Thursday, 9 September 2010
Monday, 30 August 2010
post 5 30th Aug
Dortrecht again, we climbed the chuch tower and had some amazing views.
This was one of the bridges we had to go under.
This was one of the bridges we had to go under.
post 4 30th Aug
Watching a live band in the town square Dortrecht , in the sun! 
Doing some sightseeing in Dortrecht which was full of lovely old buildings and strange little shops!
post 2 30th Aug
Just so you don't think it's been all sunshine and champagne! This was travelling through Holland.
Medemblik (post 1 30/8/10)
Mark can be a bit house proud!! Not really, he has been re-caulking our decks bit by bit over the summer. Working hard whilst Sue puts her feet up!
Tuesday, 17 August 2010
Post 1 - 17th Aug 2010
This is Medemblik on the Ijsselmeer. We spent a couple of days here whilst some rather 'wild' weather passed through.
Tuesday, 10 August 2010
Post 1 10/8/10
Well we have come back through the Kiel canal and after some adventures are now back in Holland.
We have decided to come back through Holland to visit some of the places we missed on the way to the Baltic in the spring.
At the moment we are at Lemmer on the edge of the Ijsselmeer and plan to do some short hops over the next few days and do some sightseeing.
We are experiencing some unsettled weather at the moment and as I write this the rain is drumming on the deck!! But we have been lucky so far so can't complain!
We have decided to come back through Holland to visit some of the places we missed on the way to the Baltic in the spring.
At the moment we are at Lemmer on the edge of the Ijsselmeer and plan to do some short hops over the next few days and do some sightseeing.
We are experiencing some unsettled weather at the moment and as I write this the rain is drumming on the deck!! But we have been lucky so far so can't complain!
Thursday, 29 July 2010
Post 7 - 29/7/10
We had some high winds for a couple of days so spent some time relaxing at a holiday resort called Kuhlungsborn, then moved on to Travemunde which is very lively as they are having a sailing regatta at the momnent (like Cowes week).
We left the boat there and took a bus to Lubeck.
Mark having lunch on a park bench in Lubeck!
We left the boat there and took a bus to Lubeck.
Mark having lunch on a park bench in Lubeck!
Post 5 - 29/7/10
We are now making our way back down the German coastto Kiel and have stopped at Warenemunde, where we saw the Disney Cruise Ship!?!?! complete with Goofey on the back.
Post 4 - 29.7.10
We also anchored off some nights and had a spectacular thunder storm and squalls on one occaision.
Whilst going through this area we had to negotiate some bridges which only opened infrequently and managed to get 2 out of 3 completely wrong which involved waiting for some hours until the next opening!
Stralsund was the last place we visited before moving back into the open Baltic again.
Whilst going through this area we had to negotiate some bridges which only opened infrequently and managed to get 2 out of 3 completely wrong which involved waiting for some hours until the next opening!
Stralsund was the last place we visited before moving back into the open Baltic again.
Post 3 - 29/7/10
From Swinoujscie we passed through a canal that leads to an inland sea thru which the German/Polish border crosses.
The whole area in lovely with lots of places to stop. We went up a beautiful river to Ueckermunde and spent a peaceful night alongside the harbour wall.
Some Vikings encountered en route!
The whole area in lovely with lots of places to stop. We went up a beautiful river to Ueckermunde and spent a peaceful night alongside the harbour wall.
Some Vikings encountered en route!
Post 2 - 29.7.10
Next we crossed the Baltic to Swinoujscie in Poland arriving quite late after a long tiring day. It was a bit of a culture shock at first as we were moored in an old commercial basin in what appeared to be an industrial area.
After a good nights sleep we had time to explore the area and felt very much better.
After a good nights sleep we had time to explore the area and felt very much better.
There are alot of old fortifications in the surrounding woods and beaches.
Post 1 - 29.7.10
After our stop in Hano we went back to Simrishamn on the mainland of Sweden where Mark had to have some dental treatment.
Then we moved on to Bornholm an island just off the SE coast of Sweden but it's actually Danish. It was so hot here we actually swam from the boat! not something we have done much of in England in recent years!
Simrishamn.
Then we moved on to Bornholm an island just off the SE coast of Sweden but it's actually Danish. It was so hot here we actually swam from the boat! not something we have done much of in England in recent years!
Simrishamn.
Friday, 23 July 2010
post 2 23/7/10
Being silly! Not had a drink at all!!!!
We got hopelessly lost rambling about which is saying something on such a small island.
We got hopelessly lost rambling about which is saying something on such a small island.Finally worked out to use the self timer on the camera!
No! it's my Champagne!!!!"
Post 1 23/7/10
Next stop Hano, where I hit the big 5, O, this is me drowing my sorrows at a BBQ for 2, by the beach! Hano is a small Swedish Island with 60 permanent inhabitants, no roads, cars, shops or restaurants. As you can tell, I had a wild time on my birthday (joking!).
Monday, 12 July 2010
Olympic Training - Horvik
Next we went to Horvik, a small fishing village where we spent an entertaining evening watching the 'Swedish Olympic Acqua Bike Team' doing some training. Please note the sophisticated retrieval system for the bike which involves a pair of water wings on the handlebars and an old rope thrown quickly before the bike sinks too far.
They are hot favourites for the gold but only because they are the only ones taking part. (providing they can get some transport for the ramp that is!)
Actually it was just some younsters having fun.
They are hot favourites for the gold but only because they are the only ones taking part. (providing they can get some transport for the ramp that is!)
Actually it was just some younsters having fun.
Saturday, 10 July 2010
10th July post 2
This is Tarno another lovely small island with no cars just a ferry service to the mainland. There are some wood cabins and a few small jetties which we managed to tie up to for another quiet night. 
10th July post 1
This is Karlskroner where we did some sightseeing. It was originally built as an all weather port for the Swedish Navy on a series of islands joined by bridges, then to the mainland by a narrow strip of land. The whole place has a very Naval feel to it.
This was an old Minesweeper which was tied up outside the Maritime Museum, Mark though he would have a go at firing the guns (it's ok they were not loaded!)
We watched some youngters playing 'ice hockey' on a specially built 'rink' (no ice!). It was fun to watch but it was a very hot day and the players were trussed up like they were really playing on ice and looked very uncomfortable.
This was an old Minesweeper which was tied up outside the Maritime Museum, Mark though he would have a go at firing the guns (it's ok they were not loaded!) We watched some youngters playing 'ice hockey' on a specially built 'rink' (no ice!). It was fun to watch but it was a very hot day and the players were trussed up like they were really playing on ice and looked very uncomfortable.Wednesday, 7 July 2010
Getting Old In Sweden
Hi, it's me Mark
I know Sue usually does this because she can spell and type with more than one finger but a funny thing happened to me on the way to the shower, at least Sue laughed until she cried.
Now we British are very reserved and when we have a shower we like a little privacy, a cubical to ourselves where we can hang up our clothes and fold our underpants (that might just be me !).
But in Scandinavian countries they are far more laid back and a typical shower is a room with some benches and hooks one end and a tiled area the other end with some shower heads sticking out of the ceiling, I found this out early on in Denmark one morning when went for a quiet shower only to to find myself cheek by jowl with about twenty Germans, it was like a prison shower scene from a film, if you dropped your soap you didn't bend down and pick it up, you just hoped one of them didn't slip on it leading to a domino effect and half a dozen middle aged men sliding around on the floor.
Anyway back to Sweden and getting old. Now some of you probably think I should have started to get a hint of this happening from my greying , receeding hair, failing eye sight and knees that sound like a creaking bed spring but in my mind I was still young, until now.
Sue and I went to have a shower which was situated in the main marina building, as you went through the glazed front doors the mens showers were to the left ,then the ladies ,the laundry, toilets, office and notice board. As we went through the front door I could see through the open door to the mens showers there was a very attractive young lady who had obviously just got out of the shower with a towel round her sitting on the bench, opposite her a was young lad fully dressed.
I dithered around outside for a while but then decided if I went in she would probably leave.
I put my bag next to her on the bench and got out my towel then my Radox pine fresh shower gel I started to remove my shoes and was starting to panic when she turned and said something to me in Swedish, I did my usual and said "sorry i'm English" (why do I apologise ) she quickly changed to English and asked if I minded her being there, at this point I should have said one of two things A/ something laddish like " I dont mind if you dont mind"
B/ something man of the worldish like "of course I dont mind" like it happened all the time. Instead I said in a very quiet voice and I quote " I would feel more comfortable if you weren't here" . Where did that come from ? When did I become my father ?
Anyway she smiled and left and the lad went with her, they left the door wide open ( I think the Swede's believe doors are for keeping the snow out so why bother closing them when it's not snowing) but I closed it and got on with my shower.
About a minute later I heared a phone ring then the door opened and in she came still wrapped in a towel, went to her bag and anwsered her phone, I'm standing there with nothing but my Radox in my hand and she's on the phone, any minute I was expecting her to notice me, scream and run out or, my prefered option, offer to do my back. But she did neither, had Radox made me invisable ? no I could see my reflection cringing back at me from the mirror, she just didn't care.
She then turned and left, leaving the door wide open again , so now with a practically empty bottle of Radox acting as a fig leaf I had to shuffle across the room and shut the door before the Daggenham girl pipers marched past. At this point I gave up threw on my clothes and left.
The pilot book for Sweden tells you that the Swede's love thier saunas which they do mixed and naked and I had considered trying it but I now know I'm too old for naked saunas, skinny dipping and showering with nearly naked young ladies.
I'll see you all in October probably with a zimmer frame.
Mark
I would just like to add to the above that she was a very attractive young lady and I did laugh till I cried. I also think Mark was very brave to put this on the blog as afterwards he felt a complete idiot!
Sue
I know Sue usually does this because she can spell and type with more than one finger but a funny thing happened to me on the way to the shower, at least Sue laughed until she cried.
Now we British are very reserved and when we have a shower we like a little privacy, a cubical to ourselves where we can hang up our clothes and fold our underpants (that might just be me !).
But in Scandinavian countries they are far more laid back and a typical shower is a room with some benches and hooks one end and a tiled area the other end with some shower heads sticking out of the ceiling, I found this out early on in Denmark one morning when went for a quiet shower only to to find myself cheek by jowl with about twenty Germans, it was like a prison shower scene from a film, if you dropped your soap you didn't bend down and pick it up, you just hoped one of them didn't slip on it leading to a domino effect and half a dozen middle aged men sliding around on the floor.
Anyway back to Sweden and getting old. Now some of you probably think I should have started to get a hint of this happening from my greying , receeding hair, failing eye sight and knees that sound like a creaking bed spring but in my mind I was still young, until now.
Sue and I went to have a shower which was situated in the main marina building, as you went through the glazed front doors the mens showers were to the left ,then the ladies ,the laundry, toilets, office and notice board. As we went through the front door I could see through the open door to the mens showers there was a very attractive young lady who had obviously just got out of the shower with a towel round her sitting on the bench, opposite her a was young lad fully dressed.
I dithered around outside for a while but then decided if I went in she would probably leave.
I put my bag next to her on the bench and got out my towel then my Radox pine fresh shower gel I started to remove my shoes and was starting to panic when she turned and said something to me in Swedish, I did my usual and said "sorry i'm English" (why do I apologise ) she quickly changed to English and asked if I minded her being there, at this point I should have said one of two things A/ something laddish like " I dont mind if you dont mind"
B/ something man of the worldish like "of course I dont mind" like it happened all the time. Instead I said in a very quiet voice and I quote " I would feel more comfortable if you weren't here" . Where did that come from ? When did I become my father ?
Anyway she smiled and left and the lad went with her, they left the door wide open ( I think the Swede's believe doors are for keeping the snow out so why bother closing them when it's not snowing) but I closed it and got on with my shower.
About a minute later I heared a phone ring then the door opened and in she came still wrapped in a towel, went to her bag and anwsered her phone, I'm standing there with nothing but my Radox in my hand and she's on the phone, any minute I was expecting her to notice me, scream and run out or, my prefered option, offer to do my back. But she did neither, had Radox made me invisable ? no I could see my reflection cringing back at me from the mirror, she just didn't care.
She then turned and left, leaving the door wide open again , so now with a practically empty bottle of Radox acting as a fig leaf I had to shuffle across the room and shut the door before the Daggenham girl pipers marched past. At this point I gave up threw on my clothes and left.
The pilot book for Sweden tells you that the Swede's love thier saunas which they do mixed and naked and I had considered trying it but I now know I'm too old for naked saunas, skinny dipping and showering with nearly naked young ladies.
I'll see you all in October probably with a zimmer frame.
Mark
I would just like to add to the above that she was a very attractive young lady and I did laugh till I cried. I also think Mark was very brave to put this on the blog as afterwards he felt a complete idiot!
Sue
Saturday, 3 July 2010
3rr July post 5
This is Norra Bollon where we anchored for another night - Sue Rowed ashore in the morning for a walk and just had a couple of sheep for company. 
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