Perhaps you remember that we moored just outside Weesp (Smal Weesp) because of the dog. This picture shows the mooring inside Weesp’s centre. Attractive indeed! (Even without the sun.)

After leaving Weesp one encouters immediately a typical Vecht-drawbridge.

Coming back to Nederhorst den Berg now. We left on Monday the 3rd of May around 10:30AM. Before that was possible we were forced to untangle a complicated knot, ‘created’ the day before by an anti-social (well, at least thoughtless) neighbour.

A typical Dutch view, as seen on the way.

Yes, it’s a houseboat. In a ship-shape, so to speak. Haha.

After Weesp and a long period in Nederhorst den Berg we passed Châlet Parc De Vechtoever where, according to the DBA-information (The Barge Association, originally Dutch Barge Association, hence the D), water is available. We were in desperate need of it, noticed the blue ‘pole’ and turned immediately 180°.

Eureka! A tap was found at the rear of the ‘pole’. A sign informed us about the price of the precious stuff: € 1,00 for 100 litres. Do we have €-coins? No! The parc-owner opened the ‘pole’, sold us 5 coins (we paid using a bank-card…) and eventually, after discovering an unnoticed start-button, the water began to flow. The flow did not halt after 100 litres (we needed a lot more, the tap worked for almost 1,5 hours…), so we took in a real mass of water for a mere € 1,00. (Note number 1. The point is that the parc-owner, after we left, might have emptied the water-supplying device and found only one euro… We hope he does not remember the name of our ship.) (Note number 2. What might look like a cigarette is in reality a table-leg. He stopped smoking already almost 14 years ago.)

An active pair of geese. We think to have counted, say, 15 young ones. How many will survive??

Another ‘Vecht-picture'. Just lovely.

Arrival in Loenen aan de Vecht. The bridge is too low for us – and certainly for the mast of a sailing boat!

We stopped just outside Loenen a/d Vecht at 1:40PM and decided to sit out the storm that arose that afternoon. We were moored on the upper wall, forcing us to apply extra ropes as the standard rings, mounted by the town, were too light to be able to keep our little ship (33 tons) safely in its place.

After 3 nights in Loenen a/d Vecht we left on Thursday at 10:25AM – having survived the storm. This is what one sees when on the way. Isn’t it splendid?

As you might know, a lot of fantastic manors are to be seen alongside the river (Utrechtse) Vecht. They often date from the time that merchants realized great wealth through all kinds of, sometimes questionable, trade. Nowadays there still seems to be plentiful money, as this roof is covered with… yes, copper! It’s an annexe, by the way. Just saying.

Arrived in Breukelen we switched off the engine at 11:14AM. We know, after a cruise of less than one hour. It’s just too tempting to stop whenever the possibility arises.

Already visible at the last picture is a (replica) ‘rolpaal’ (rolling post??). An explanation: ‘… In the 17th and 18th centuries there were dozens of rolling poles along the inner bends of the Vecht (the popular means of transport between Utrecht and Amsterdam, ed.). At the time, boats were often pulled by humans or horses. The towpath, right next to the water, was in use by the ‘puller’. To prevent the tip of the boat from being pulled into the bank and the towline crossing the towpath, the line was guided along the rolling part of the pole. This function gradually disappeared after the construction of the railway in 1843 and the opening of the Merwedekanaal in 1892 - as from 1952 the Amsterdam-Rijnkanaal’.

On the 4th of May The Netherlands commemorates its war-victims. The 5th of May is Liberation Day in our country. Yesterday, Saturday the 8th, we considered ourselves able to see 'The Pianist' (Netflix). Educational and deeply moving. It's shocking, almost unbearable, to see what people can do to each other.