Last breakfast

Sitting in a strange dull silence eating digestive biscuits with the last of the Hazelnootpasta, trying to process the last eight weeks and the fact that we are leaving this new life and going back to our old one.

OK this was not breakfast.
Anna at the table in our boat.

We both had loads of dreams last night, vivid ones about moving the boat, going through locks and traveling.

We went out to dinner at a little restaurant in the town square last night, lovely food and the sun did that African orb thing in front of us as we walked back to the boatyard.

It was still light at 10pm as we sat out on the back deck drinking tea and the last can of Grolsch beer.

Sitting high and dry in the Het Steel boatyard
waiting for our return.

Sun setting across the water world at our marina.

The boat is all packed up, clothes stored in vacuum bags, solar panel inside propped up against the wheelhouse windows, mast and windscreen lying on the floor along with the eight fenders standing like Queen’s guards in the corner.

And did this work for us? Was it worth the time, money and commitment?

Will we be back for more?

Right now the answer to those questions is a loud resounding YES.

Experience of living in a country like Holland and becoming part of the community as opposed to just passing through.

The people we have met and the relationships that you can form when you know there is more to come.

Taking on the challenge of learning so many new skills to manage and handle a boat in the  busy commercial waterways of Holland.

Being together 24 hours a day fusing together as a couple.

Getting fit, flexible and healthy from all the work and clambering around that we have to do.

Having access to the rest of Europe. Germany is only 6km away from here, Belguim approximately 10 kms France maybe 50 kms. You can get on a train or in a rental car and be in another completely different country within minutes. That is seriously exciting.

Something for the future. We can plan our return because we now know that we can do this. It is not a pipe dream, but a reality.

It is possibly to turn dreams into reality, you just have to take the first step, then the next one and keep going.

We will keep going.

Some pictures of the town of Roermond last night when we wandered down to a restaurant.