This week we cruised the shortest distant ever: we are now at PK 13,4, still on the river Eem, after leaving from 11,6. That’s 1,8 kilometers and it’s therefore safe to say we made hardly any progress. This is the reason for publishing another picture of our next-to-last mooring space at Eembrugge. We have been there together with another English-built barge (Sagar, ours is Piper), called ‘Ailsa’. We had been with her together in Antwerp’s Willemdok and met again unexpectedly, this time near Amersfoort.

A beautifully coloured sunset at Eembrugge. Unstable weather is not most people’s favorite but at least it creates this kind of scenery.

After 4 nights (1 night overstaying included) we started the engine at 10:35AM and left Eembrugge on Thursday the 13th of April. Among the things we noticed on the way were this mare and foal. The foal of course was jumpy and cute at the same time.

As one would expect some wide meanders are formed by the river, as proven here. A giant commercial ship is cruising in an opposite direction, compared to us. Note the dandelions in the meadow in between and the dyke, protecting the land from the water – the latter sometimes being on a higher(!) level because the ‘dry’ land has subsided over the years.

At first we cruised to a village called Eemdijk situated next to PK 15,4, planning to stay there – if possible. Well, it proved to be impossible, forcing us to return (after having dropped off our rubbish) to a spot we noticed on the way. It’s this one, on PK 13,4 – so we did in fact 5,8 kilometers. Wow! The engine was switched off at 11:55AM; we decided this will be our Easter-spot in 2017.

The river is a lively one, all types of boats are passing, commercial and non-commercial alike. Here’s a nice one, a tjalk, one of our neighbours in Amersfoort and obviously, as we are, looking for the -still hidden- sun.

It can be really busy, certainly when our, comparatively speaking, unassuming little ship is being passed by two commercials, more or less at the same time. That certainly creates some waves and, subsequently, a bit of swinging inside. We are firmly attached to the shore though.

As shown already by the last picture there’s activity on as well as off the water. After this giant mower had left the grass was cut short, the dog sh*t removed and all molehills flattened.

The view as seen from our ship towards the west this morning, Easter-Sunday, the 16th of April 2017. The boats, moored in a side-arm of the river, together with the group of buildings, the river, the landscape as a whole, it all makes for a perfect picture. And the bird (a heron?) is a bonus -we waited for him/her and pushed the button just in time.

The same view from inside, after the weather deteriorated severely. It’s an up-and-down situation at present – weather-wise speaking. We stay inside and will have some chocolate and a drink. Or two. Cheers!