After weeks of rain and moody dark skies, the sun is finaly out.
It makes the world a brighter one in these 'dark days before Christmas' and during the recession.
Yesterday afternoon we decided to celebrate the sunshine with a tour through beautiful Friesland.
Most people think Friesland is as much as the end of the world, flat and always cold. The people are stubborn, introvert and speak their own language. In other words: too boring and too far away to visit.
Some of it may be right (such as it is flat and people speaking their own language) but all other statements are false.
This beautiful county is not the end of the world..... actually, it is at the beginning.... all the rest of Holland is further south thus further away... :-)
The fact that the countriside is flat without hills, large villages and cities, means that you can see for miles and miles. Sunsets are more beautiful, thunderstorms more impressive and rainbows more colourful and bigger.
The gras is greener, the little lakes addept the colour of the sky, the geese more visable and the wind a little stronger.
The real Friesian people are of a strong breed, used to fight the elements and to survive for many, many centuries. The dikes, old farmhouses, churches and estates are stil existing witnesses.
The Frisian are not stubborn, they might not be very talkative, but they are kind and caring people, always wiling to offer a helping hand when needed. And even without asking.
They are proud of their county and its history.
For us it is always a pleasure to drive around Friesland any afternoon. Rain or sunshine, it doesn't matter.
But celebrating the sunsine yesterday was very nice.
We were not the only ones, the woods were crowded, so were the lake shores but the roads were quiet. Clouds in al sorts, sizes and colours followed us and caused spectacular views.
A lovely day to remember, siting here at the kitchen table, watching our splendid view from the back garden.
Monday 12 November 2012
Saturday 10 November 2012
Autumn
Although our promisses to regularly update our blog, life seems often to be too busy to do so.
Our visit to the North Cape is almost 1.5 years ago. We often think about this marvelous journey.
It even inspired us to visit Norway again despite the high petrol prices and the expensive shopping.
But it is a beautiful country. We did not visit the North Cape again, (once was nice) but did visit the Lofoten which we didn't regret.
This Autumn we went to the UK to visit our dear friends and the South.
Tjep's last visit to the South was about 26 years ago, mine in 1975.... We both remebered it as very beautiful and peaceful.
We started our trip in Hull which is not too far from the people we love to see.
From there we travelled south, spending quality time with our friends along the way.
The day before we said goodbye to them, it started to rain........ and rain......
And it kept raining!
We had hopes to do a lot of walking, even maybe cycling but it rained sooo much that parts of the UK (North and South) got flooded. Particularly Wales was very wet.
After 2,5 weeks we decided to leave the South. Not only because of the enormous amount of water falling from the sky and rising from the rivers, but also due to the expensive petrol prices (will never complain again in Holland!!!), extremely busy traffic and the camp grounds either being closed or too expensive. Unfortunately camping in the wild is not allowed and there are no camper sites as in France.
We booked the ferry from Dover to Calais.
The weather in France was as bad but it was nice and quiet an the petrol and shoppings affordable.
Now we are home again, trying to get the garden ready for the winter. Quite a job when it raines and raines, walking around in the muddy clay.
We can't remember when it was so very, vey wet!
At this very moment we sit in our cosy kitchen reading, talking, writing and listening to classical music, dogs curled up.
The dogs don't mind cold weather but they are not fond of rain, especialy Dee dislikes it. She refuses to go outdors, we often have to push her :-)
This afternoon is an excellent day to update our Blog, hoping you are well and like we do, looking forward to a cosy winter!
Tuesday 10 January 2012
Holiday Scandinavia, visiting the Nordkapp
Dear readers,
First of all we would like to tell you all that after so much rain and storm, we are safe and sound.
The high water in Friesland is gone although the fields are still very, very wet.
Today the sun is shining through the mist which gives a marvelous view over the fields in front and behind our house.
Finally :)
And than also finally the update on our holiday to Scandinavia!!!!
We left Holland on Saturday July 2 - 2011, much looking forward to our trip to the Nordkapp (Noordkaap - North Cape).
We were told that the Nordkapp wasn't the ultimate destination so we decided to go their first and than driving back visiting the Norwegian Fjorden, the Isles Västerålen and of course the Lofoten.
A decision we never regretted, it was more then beautiful!!
The first day we drove to Germany, the second to Denmark and from there to Sweden to visit a dear friend who passed away in October. We miss her very much.
In Mariefred in Sweden we visited another dear friend and spent a happy hour with her.
We drove through Finland to the Nordkapp and were welcomed with terrible rain and thunderstorms. So badly that we couldn't drive the last few kilometers uphill. We had to park the Motor home for half an hour.
We enjoyed being on the Nordkapp where the weather turned for the best the second day.
It is special to know that you are at the far end of the European continent, not 'far' from the North Pole. But we did not like the Nordkapp being so commercial. From 1 PM till 1 AM buses with tourists from all over the world arrived in large portions, spitting out people with little coloured cards with numbers to remind them to which bus they belong.
A Frenchman told that they boarded at Amsterdam an drove 3 days to the Nordkapp - non stop.
We realized how fortunate we are with our Motor home....
Visiting the Norkapp is an expensive experience; 50 Euro for the tunnel on our way up and 50 Euro on our way back. Plus 50 Euro to visit the Nordkapp including a two night stay with the Motor home.
It is very nice to have been there but not something we will do again.
From the Norkapp we traveled along the West Coast to the Isles Västerålen en of course the Lofoten. This was definitely a journey we would like to undertake again!
Nature is beautiful and impressive. You don't know where to look first, "Oooh's" and "Aaah's" were often heard. Around every corner was a different scenery. The eternal snow on top of the hills made it extra special. The Reindeer and even Moose (yes, we have seen 8!!) were spotted on roads, Fjellen and fields.
The weather was overall splendid. Of course we had rain but all together it must have rained appr. 3 days in hours. Temperatures in Sweden and Finland were between 22 and 35 o C. At the Nordkapp appr. between 10 and 15.
We have not been eating out much. Norway is very expensive and we do have an excellent kitchen on board.
Unfortunately there is a downside visiting Norway. The people are not very friendly, at least not on the road. The drive like devils and take their rights, even when they don't have it.
Norway is a rich country and it felt like it said: "enjoy but we don't need your money".
The roads are at times in a very bad state and road works are continuously going out without proper signs. All of a sudden you can end up in a terrible mess where your Motor home is shaking like mad. Making the most horrible sounds to let you think it is in need of a repair....
But the Motor home did very well, no damage.
As soon as we crossed the border to Sweden, people were much nicer.
We drove straight away to a small village in Värmland where we spent a lovely two days to recover from a long journey.
We also visited our friend again and said goodbye for the very last time.
After the visit we drove from the west to the east to see other friends were we spent the night in front of their house. We were welcomed with a lovely dinner and chatted along for many hours.
From there we drove to the South to spend another 2 days at a lovely not at all busy campsite near Kalmar.
Only a week to go before we would arrive home again. We decided to explore Denamrk and Northern Germany which was a very good choice although we mentioned often to miss the beautiful Fjorden, hills, mountains, lakes and quiet roads of Northern Scandinavia.
On August 27 we were home again after a wonderful and memorable journey of 10.000 kilometers!!!
Of course we took many photo's which albums you can view here -> ALBUM 1 and ALBUM 2. When at the website with the albums, simply click 'slideshow' in the left upper corner. Or click the first photo and from there the next one's.
Smaller, embedded slideshows at the bottom of this post.
Some photo's may seem the same as others, we took so many. But for us it is a memory and an impression of what our eyes saw.
We also have many hours of film but not ready to view yet. It will probably take 3 discs...
Enjoy peeping around our holiday-corner!
ALBUM 1
ALBUM 2
First of all we would like to tell you all that after so much rain and storm, we are safe and sound.
The high water in Friesland is gone although the fields are still very, very wet.
Today the sun is shining through the mist which gives a marvelous view over the fields in front and behind our house.
Finally :)
And than also finally the update on our holiday to Scandinavia!!!!
We left Holland on Saturday July 2 - 2011, much looking forward to our trip to the Nordkapp (Noordkaap - North Cape).
We were told that the Nordkapp wasn't the ultimate destination so we decided to go their first and than driving back visiting the Norwegian Fjorden, the Isles Västerålen and of course the Lofoten.
A decision we never regretted, it was more then beautiful!!
The first day we drove to Germany, the second to Denmark and from there to Sweden to visit a dear friend who passed away in October. We miss her very much.
In Mariefred in Sweden we visited another dear friend and spent a happy hour with her.
We drove through Finland to the Nordkapp and were welcomed with terrible rain and thunderstorms. So badly that we couldn't drive the last few kilometers uphill. We had to park the Motor home for half an hour.
We enjoyed being on the Nordkapp where the weather turned for the best the second day.
It is special to know that you are at the far end of the European continent, not 'far' from the North Pole. But we did not like the Nordkapp being so commercial. From 1 PM till 1 AM buses with tourists from all over the world arrived in large portions, spitting out people with little coloured cards with numbers to remind them to which bus they belong.
A Frenchman told that they boarded at Amsterdam an drove 3 days to the Nordkapp - non stop.
We realized how fortunate we are with our Motor home....
Visiting the Norkapp is an expensive experience; 50 Euro for the tunnel on our way up and 50 Euro on our way back. Plus 50 Euro to visit the Nordkapp including a two night stay with the Motor home.
It is very nice to have been there but not something we will do again.
From the Norkapp we traveled along the West Coast to the Isles Västerålen en of course the Lofoten. This was definitely a journey we would like to undertake again!
Nature is beautiful and impressive. You don't know where to look first, "Oooh's" and "Aaah's" were often heard. Around every corner was a different scenery. The eternal snow on top of the hills made it extra special. The Reindeer and even Moose (yes, we have seen 8!!) were spotted on roads, Fjellen and fields.
The weather was overall splendid. Of course we had rain but all together it must have rained appr. 3 days in hours. Temperatures in Sweden and Finland were between 22 and 35 o C. At the Nordkapp appr. between 10 and 15.
We have not been eating out much. Norway is very expensive and we do have an excellent kitchen on board.
Unfortunately there is a downside visiting Norway. The people are not very friendly, at least not on the road. The drive like devils and take their rights, even when they don't have it.
Norway is a rich country and it felt like it said: "enjoy but we don't need your money".
The roads are at times in a very bad state and road works are continuously going out without proper signs. All of a sudden you can end up in a terrible mess where your Motor home is shaking like mad. Making the most horrible sounds to let you think it is in need of a repair....
But the Motor home did very well, no damage.
As soon as we crossed the border to Sweden, people were much nicer.
We drove straight away to a small village in Värmland where we spent a lovely two days to recover from a long journey.
We also visited our friend again and said goodbye for the very last time.
After the visit we drove from the west to the east to see other friends were we spent the night in front of their house. We were welcomed with a lovely dinner and chatted along for many hours.
From there we drove to the South to spend another 2 days at a lovely not at all busy campsite near Kalmar.
Only a week to go before we would arrive home again. We decided to explore Denamrk and Northern Germany which was a very good choice although we mentioned often to miss the beautiful Fjorden, hills, mountains, lakes and quiet roads of Northern Scandinavia.
On August 27 we were home again after a wonderful and memorable journey of 10.000 kilometers!!!
Of course we took many photo's which albums you can view here -> ALBUM 1 and ALBUM 2. When at the website with the albums, simply click 'slideshow' in the left upper corner. Or click the first photo and from there the next one's.
Smaller, embedded slideshows at the bottom of this post.
Some photo's may seem the same as others, we took so many. But for us it is a memory and an impression of what our eyes saw.
We also have many hours of film but not ready to view yet. It will probably take 3 discs...
Enjoy peeping around our holiday-corner!
ALBUM 1
ALBUM 2
Friday 6 January 2012
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