price first, I never, ever trust a cab driver.
Saramago
And even further from the city you can take a tour out to Loch Lommond and The Trossachs to get a feel of the countryside. There are lots of walks and trails as well as other outdoor activities such as cycling, canoeing and many more. Glasgow is Gallic for “dear green place” and outside the city the countryside really is green and beautiful.
Princes Square
Do make sure you eat and drink local produce. Local ales and beers are made in micro-breweries and apart from interesting names they are made with love and care. I had – Profanity Ale – which is a local beer and I also tried a – Skull Splitter – from Orkney.
Tolbooth Steeple
The three vegetarian places I managed to visit were – Mono – Stereo – and – Saramago – which is a vegan cafe at the CCA. A beetroot pate at Mono cost £3.50, a Vietnamese salad was £7.50 and a large glass of red wine was £4.75. Tipping is not expected in the UK but rounding off the bill including some money is a welcome gesture.
I haven’t even touched the surafce of what to do and see. Live music venues such as King Tuts Wah wah Hut where Oasis were apprarently discovered or 13th Note in King Street where some acts with names such as – The Cosmic Dead – and – Undulating Gland – deserve a visit, if only to satify your curiousity. You might want to see some live drama at the theatre.
I could go back and back to Glasgow as I never seem to see the same things twice, and each time I return, a new section has been rebuilt which changes the city and it’s profile.
River Clyde looking east
Make sure you pack comfy shoes, an open mind and save some credit on your card for the shopping malls.
Here are some handy links for more info on Glasgow –
Scottish walks
Secret summer Glasgow
Wild walk Scotland
Charles Rennie Mackintosh society
Scottish accommodation
Scottish Independent Hostels
Scottish Youth Hostels
Visit Scotland
Sweeneys cruises
Wall art
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.
Last week in – Part 1 – of this three part series on Glasgow I talk about the history and people of Glasgow. This week I give my suggestions for things to see and do.
Start in the city centre at George Square. The tourism office is located right there and you can collect a map to find your way around. The map will show which buildings and statues are of importance. Vegetarians might also want to get a copy of – Vegetarian Scotland – to find veggie friendly eateries.
Oldest public house in Glasgow
The tourism office should also have a handy brochure listing all the free entry museums – of which there are plenty. You can save quite a bit of money with free entries and rather buy something special to remember Glasgow. I found many places of interest were closed on Mondays such as Barras, The People’s Palace and St Mungo Museum, so bear that in mind when planning your time in the city.
The shopping areas are at right angles to each other in and around Sauchiehall Street and Buchannan Street. Princes Square – doesn’t appear to be much from Buchannan Street but inside we found trendy cafes and designer boutiques so don’t just walk past without poking your nose into doorways and alleys. GoMA or – Gallery of Modern Art – is a must. I can’t say I am up on my art but it’s free and a full of very interesting creations, not just paintings and sculpture.
Merchant City area
You might also want to visit one of the – Willow Tearooms – in the area. They were designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh, an architect, artist and ardent proponent of Art Nouveau. The Lighthouse – is a great starting place to learn more about Mackintosh and where his designs and influnce can be seen in the city. Mackintosh is to Glasgow what Gaudi is to Barcelona.
Two places well worth visiting, and in walking distance from the city centre, are – Kelvingrove – where there is a free art gallery, museum, cafe and other exhibits. There are also beautiful public gardens and walkways surrounding Kelvingrove.
On the other side of town is Glasgow Green next to the River Clyde. Peoples Palace – is located here. It’s another free museum where they showcase everyday life and history of Glaswegians. You can have a lunch break in this exquisite setting.
I took a stroll along the Clyde taking in the views and aroma of the Chivas Regal whiskey distillery. Heading in the opposite direction are the river cruises and –The Tall Ship
People’s Palace
From Glasgow Green you can walk up through the Barras, which is an indoor bargain market where they sell things like hairclips, carpets, vinyl and quirky designs. The sort of place to lose oneself and marvel at the junk and gorgeous things they sell.
If you carry on walking to the Merchant City and all the way up you will come to Glasgow Cathedral which is dedicated to St Mungo, patron saint of Glasgow. It was built in 1136. Across the road is the Necropolis where wealthy Victorians built massive mausoleums to their deceased loved ones.
Vegan mezze platter at Saramago
And if you walk quite a bit further north you will first find Woodlands
Road and then Great Western Road. This is the bohemian area of Glasgow
and has antique shops and organic emporiums to mention a few interesting places to look out for.
Here are some handy links for more info on Glasgow –
Last week in – Part 2 – of this three part series on Scotland – I talked about the road trip up from Aberdeen to Scrabster, the ferry trip and what we did on the Orkney Islands.
I bailed early to read again but the girls went up to – Stromness Hotel – for drinks and a meal. The next morning we got up 04.15 to make sure we were ready to catch the 06.30 ferry back to Scotland. This time the swell was much higher and we had to hold on to walk up and down. We had a disappointing breakfast.
Killicrankie
Back at Scrabster the weather was appalling and we drove through – Wester Ross area – in a blizzard. It’s such a beautiful part of the world and it would have great to spend more time there – and have better weather. The hikers we met at the last hostel said they had seen a caravan blow over, that sleet had been falling, and some of them abandoned their walking due to the rubbish weather. The drive was scary as the car was being blown about. It was also a long, long drive and when we arrived at – Achintee Farm – at the foot of Ben Nevis we were glad the day was done. But I did manage a glass of wine at – Ben Nevis Inn.
Eilean Donan Castle
The next morning we hoped to take the cable car up Ben Nevis but the weather was still tricky and we were told that the chairlift would probably not be operating.
We were also told that the cable car was not actually on Ben Nevis but another mountain in the Nevis range and that it only went halfway up as it was meant to be for skiers in winter. An alternative was to drive to – Steall Falls and Gorge – and take a walk that cuts though the scenery surrounding Ben Nevis. Which we did. Brilliant advice and a special place.
Logieriat country market
At the last hostel in – Tyndrum – we encountered people who were walking – The West Highland Way, a few couples and a big hearty group who were most friendly. We took a walk into Tyndrum which wasn’t hard as there isn’t much to it. But worth seeing is the massive souvenir shop come cafe – The Green Welly Stop – and for a meal with an eco friendly bias visit – The Real food Cafe. Our evening meal was self catering which seems to be the norm in hostels and quite frankly I way prefer self catering to eating out.
Working mill Blair Atholl
The last day the girls wanted to see – Blair Castle – which I had already seen. Read about it in – this – blog. On the way to Blair castle near Pitlochry we discovered a country market in – Logierait. We stopped and wandered around the stalls which where mostly fresh and home-made food as well as crafts. We had a quick cup of tea and a snack before moving on.
A Highland cow
I left my friends at the castle and went to – Blair Atholl Watermill, which is a working mill that still grinds flour for their bakery. You can have a drink and a home-baked treat in their tea-room. I also visited the – Atholl Country life Museum – for £3 – afternoons only – and saw how working life in the country used to be. And I went to the Visitors Centre at – Killiecrankie – where they have exhibits and information on the Jacobites vs the Redcoats as well as information on local flora and fauna. There is also a walk to a gorge and a rock where a soldier leapt to escape his opressors.
We re-grouped and had a late lunch at – Mckays – in Pitlochry before resuming our trip back to Aberdeen. We drove through Perthshire and Royal Deeside area via the pretty towns of Dunkeld, Braemar, Banchory and Ballater where we had a final biological break at – Rocksalt and Snails.
Scottish Gaelic road signs
It was one hellava trip. The diversity allowed us a snapsot of much of what Scotland offers. From lush green forests in Perthshire and the mighty mountains of Ben Nevis to the wind swept tree-less plains of Orkney. We explored the fast growing cosmopolitan city of Aberdeen to villages where the only visitors are hikers, and time has stood still. And we saw remains of civilisations dating back 5000 years BC.
We ate rubbish food at the tourist centre in Fort William and fabulous food at the tourist centre at Skara Brae in Orkney. The weather in Aberdeen was glorius and at Wester Ross the weather was atrocious. Needless to say we all want to go back to different places some day.
Fingers crossed.
Ben Nevis Inn
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.
