After a long 27 days in Leeuwarden we left on Sunday the 2nd of June at 10:04AM. We cruised the Noorder- and Zuidersingel, the Harlingervaart, the Van Harinxmakanaal, the Langdeel and finally the Wartenster Wied. A few hours later we moored at Warten(a). We did not write down the time of arrival – after almost 4 weeks one has to get used to keeping a logbook again! Anyway it was a very hot (Sun)day, 27C°!, causing an overly busy waterway – some morons in boats included. Nevertheless we were able to make a picture at the moment that only the slightly choppy water gives away an indication of what happened shortly before.

During a walk through Warten(a) -the dog, you know- we photographed this lovely old church (1770) and its adjacent cemetery.

A picture of Warten(a)’s bridge, seemingly more frequent opened for boat-traffic than road-traffic. This time the main reason to publicise a bridge-picture is the fact that all (our experience until now) toll-money is done away with by the municipalities and/or the Province of Friesland/Fryslân.

The next morning, Monday, Warten(a) was left behind at 9:30AM. Our intended destination was the island inside the Pikmeer/Pikmar, close to Grou(w) again. We have been there even twice before this season – it is, however, ideal for the dog. Time of arrival: 10:26AM. The weather was still excellent, as proven by this picture of a relaxed pair: the dog and his mistress.

It is a so-called (free) Marrekrite mooring-space. One only has to buy a little Marrekrite-flag for a mere € 15,00. This little flag changes colour every year; dark green this season. All Marrekrite moorings are maintained by the organisation itself. To our surprise a boat with maintenance equipment for pruning the trees and mowing the grass popped up next to us. The surprise grew bigger when we noticed two men looking pretty similar and reached the top (the surprise, that is) after they informed us about being identical twins. (Look for the difference!) Of course we offered them a coffee and asked for permission to immortalize them.

The dog, and us too, had a relaxing period at the island but we eventually left two days later, on Wednesday, already at 9:02AM. For obvious reasons, dog as well as money, we again chose to end up next to a combined island/Marrekrite-mooring-space and moored at 10:50AM at the island Lytse Griene, at the south side where the lake is called Goëngarijpsterpoelen/Goaiïngarypster Puollen (are you still with us?). The firmament looking ominous.

In spite of the weather, or maybe because of it – who can tell?, the so called ‘bruine vloot’ (brown fleet) was very active around us on this lake and the Sneeker Meer/Snitser Mar alike. That offers irresistible picture-opportunities, like this one.

This is a picture, taken the next morning at 8:05AM, during sunrise. Admittedly the quality is substandard (even a reflected camera) but it’s undeniable proof of the horrible weather-conditions at that time.

Although the conditions were still not that agreeable we left the next morning at 10:10AM, the reason being that this (bigger) island includes a ditch. That ditch, filled with brownish, peat-like, water proved to be irresistible for the dog. He jumped in it without hesitation – and had to repeat that on the way back. He was barely recognisable. We showered him extensively, the dirt, dust and sand kept coming out of his fur. That’s why we are approaching Sneek/Snits already around 11:00 in the morning. It’s always nice to be on the lively Houkesloot/Houkesleat entering this town.

Having tackled Sneek/Snits we entered the Wimerts in the direction of Bolsward/Boalsert one hour later. Here we are approaching the railway-bridge, a swing bridge, probably operated by the bridge-keeper, present at the drawbridge behind us (invisible here, of course). While going forward ever so slowly we noticed a piece of industrial heritage, being (the remainder of) a chimney, now with a sort of tree inside on the top. Some strong breed of a tree, we’d say.

The festival, as described by the last picture, was cancelled -unfortunately- because of the weather-conditions (code orange). On hindsight it would have been possible but the organisation did not want to take any risks, which is understandable. The very bad weather, however, came yet during the night, wrecking a lot of the decorations that were still not cleared away as there was simply no time left to do that. This is the sad sight of a part of it on top of the Grootzand/Kleinzand-canal. They all initially looked like large Chinese lanterns, all of them intensely, and differently, coloured by a floodlight. Yesterday it looked fairylike, today one can only say ‘all the effort, it’s a shame’.