21 June 2013
Having an internet day today. Thursday night on the east coast, Bill's radio club has a check in and he can reach that over the air by computer link. So, 2am he gets up and starts the computer for the day. The per byte cost is hugely prohibitive, but we're found a plan where once we've hit about $6 in charges they stop charging for the rest of the day. We just use it as much as we want that day and call it internet day for the week. Today is a good day for it, grey and rainy. Reminds us of the first year in Haarlem where it poured nearly every day. We'll probably just spend the day mostly in and save the city crawls for later when (if??) the weather improves. We're still not sure where we go from here, though I'm trending toward north - either cross the IJ river and head north of Amsterdam, or maybe east and then north into Friesland if we're feeling brave and ready for a really active summer. I love Friesland, Jeannet remembers it was the first place we wanted to go the first time I visited over 20 years ago. Very small, very country, very peaceful. Hopefully I can get this posted, will come back with photos once (if) we get that figured out. Tot ziens y-all and take care of yourselves.
20 June 2013
Just arrived Haarlem. Probably the least pleasant (noisiest, busiest) mooring we've had here, but also probably the most convenient. Right across from the nice, quiet mooring last year, but this side has a major road, no shade (good we've got our own), and the noise of a major intersection under construction as well as the road.
I seem to have lost the entry I had prepared from our trip to Leiden last Saturday. It was the Kempers spring weekend where they offer a day on the water in volunteer boats to folks with handicaps and their caregivers. It started out as a thoroughly miserable day, rain, horrible winds. The windy days here have probably been the worst we've seen in 4 years. However, as we prepared to leave for a bus trip to Leiden to deal with computer issues, the sun came out, the wind - well, it didn't die down much at all, but at least it was almost bearable - and for about 8 hours it was a cool but lovely day. Their day ended, we walked back from the bus stop, and about that time all the nasty weather picked up again and we had the rest of our worst day here ever.
So, computer problems sort of solved, we're here in Haarlem. One of our favorite places, good restaurants, interesting stuff, nice markets. We know where the laundromat is (a VERY big deal), and in a pinch I've walked to IKEA. Every year I'm astonished by just how lovely the southern approach to the city along the Spaarn is. Old houses, new, large, small, all with lovely gardens and super-well-taken-care-of. Our present situation is somewhat less spectacular: road with large construction project, including attendant noise. We DO have a rather nice view of the central tower of the St Bavo church out the wheelhouse window. Will include photos at some point so you-all can compare our present circumstances to the very Dutch view from our first year. And I promise that while we're here we'll try again to figure out a way to download photos. Still working on it. Till then, take care everyone ---
PS --For animal lovers, we just had a pet ambulance go by, great idea! And about 4pm the resident swans go on a little daily parade down the river trying to scavange bread bits from the boaters. Feels like we're home.
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