Week 45

This looks interesting, if we can get some time off

Stuck for ideas on how to spend your next holiday as a family? This might be the answer: a new ferry route between the Netherlands and Norway will set sail next April!
Sail from the Netherlands to Norway in just 18 hours

Are you fed up with airports and flying? Are you looking for other (perhaps more sustainable) travel options? You could of course take the train, but why not mix it up a little and travel by boat next summer?

Holland Norway Lines (HNL) are launching a brand new route that sets off from the Eemshaven in Groningen, travelling across the North Sea and arriving on the shores of Kristiansand just 18 hours later. "For the Norwegian holidaymaker, this offers new possibilities to reach the Netherlands in a simple and comfortable way,” HNL said.

The MS Romantika, the flagship of HNL, will make the trip three times a week, starting April 7, 2022, and will have space for 1.500 passengers, as well as cars, caravans, and trucks. The ships are decked out with multiple restaurants, cafes, and bars, as well as a sauna and wellness resort, a nightclub, and an arcade. Return tickets start at 225 euros per person.

House prices in Amsterdam

A recent study has revealed that Amsterdam has one of the most overpriced housing markets in the world. The study determined the value of residential property in 25 major cities, with the Dutch capital considered at strong risk of being overpriced.

Reminds me that Ben was paying some ridiculous amount for 5 square metres - in the Jordaan, I think. He had to "share" the rest of the house. His current apartment is also small but at least he has it all to himself.

Probably related to the high prices, the Local Government has cracked down on Airbnb, and...

The municipality of Amsterdam is looking to introduce a new rule to protect the housing market from investors and property developers. Under the new measure, all homes valued at or under 512.000 euros must be lived in by the legal owner of the property.

This last point is still open for discussion - to be determined early next year.

Covid Restrictions

The  Prime Minister and the Health Minister held another Press Conference on Friday - many restrictions back in force for at least 3 weeks.

Last year, all the covid cases seemed to be "somewhere else". This year there are many in our own village and even in the family. The parents of a brother in law both have it - they think through attending a funeral and having a coffee and cake with more than 100 people. 

Janny is still allowed to play volleyball but with no spectators.

We're back to wearing facemasks and being ultra cautious with our clients.

It really doesn't feel like the situation is getting any better any time soon. (aka "learning to live with it"?).

Ben is in Berlin this week...

With a birthday party hangover...

The Boat

On Tuesday, my helper Tjeerd and I moved the boat to the crane in preparation for being made "ready for the winter" 

I'm taking the doors off this year, so we had to figure out the best way to do it...

With the temporary doors in place, and secured from the inside - there remains the problem of getting out...I have long thought of the forward hatch (anchor chain, hose, mooring pegs) as an "alternative means of escape"... I reckon I would force myself through if I had to, but for now it was a job for the much thinner Tjeerd...

On Wednesday morning Sander came to do the winterizing work - new oil and filters and the all-important anti-freeze. The "condition" of the anti-freeze was tested in the heat exchanger - MINUS 35 degrees!  (ie to still be effective).  Global warming might eventually change that...

... diesel fuel additive to stop the algae growth...all the water blown out of the tank, boiler and hoses.

On Thursday, we went down again to do the 2nd door and help manhandle the boat into the crane.

But then... the crane got stuck! One of the 4 chains stopped working...I couldn't bear to watch, so we went home...

While we were there, we had a closer look at a boat that had had a fire on board...

I asked the havenmeester it he knew anything about it..

."electrical" he thinks but that is probably just the standard answer...

It doesn't look that much from the outside, but the whole engine compartment (and interior)is damaged (2nd photo - taken through the hole)

This is some of the stuff taken out - including a microwave oven and a dishwasher (what???!). I'm in the camp that says "the more "stuff" you have, the more that can go wrong"...

Sint-Maarten (St. Martin's Day) is a popular children's feast day in many parts of the Netherlands. Typically, in the early winter evening of November 11, small groups of children can be heard going up and down the street singing songs and reciting poems, armed with lit lanterns (which they have made themselves).

We had them coming to our place again this year...

One of the kids who lives in one of our apartments has Covid - luckily not badly ill - but he wasn't allowed out of quarantine so we had to go and stand in front of their window so that they could sing for us. The "deal" is that they get some sweets in return - Janny's Mum tried to do the right thing and included some fruit.

Around the farm...

Not much, but we are replacing one of the rooves this coming week...

The "tiling" roof sheets will be taken off - these sandwich (insulation) panels put across the roof timbers, and then the sheets put back on again. 

Because of the HUGE increase in the gas prices (more than double for the next two months - I thought it was going up to €1,38 - but the latest email from our supplier says that it will be €1,90!! (was €0,79)), -we're working out a way to insulate two of the apartments from the inside - we did one last year and Janny's Mum's apartment was well - insulated from the start. There are plenty of Youtube videos showing ready-made "systems" - probably better than my creative efforts in the one we have already done. It's no surprise that all the DIY stores are also advertising insulation solutions...

Janny says our old double glazing is probably not up to scratch these days - probably have to go to triple... (Dutch doesn't seem to have a clear word for triple - at least for glazing - they call it "driedubbel" "three double").

I'm still keeping up with my daily walks - sometimes three times a day! The forest is delightful even when it is wet!

I thought this might be typically Dutch...

....blowing the leaves off the cycling paths

But it also reminded me of just how much work is done - streetsweeping, mowing the sides of roads and freeways, clearing out the weeds and sludge from canals and open drains. I have often thought of the whole country being "manicured" - most noticeable when we drive back from France and Belgium.

Even during the last financial crisis, it all seemed to keep going - keeping a lot of people gainfully employed. Same goes for the infrastructure programs...also during the pandemic!