What a beauty the Netherlands have in some places! When most people think about Holland, they think about water, and windmills. But when you actually *live* in Holland, very often this is not the first thing you think about.
Unless you get out there, and really different corners of the country. That is when the real surprises start. For instance the provence of Friesland in Holland which is a bit of an outer corner in the North, is actually a really beautiful region to visit.
And the best way to do that if you have a weekend or a weekend off? By water for sure!
When you are not that much of an experienced boat person like myself, boating has a bit of a love and hate relationship when it comes to the stress levels that accompany boating. I mean, floating around in a big and specious lake is easy. But what happens when you take the boat and enter a city like Leeuwarden (the capital of the provence Friesland) with it.
Other traffic, bridges, parked boats, current, wind. Holy crap, there is so much going on over there that you need your full attention to work the cities,
But the best thing over when you have done so...You park the boat in the middle of the city and that is also where you bed stays. No hotels or anything, just park, hit the town and walk back later to your bed on the water.
Bridges
There is really a love and hate experiences with bridges that open in the cities. Some of them open when you are close in the vicinity, but others open at certain times. And when they open, all of the traffic has to come through at the same time.
Kind of stressfull!
In these houses next to the water often there is the bridge keepr in there, but at the moment most bridges are opened from a distance, and cameras are there to see if you are getting close.
These bridges have traffic lights on them I have learned for my boating exam, and better to actually listen what they are telling you before you get stuck in a bridge gap with a big oil tanker!
This is one of the most famous bridges in the Leeuwarden region actually. This is the view from below when you are boating underneith it, but when it opens and closes, it goes sideways which is kind of special.
The icon of the city is called the 'Slauerhoffbridge'
Entering the city I saw my first encounter with these typical 'Skûtsje' boats which are dated from waaaay back. They were formally used as freight boats and are all from wood and only have one mast although they are super big.
After the use of cargo and boats died down for a bit, nowadays these have turned out into more living boats, but in Friesland theyr are most known for the classic sailing race called 'Skûtsjesilen'.
The good thing about sleeping in the city? That is so easy for a weekend. The bad thing about sleeping in the city? When you miss the memo that the Frisian streetmusic festival is held at the same moment, docking the boat can be more than a challenge.
But damn waking up to these kinds of views just instantly brings the summer in there. And yes, through that small gap small boats all of a sudden pop out.
That is why you need to stay sharp more than you would like when you are boating. Loving the water though!!