LUXOR

Lost in translation

2009-11-13T14:46:00.003+01:00

Well, folks, it seems Lulu.com com can lose all sorts of things, even the correct language. Yesterday afternoon, I picked up a copy of the Skipper's Child and proudly handed it to Jodie. She opened it, looked at me in an only Jodie-knows-how-to quizzical fashion and asked "Since when did you write in Italian Mum?"

Puzzled? Yes, so was I....in fact, it turned out that I had someone else's book in my cover! I'm not sure what to make of it, but I'm sure there's something about copyright that comes into this, especially as if this Italian author has my book, which was not intended for distribution yet, then we could have a situation....I sent them these photos since they asked for proof (cheek of it!), and await their response....

Autumn chills

2009-11-03T21:19:00.004+01:00

Mo and Craig's Marion Aagje at its mooring in a nature conservation area near Amsterdam.
They can't wait to bring it to Rotterdam, where at least they'll be able to scrape and paint without worrying about noise, pollution and upsetting the old ducks (of the human variety) who watch them from their windows.

I don't really know what to write about this evening....feel I should write something as it's been a while since I updated my blog. I should be working on material for my classes too, but I'm a bit fed up with that now. In fact, i've got a real case of anti Autumn chill blues. The barge is warm and it's cosy inside, but it's really absolutely and horribly yuk outdoors. I love being outside so the rain, wind and looming dark clouds are really depressing, and I can't quite get the hang of the fact that summer's over.

Last weekend, we went down to Westdorpe, and even there I couldn't get inspired to do anything.

I know what I want to do...... I'd like to replace the other peeling panel on the Vereeniging, oil the wooden berghout or rubbing rail as I think it's called. I'd also like to do some more of the paintwork, insulate the engine room, oversee the installation of the startermotor on the engine....yes, well, you see? It all means working outside..grrrrrrr.

What I will do now is just add a couple of pics I've lifted off my phone again, and then get back to work. At least I can still do things that will help to earn the money I so want to spend on my ship....once this blessed rain has stopped!

Oh and yes, there's a thought! I could always start on my next book. the idea has been simmering for ages. Watch this space!!!

I just like these wind tubines. Sorry to all those who don't!

The big barges meet their match in thse monster transporters on the Westerschelde estuary near Antwerp.

Water taxis are wicked!

2009-10-25T22:15:00.005+01:00

Today was Mo's birthday, so of course we stayed in Rotterdam instead of heading south as is our wont. What to do on such a day, though? We thought of taking the Vereeniging out for a spuddle about, but the weather looked so unsettled this morning, and it was pretty breezy anyway, so we decided against it.

After collecting Mo and Craig from the Marion Aagje (their own ship) in Diemen, Jodie and Baz came to join us and that was when I had a brainwave. Why not all of us go to Dordrecht on the Fast Ferry and have tea? Well, after thinking of how long that would take, it got scaled down to taking the water taxi across the river to the Hotel New York. This of course is even more fun, because these small boats toss around on the river like corks, and the ride, although short, is brilliant.

The Hotel New York is also quite special because it's where the big cruisers used to leave for America (the old Amerika Line), and it still retains much of its old world decor and charm. This, then, is what we did, and the river gave us a grand crossing. It was very choppy so the taxi plunged in and out of the waves and the bows got well sprayed. Fortunately, being inside, we didn't get wet, but it was quite exciting all the same. The tea was also good and after stuffing ourselves to the gills, we worked off the cream cakes by walking back over the bridge and home to the harbour.

The day finished with supper and a great game whose name I can't remember, but it involves firstly describing, then acting out and finally giving one word to sum up the names of famous people which are written on small pieces of paper. I'm not normally much of a one for games, but this was really good, and quite a challenge too. It was something Mo came up with, which didn't surprise me as she's always enjoyed puzzles and puns, and I remember when she was small, we used to do endless quizzes in the car on long journeys.

The photos here are just a couple I took in the Water Taxi, but this little movie really shows what fun it was, despite the oh so cool attitude of the 'driver'!

Ready? Almost!

2009-10-24T23:49:00.005+02:00

Well, this is the temporary cover for The Skipper's Child. I'm having a copy printed at Lulu.com just to check it through, read it again and see if I want to have a go at some publishers.

As you can see, the name hasn't changed. I had quite a bit of feedback on Facebook, and the general concensus was that the title was just fine as it was. Who am I to argue then? I'd love to have some illustrations done and a pen and ink drawing on the cover, but that will have to wait. For now, I just want to read it like a proper book.

I've done a fair amount of editing since I finished the story, but sometimes, you just have to read something in print to know if you're going to be happy with it. I had four or five versions of my other two books before finally letting them out into the big wide world of Amazon and Bol. By that time I was heartily sick of them both, and it's only recently that I've been able to pick up either of them again. No doubt, Arie will suffer the same fate, but I hope the first time I receive a printed copy, it will feel good!

I'll keep you posted....

Florence and Lucca

2009-10-20T21:30:00.007+02:00

The Cathedral in Florence. Quite incrediblly ornate

The skyline of Florence from the Palazzo Pitti

Okay, so before I put Italy back in its box of sunshine and accept the fact that its autumn here in the Netherlands and distinctly chilly, I'll just post a few pics of Florence and Lucca.

I was quite overwhelmed by Florence with its phenomenal art and history. Every street seems to have some great church, museum, gallery, palazzo or historic piazza, and I spent three hours in just one of them. There is so much to see, you could spend a month there and not get round to everything. Maybe there's even too much altogether.

Two views of the Arno from the Ponte Vecchio

The day I went, there were wall-to-wall tourists because the museums and galleries were all free (for the weekend) - just my luck! It didn't help me though because I couldn't get in to the places I wanted to see at first and I ended up at the Palazzo Pitti, which is more of a walk from the centre, but worth every step. What a wealth of paintings and sculptures they had there! To see Titians, Del Sartos and Raphaels that I have only ever seen in books was quite amazing, and the Roman sculptures on display were..well..quite breathtaking.

The highlight, though, was going down a backstreet and into a beautiful church where three young musicians were practising. Maybe I've mentioned this before, but it was so lovely to listen to the organ, flute and clarinet of these three youngsters being played with so much love and joy in such heavenly (Yes, I mean it) surroundings.

The following day I went to Lucca, which is also very beautiful. Surrounded by high fortifications and with its narrow medieval streets leading to the old Roman amphitheatre, now a market place, it is a history lovers dream. The cathedral is magnificent as is the old baptistry with its archaeological ruins on display beneath the main aisles of the church. I thought of Maria when I went there!

When I arrived I had to buy a ticket to go in and see the ruins. I always head for archaeological sites when I know they are there as this was originally my career choice back in my student days. The ladies at the desk asked me where I'd come from, so I told them I'd come from Holland. Looking very crestfallen, they said they had information about the ruins, but only in German, French and English. Would English be alright for me? I answered yes, of course, with suitable seriousness and thanked them kindly before walking away chuckling. As it happened, it wasn't much use as the English was so incomprehensible, I couldn't follow the information easily at all, but it was kind of them to offer, wasn't it? Maybe they'll organise some Dutch leaflets for next year. I wonder what they'll be like...

Anyhow, I explored the rest of the town and liked it very much. It's a bit too touristy -again- for me, which is why in the end I preferred Pisa, but it's well worth a visit.

The medieval streets and Piazza's of Lucca are beautiful

One thing I should say about Italy is that the trains are fantastic - cheap, frequent and everything is in both Italian and English, including all the announcements. Given this, I'm still very surprised at how little English the Italians themselves speak.

One part of the old amphitheatre in Lucca

Well, I think I've done with the Italian blogs now...get back to reality again, VallyP. That Tuscan sun is now just a memory.

Livorno

2009-10-16T23:30:00.006+02:00

With my current taste for novels of a quirky and slightly odd flavour, I've just finished reading a great piece of nonsense fiction by New Zealand author Sarah Kate Lynch. It's called Eating with the Angels and much of it is set in Venice. It's written with tremendous flare, considerable wackiness and quite a passion for Italian food, so of course it reminded me of my own recent visit to that wonderful country.

I have just looked through the photos I published of Pisa, and see I never added the other places I visited. Seeing the sea was mandatory on this trip, so one afternoon, I took myself off to Livorno. A nice enough town, and much larger than Pisa, it exists mainly for its port, which is the third largest in Italy - so I'm told.

Its best feature is its harbour, and what is even better is that the river through the town is also used for mooring thousands of small cruisers, fishing boats and even just rowing boats. I never think of Italians as being great boaters themselves. Having romantic trips in gondolas is one thing, but steering themselves around instead of chowing scrummy delicacies on a sun drenched terrace does not seem to me to tie in with the Italian thing. I must be wrong though. There were throngs of them (boats, I mean, not Italians). I must admit, however, they (the boats again) were all in the harbours and NOT out on the water, so on this occasion, I guess the terraces won!

Now the autumn rain is soaking us every time we set foot outside, these photos help me to remember those golden days. I hope they bring a little sunshine to you too - if you should need it, that is.

Finally No, almost, finished

2009-10-03T13:10:00.004+02:00

A red letter day today! I've finally finished writing the Skipper's Child story!

Now I have to print it and edit it, prune it here and flesh it out there, give it to my daughters to read and edit (my best and worse critics), and then hopefully print off a few copies before Christmas. I will also then start sending it to a few publishers to see if I can get any positive response.

There is one point I need help with, though. I want a different title. The Skipper's Child was just a working title, so if anyone would like to help me by suggesting one, I'd be very grateful indeed!

Many many thanks to String, Anne Marie, Koos and Hans, who have all been the inspiration that has kept me going with this tale. Also, to those readers who have had to leave it in its progress - probably because it's taken me so long to write it, they've all found other priorities along the way! Thanks anyway to Margie (where are you?) CM and to Mo and Jo who have given me lots of comments and great support as well.

More about Pisa

2009-10-01T00:01:00.004+02:00

As promised here is the link to a set of photos of Pisa.

I have to say the town was quite a surprise for me. It's much smaller than I expected, and while it has more of the atmosphere of real Italy than Florence, it also reminded me quite forcibly of Holland. This was mainly because I found myself in serious danger of being mown down by speeding students on bicycles. Amazing! They were everywhere (the bikes, that is) from packs and racks of tens and twenties to abandoned solitary frames with all but the baskets stripped off them. As often as not, these were being used as substitutes for rubbish bins as well.

The students were everywhere too, giving the town a vibrancy and life that I found lacking in Florence, Livorno and Lucca. Pisa's larger neighbours focus so much on tourism that they seem to have lost their soul. I was therefore very happy to spend some extra time in this place of the absurdly leaning tower.

It is everything I associate with Italy - a bit scruffy, a bit smelly, but so incredibly charming with its golden building, lazy old river and secret alleyways. There are small markets in tatty piazzas; nearly every street has a university faculty housed in it somewhere, and the paint seems unable to stay on the walls of the buildings. I really loved it.

My main impressions were of clattering noise, sparrows in every tree, golden light, early dusks, pigeons on every ledge (with whatever was below them suitably soiled), the smells of heat and the feeling of being somewhere very old and experienced. If I had the chance to live somewhere in Italy, Pisa would definitely be high on the wish list.

A slice of Pisa

2009-09-29T00:36:00.005+02:00

Here's just a small taste of where I've been for the last few days, courtesy of Mo and Craig. I'll blog more about it tomorrow, but the photos below were taken yesterday morning in Pisa, a town I've fallen in love with. Since last Thursday, I've also been to Livorno, Florence and Lucca, but Pisa remains my favourite. When I've sorted out the photos and all the notes I wrote, I'll do a proper job, but as you can see, the sun shone hot and golden on this lovely town.

Piazza dei Cavaleiri. The view that most tourists don't take

They hardly have posters for rock, rave of pop concerts in Pisa. These are all about classical or choral music concerts, or cultural courses, of courso

Maybe the best of all my photos this trip, the lovely smooth and peaceful Arno river that runs through the city. No boats, no activity, just the quiet progress of an ancient waterway set against a backdrop of Tuscan mountains.

The quest is over

2009-09-22T08:20:00.005+02:00

I've found it! At last! And of course, you are all asking what this great discovery might be. In truth it probably doesn't sound very exciting, but to me it's the answer - well almost - to a question that's been nagging at me ever since I came to the Netherlands.

The question is this: how does the Dutch word gezellig translate into English?

It's a question that many of us English imports ponder as it's such a great word, and it covers so many situations. You can be gezellig with your friends, or have a gezellig house. You can also find the atmosphere somewhere very gezellig, and gezelligheid is something to aim for when creating urban dwellings and their environs.

You've probably got the idea by now, yes? Well, no. We've tried all sorts of possible adjectives to describe the obviously pleasant feelings attached to being gezellig.

For example, there's 'cozy', but tell your corporate friends their conference is cozy...hmmm, I don't think so. On the other hand, your house can be cozy, yes, but a wild and wonderful party? Perhaps not.

Well what about atmospheric? The same applies.."I went to such an atmsopheric party last week...". Not quite hey? Then there are others, such as friendly, charming, comfortable etc but none of them works in every situation.

Then last night, I found the truth. I thought so, anyway. In a marvellous moment of sheer enlightenment. I was teaching a class of business students, and at the end of the lesson one of them said he'd heard this word used last week and wondered what it meant. Scratching through his note book, he carefully read out the word 'conviviality'. I looked at him, I thought for a moment and then I smiled the smile of one who has found the meaning of life itself.

"Willem," I said "it means gezelligheid, and when you find yourself in convivial company, that's the same as finding it gezellig."
"Aaah," he said, sharing the sweetness of the moment. "I've often wondered what word to use for gezellig."

Now, though, I'm sitting here, imagining Willem's future with his newly acquired language skill and insight. Our Willem will be going to people's houses, and looking around admiringly, he will say "hmmm, very convivial, what!"

Okay, I agree. It does sound a bit pompous doesn't it? It may well be true,of course, but not really what you'd say to your bosom buddies and life long friends, and after all, can a room itself be.....?

Maybe the quest isn't quite over yet.

Does anyone out there know the informal word for convivial?

Life giving history

2009-09-08T22:33:00.007+02:00

Meet Roelof Lucas Mur. A handsome gent isn't he? He was born on the 21st June 1855 in Loenen aan der Vecht, a full century before my own birth. He died in 1920 aged 64 and his occupation was 'beurtschipper', in other words the skipper of a barge. In 1898 he is recorded as having bought a 'motorschuit', and the family's website state that this is now being maintained as a museum ship. There is a small picture attached, and guess what motorschuit it is? Yes, you know, don't you? It is my very own Vereeniging.

So there you have it, a face and a name to go with the old photo I also possess. This is quite an exciting development for me as although I know a lot about my ship, I didn't have this information before. I feel more connected now. It's a good face, isn't it?

On another note, the video below (apologies for the poor quality) was one I made with my little compact camera yesterday. It shows an 80 ton tugboat being lifted by crane off the slipway to be lowered onto blocks in the yeard. It was quite an event here, and quite a sight to see as well!

On top of that...if it isn't enough...today, we went with the Wandering Snail to Schiedam. It was a gorgeous day and I took a few photos of course. You can find them here or in my sidebar further up the page. Definitely the best way to close their visit to Rotterdam! Goodbye Snails...we shall miss you.

Festival magic

2009-09-06T15:56:00.009+02:00

What a lovely weekend it's been. World Harbour Days have been and are now almost gone, and this year we stayed here in Rotterdam to welcome the Wandering Snail to our city. They couldn't have picked a better time to come as the harbours are full of life and colour with exhibitions, shanty choirs, folk music bands, lots of stalls selling boaty artefacts and books and above all, lots and lots of boats!

This is an old Humber Sloop that sailed across the North Sea a few weeks ago to be here for the festival. It's a gorgeous old tub and beautifully converted for living aboard.

No introductions required by now, but of course, the Wandering Snail has a special spot in the festivities.

Just a shot of the Leuven Harbour with a few boats pottering around.

And here is the collection of tugboats that always arrives - a bit like rent a crowd - for these festivals. They are the boating equivalent of groupies ;-)

We've had a great time with Anne and Ollie, as the pics below will testify, and we even took them on a tour of the harbours on the Vereeniging. What joy to have my lovely shippy on the move again...

In the last pic below, you can see the famous Blauwe Vis belonging to our friend Philip

All photos were taken with my phone, so apologies for the poor quality.

Clearing out my phone

2009-08-30T23:16:00.006+02:00

I was just browsing through the photos I had on my phone today and realised there were some interesting pictures on it. So, since every picture tells a story (to quote the wonderfully husky Mr Stewart), I thought I'd share a few of them with you.

Ollie of the Wandering Snail took this for me when we were having supper with them at their mooring by the great Terneuzen to Ghent sea canal. It really shows how huge the big transporters are that pass us in Westdorpe on their way to the big docks. There's something slightly surreal about this photo too, which is why I've kept it on my phone so long.

I'm not sure if anyone can read this, but if you enlarge it, you might make it out. It's a list of situations that fall under 'Murphy's Law' and I found it in the IT manager's office at the university. I can especially relate to the law that says 'no matter how long and hard you shop for an item, it will always be on sale somewhere cheaper'. So horribly true. There are many others with a quirky irony I like too. Enjoy!

The two photos above show the traditional game of Krulbollen played exclusively in Flemish and Zeeuws Flemish villages during the summer, mostly in the Ghent area. It is the sport of the real locals and as such tends to be supported by rather elderly gents (no women, I'm afraid). Koos and I came across this game in the village of Boekhoute, not far over the border in Flemish Flanders and we were intrigued by the degree of accuracy required for throwing these very heavy discs of wood. The idea is that they either have to hit the small post, or hit another disc that is already against the post, so as to be as close to it as possible. I think that's how it works anyway. The 'court' is simply beaten dirt, and so it can only be played when the sun shines. I like that.

I took this one today. It's a memorial that stands in the market square in Sas van Gent and commemorates the Canadian soldiers who died in the area during the 39-45 war. I thought I'd post this for our friends over there in Ontario and BC. I don't suppose anyone ever really sees how widely the sacrifices of their countrymen are valued and remembered.

I've still got a few more of these random phone camera pics, which will do for my next post, but for now, I'll leave you with these to ponder.

A grand new experience

2009-08-20T17:16:00.007+02:00

Yesterday we went down to one of my favourite places in Belgium. It was a very hot day and the sun was fairly hammering at the car roof, so energy was flagging a little when we arrived at the first of the old boat lifts at Thieu just outside La Louvière. Koos and Sindy collapsed in the shade while I went walk about (As I don't wear a black fur coat nor am I bald, I'm not as prone as either of them to heat strikes).

I walked down to the house of my dreams, which is the old lock keepers residence next to the now disused part of the old Canal du centre. The lock itself is being used as a hang out for the local young bloods. I often wish I could own this house as it fulfils every requirement either Koos or I have of a dream home. It's beautiful and it's in the country (me); it's next to a canal and lock, albeit disused (both) and you can definitely throw a stone to the working railway on the other side of the canal (Koos). Lastly, it's in a French speaking area not far from the border with France itself and is definitely influenced by French culture (me, and probably Koos too). Still, I know it's not to be and would be totally impractical given the current state of our life and commitments.

When I got back I walked round the small marina there and noticed some additions to the permanent moorings. We tried to get a mooring here ourselves a year or so ago, but obviously didn't try hard enough as someone else has succeeded. They were clearly more actively persistent than we who faded at the first signs of apathy from the harbour master.

By now, Koos and Sindy had revived, thanks to liberal quantities of water and zeez's. We walked round to see a barge entering the lock from the new canal, which would take it up to the basin in front of the first of the old boat lifts. During the summer months, the first three are in use, and many holiday travellers go up and down them just for the experience of using these historically important, and rather impressive, pieces of machinery. The last one was broken about seven years ago and the barge that caused the breakage still lies sadly in the canal next to it.

The poeple in the barge were Dutch and Koos was busy taking photos when they called out to him and asked if he wanted to go up with them. Now Koos has done the lifts a few times, but I never have, so he sweetly asked them if I could go too while he held on to Sindy. Her only aim in life was to go back to the car (normal compulsive obsessive behaviour for Sindy), so she wouldn't have taken kindly to coming too. I agreed with alacrity!

The little film at this YouTube link will give you an idea of what it was like. I loved it although the film doesn't show more than just a fragment, but the two Dutch couples were lovely, kind folk, chatting to me and giving me a cup of tea. I can't remember all their names now, but there was Steef and his wife, Janette, who stood with me in the bows. I was particularly impressed that these four, whose average age was probably the wrong side of 65, had travelled so far on this barge without apparently having that much experience - although this can be misleading I know.

The trip was worth it just for this, but our journey home was also lovely as we went off the beaten track and explored some magical countryside at a perfect time of day. The sun was setting and the hills took on a lovely mysterious remoteness. What a country of contradictions! So many people find it dreary, messy and ugly, but as I've said before, you have to go off the main roads to find the real Belgium. People who do will find a treasure trove of stunning scenery and memorable images.

Sunny summer days in coastal Flanders

2009-08-16T18:41:00.009+02:00

We have escaped from Rotterdam for a whole wonderful week. That sounds as if I don't like the city, which isn't true, but bearing in mind every second weekend of the summer, there is some kind of event that closes streets, creates major cacophony and results in heaps of litter that take until the next event to clean up, it's not always the nicest place to be. This weekend, there's been F1 motor racing demos. I quite like this event, but the above complaints still hold, so it's been bliss to come down to Zeeuws Vlaanderen with the prospect of spending the next week here.

Although it is officially the Netherlands, it is really much more Flemish in style and atmosphere here, and is more truly described as coastal Flanders. I like the fact that it feels like a different country and that we have to go through Belgium to get here. There's also a toll gate on the approach road from Antwerp, which in its way, is like going through a border control. It gives me a special sense of belonging to Flanders that we have our own pass card for this toll. Silly, I know, but good too.

Sindy and I went for a run early this morning while the mists were still hanging over the fields. The sun was shining through the haze and it was peacefully lovely. Everywhere I looked the countryside was rich with green and gold, and when I got home, the view from the windows was breathtaking. The sun was burning off the mist, the sky was steely blue and the poplar trees for which this region is so famous, stood tall in their rich green line on the horizon. I realised how lucky I am to have this cottage in this place.

For the rest of the day, I have been enjoying the warm, sunny weather by working on the Hennie H. Koos has gone exploring on his scooter, so it's been a 'me time' day and I've just been doing small jobs as the fancy has taken me. The Hennie H is beginning to look more loved again and the good news is we have found a yard just across the canal that has a crane that can lift it out of the water easily. It's right at the end of the village and is a private place we thought had closed down. We'd both been thinking what a perfect place it would be to put it, so took the plunge to investigate, and are very excited to find that it's not just possible - we will probably be making the arrangements to move it over there this week.

I so hope it can be sorted out soon. The Hennie H was intended to be our fun boat, and that's about the last thing it's been. No doubt I'll keep you all posted on these developments, but for now, enjoy this lovely August....

Not forgetting the Hennie H

2009-08-12T20:06:00.006+02:00

We've just arrived back from an extended weekend in Zeeland. This was partly because I am officially on holiday at the moment, but we also wanted to spend some time working on the Hennie H. It still hasn't been to the slipway as we haven't found one yet that can lift it out of the water, but that aside, the little barge needed some TLC and it was time to get down to it - you can see some of this from the photo here, i.e the patchy paintwork on the hull

While Koos re-blacked the sides, I sanded and re-varnished the koekoeks and the entrance hatch, and then touched up the cream paint on the roof. Then yesterday, I went back again and sanded down the bench that runs round the stern of the boat. It was cracked and flaking and in really bad repair, so it took me a while, but after varnishing it, it looked a whole heap better. Not great - it can never be that - but at least no one would mind parking their behinds on it now. Previous reactions had been 'mind if I sit on the deck?' or 'the roof looks a nice place to stretch out'.

Today, then, I jumped on my little Vespa and went down there again to put a second coat of varnish on. It felt good using my scooter for something useful, especially as I went for a good spin afterwards.

Depsite being my holiday, I really enjoyed the work, It's a great spot in the harbour there in Sas van Gent and there's always a good breeze blowing. It really felt like being somewhere exotic with the sun shining down and yachts all around.

The Hennie H is such a sweet little barge and I have hopelessly impossible dreams for it. I really don't like the windows and we've wanted to change them for some time. A week ago or so I saw this picture of a trekschuit, which was almost the original Dutch bus. They were passenger boats pulled mostly by horses, but sometimes by people (hence the word trek), so they really did have lots of windows..totally legitimate and historic.

I think the Henni H would look fabulous with windows and doorways like this. We will really have to make a plan, won't we.....

This screw isn't loose!

2009-08-07T14:01:00.006+02:00

As of today, I have a new propeller on the Vereeniging, although now I am more used to the Dutch word Schroef or just screw. When the ship was on the slipway on May we had the old screw adjusted in the hopes of improving its almost nonexistent reversing capabilities.

It didn't help at all as was evidenced by our getting grounded on the slipway when we were supposed to be leaving it (I don't think I mentioned that incident before, did I? Ah well, it was a bit embarrassing). So, after doing some calculations, I decided to bite the bullet and order a new propeller. We've had it a while but this week has been the first opportunity to put it on, as due to a mix up, no one was occupying the helling.

This morning, Koos, with Craig's willing help, fitted it, so voila! Below and above are photos of both the old and the new. The one with Momo is the old propeller. I'll update this later when I know how it has performed. Keep your fingers crossed, though. It was quite an investment!

This is the old one after it had been remounted following adjustment.

And this is the new one! It seems these bigger blades will make all the difference...I do hope so.

Update

Well our trip back to the mooring was not really a good test, but I have to say I was a bit disappointed. I really really hope that when we get a chance to test it again, it will prove to be more effective. If not, well, that will be quite a heap of euros sunk into harbour...

Oooooh nooooooo! Another barge in the family

2009-08-04T21:17:00.005+02:00

Meet the Marion Aagje (pronounced Aah-hya). She is an 18 metre Dutch tjalk of slightly uncertain origin, but of good sound iron belly. And she is going to be Mo and Craig's very first own home. The only thing we know for sure is that she was built in 1890.

Mo is one after my own heart, it seems. She needs a project, and..well..there's nothing like a bit of conditioning to persuade you to a certain way of life, is there? Mo and Craig have been living here in the harbour since they arrived in the Netherlands and have now realised that normal life on terra firma is not for them....enter the Marion Aagje.

Today, we went to Amsterdam where the little tjalk had been towed for its insurance inspection...in other parlance, to have its bottom checked. It was a nerve wracking hour or so, and we were glad we'd arrived after Rob the inspector (whom we happen to know as his ship lies here in the Oude Haven). He's known for his strength and power with the hammer, so we were happy we didn't have to witness him pounding on the tjalk's hull before he started measuring. Much to everyone's joy (the seller's most of all, but he was too cool to admit it) nearly everything was just fine, and only a few rivets need filling and a patch along the keel on the bottom. These can be done later.

So, after a visit to the Notaris when everything will be transferred to their names, Mo and Craig will start their new lives as bargees...and a few months down the line, I'll get my ship back.

Roof mania

2009-08-02T21:33:00.004+02:00

The last couple of weeks have been dominated by roof work. First there was the skylight on the Vereeniging. Then last week, Koos and I stripped the roof of the Luxor, cleaned and de-rusted the old steel, painted it and applied self adhesive roofing felt (that bitumen-backed stuff they put on sheds and outhouses) across the entire length before covering it again with its 'authentic' tarpaulin. All this was in an effort to finally kill all the leaks that have been popping up since the weather got so hot. Now we are down in Westdorpe where the little house is also having a new roof put on....and no, ladies and gentlemen, I am not doing this job myself! For once I have conceded to greater knowledge and much greater professional skill. Erik the builder is doing it for me. I haven't taken any pics as yet, but will before I leave in the morning.It's going to look amazing, I'm sure. Unfortunately, the changeable weather has delayed things a tad, but not too much, so hopefully all will be finished in a couple of weeks.

In the meantime, Koos and I went on a beautiful walk today. We found a previously unexplored (by us) arm of the Leopold Canal just over the border in Belgium. The afternoon was perfect, the canal was total and utter peace with not another soul in sight and the colours of the surrounding summer countryside were warm and vivid. Food for my soul to sustain me during the week in the city.

The Vereeniging's new skylight

2009-07-29T17:24:00.007+02:00

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned I'd made a skylight for the Vereenging (or a koekoek as it is called here), but I hadn't taken any photos of it. Now I have, and it sits on its frame nicely too, which is good. I wanted it to be as discreet as possible, given this is still supposed to look like a cargo carrying vessel of the 19th century, but that's quite hard when making it rain proof as well. I've had to use a lot of silicon filler stuff to prevent leaks around the joints and base, and this still needs to be sanded smooth and painted over.

Next year, I intend to put a steel roof under the hatch boards and then it can be set further into the roof with with a water run-off around it, which will hide it more. So far, though, I'm rather pleased with it.

And in the way of relaxation, this is what Mo and I did this afternoon with dear friend, Aad:

Trust is repaid

2009-07-26T19:39:00.004+02:00

I took this photo last night when out walking through Westdorpe with Koos. There's not much left to trust in the Europe we live in today, so this reminded me of how much I like this forgotten corner of the Netherlands. We were so charmed by the arrangement, we also bought a kilo of plums and duly posted our single euro coin in the letterbox as politely requested. Nice hey? The plums are too!

Memory Lane

2009-07-23T23:46:00.009+02:00

Last weekend we went in search of our travelling friend Philip. We'd heard he was going to be in Brussels so we took a drive down to Anderlecht, where I used to have my own boat, and where we knew he would be heading for. We found his barge but sadly, he wasn't there. We also took a drive along the row of barges lying there and saw my old Ténacité, which didn't make me happy. It's looking very sad and messy. There are some things I regret. That's one of them. One thing I don't regret is leaving there, though. The feeling about the place is not good and it's not a happy community. I like the developments to this barge, however. it's looking a lot brighter and more loved than it used to be. Fun, isn't it? If you click on the photo, you can just see Philip's wheelhouse in the background too.

From there, we went on to another favourite haunt - Clabecq - where we walked along the canal and met Philippe, a French speaking Belgian friend who lives on his tjalk, the Prosper. He was also a little sad due to personal problems, but we had coffee with him and enjoyed sitting on the bankside in the sunshine. Clabecq remains the place where we will always wish we'd been able to stay. It's a lovely informal community, but it seems its days might be numbered and they may all be moved elsewhere in the future. Just as well it remained a dream perhaps.

When we left Philippe, we went on to Ittre. This was where I did have a mooring organised for the Ténacité before I sold it, and it is a really beautiful spot. Still, we were surprised to see how many barges were moored up along the stretch by the lock, and in a way, were glad we hadn't gone there, as it has now lost its marvellous peace. But it's still beautiful.

Ittre is remarkable for its 14 metre deep lock, which is pretty impressive when it's empty or you are at the top looking down. The photo above shows the area in front of the lock, so you can see its depth. In the one below, it's full and looks calm, totally normal and peaceful. The last picture is of the row of barges now moored there. The Ténacité would have been one of them at one time. Ah well.... it was good to go back all the same.

All photos here are Koos's. I was using my old Olympus Trip 35 that day and am just waiting for the film to come back. I've now decided there's a place for both analogue and digital - one for the nice prints and the other for the Internet and nice slide shows!

Summer work mode

2009-07-19T23:40:00.004+02:00

I've just realised I haven't done a post for more than a week. Well, not on this blog anyway. My house blog has had a few updates for those of you who might still be interested (http://graafjansdijk.blogspot.com/) - although most of the photos are on Facebook too. I;ve also done some writing and the Skipper's Child is coming close to its dénoument. Sad for me as I'll miss Arie and Co.There's still plenty of editing to be done before I can go to print, though. It's taken me so long to write this tale, I've almost forgotten what's happened along the way. Funny when you think that the whole story only covers three days (or is it four?) I'll probably try and publish it for Christmas as it's set around that time. Seems like a good idea anyway.

Apart from that, I've been busy with ship stuff too. This last week I devoted to making a new skylight for the Vereeniging. I haven't got any pics of it yet as I only finished it on Friday afternoon and there's still a frame to be attached to the Vereeniging for it to sit on, but I'm pretty pleased with it.

Next week will be a Luxor week, so I want to start on the interior insulation if it's not too hot, but if the sun shines, there's plenty to keep me busy outside too..oh and yes, I do still have to go to work, but the week after that...I"M FREE!!!

New looks for the Luxor

2009-07-10T14:32:00.006+02:00

In the past weeks I've been pretty busy on the Luxor and its gangboorden and decks are now newly painted and rust free. Unfortunately, though, the very hot weather we had while I was beavering away did as much damage as the cold and wet. Everything got so hot, things started to contract, even the steel. The results became annoyingly clear when the rain started at the beginning of this week. It was as if someone had drilled holes in the roof and left the tap running.

What probably caused it was popping rivets as the steel on the roof was taken from the old deck (as in deckschuit). This was compounded by the fact that Koos's beautiful (ahem) blue tarpaulin had sprung a few leaks of its own, so the interim solution has been to buy a couple of new ones - this time in a more traditionally (and harbourly) accepted shade of green.

So, voila, the Luxor is becoming more spruce and shiny by the day. The next task is to paint the planks and restore the wheelhouse...oh and perhaps we'd better repair the roof as well....

Festival time

2009-07-04T18:17:00.003+02:00

Yesterday, Jodie and I went to one of Europe's great rock festivals at Werchter in Belgium. We mainly went to see Coldplay, who closed the day and were truly awesome again. They are brilliant at festivals because the carry the crowd with them, and once again, we left the grounds with everyone still singing the chant from Viva la Vida. Truly great, but no surprises about that. it was what we were expecting anyway.

The biggest surprises for me were Elbow, whose act we just caught the end of, and the Killers. Elbow are really different and very good indeed, playing a kind of prog-rock instrumental mix combined with Keane style melodies and soaring vocals. Yummy music. I like! The Killers, on the other hand, have a distinct new Wave feel and were EXCELLENT! It's not popular to like them it seems, but they were so professional and such great performers. They put on a fantastic show and I loved it.

One thing we both noticed was how pleasant and well organised the festival was. The market and food stalls were mostly lining the approaching road outside the grounds, and had places where you could sit down and eat or drink in comfort. There were also stalls inside but not so many, and it meant there was less of a crush. The crowd were peaceful, friendly and polite with young guys even apologising for being tall if they were standing in front of us, and asking if we could see properly. We couldn't of course, but that wasn't their fault, and we appreciated the kindness. As usual we had to rely on the big screens to see all but glimpses of the performers, but all the same it was great to be with such a nice crowd, and a very mixed one at that. I was definitely not the oldest there...amazing, hey?