Back in action

The photo above was taken on a happy day in September 2008 when the the barge in the picture, the Hennie Ha, was newly ours and we had just finished sprucing it up to take it to its new home in Sas van Gent. We were celebrating our delight with the work we had done. However, the four years since have seen troubled times for our little barge. At the insurance inspection we'd had done in Rotterdam, the inspector told us we would have to have the steel plates that had been used to 'double' the bottom removed and replaced. They were too thin to be acceptable and we were given one year to have the work done.

Shortly after this happier photo was snapped, we made the journey through Zeeland as far as Hansweert, where I left Koos to go back to work in Rotterdam. Koos continued across the Westerschelde, an estuary so busy with sea-going ships and so riddled with sandbanks and shallows that you need a special licence to navigate it. He made the crossing without mishap, but just as he turned into the big sea canal from Terneuzen to Gent, the steering shaft broke. Some of you who have been reading my blog a long time might remember this episode. It was traumatic for Koos but a blessing that it happened so close to a lock and not out in the middle of the main shipping channel.

He was given a tow to Sas van Gent, and since then, the furthest the Hennie Ha has travelled under its own steam is from Zelzate (four kilometres towards Gent) back to Sas after having spent nearly a year at the shipyard having its bottom replaced (so to speak).

It took close to the year we were given to organise these very necessary repairs as we couldn't find anyone to do the work at a price we could afford.  Some of you might also remember that at the first attempt, the yard at Zelzate could not lift the Hennie Ha with their crane because it was too heavy, so she had to be towed back to Sas by our narrow-boating friends, Olly and Anne on the Wandering Snail. That was on 2 July 2009

The second attempt  was made early in 2010.  In the intervening months, we had looked at several other options, all of which were too costly and the Hennie Ha just lay sadly at its berth. Except for the fact that Koos managed to fix the steering and I did my best to keep up with the maintenance, it could not go anywhere. Had any problems occurred with the hull, we would not have been insured, hence we were effectively 'gated'.  In the end, another arrangement was made with the yard at Zelzate and Koos risked the trip back. This time the barge was pulled up the slipway - where it remained until February 2011.

On that cold, but exciting day, we brought the Hennie Ha back to Sas van Gent again, but that was not the end of the story. The steering was still giving problems and we needed to set up the cooling system. It had only ever been a botch job, so now it needed doing properly.

In May 2011, we attempted a trip out with some friends, but once again, the steering gave problems. By this time, our confidence in the little barge had dropped again, and it never really recovered sufficiently to get things moving again during 2011. Apart from that, the rest of the year brought other priorities that needed our attention and so the Hennie Ha lay in its berth again.

This summer did not really materialise until this month, weather wise, and again, there were other priorities that prevented us from testing out the new cooling system that Koos had set up in June. Still, (and yes, you knew I'd come to the point eventually) we finally did it.

As I mentioned in my last post, after some very necessary testing  - and I won't bore you with the details - we were finally satisfied the Hennie Ha was ready to go again. So, today, we did it. It took some resolve - after all, our faith in the boat had taken some knocks - but we finally cast off and went for a test run. The silly thing is that it was so thrilling and so exhilerating I totally forgot to take any photos!

We didn't go far. Bit by bit, you understand. Next time, it will be further, and we have a special trip in September to aim for. The point is, though, we did it. Out and back without a problem. Are we pleased? We are. More than just a bit.

Catching Up

Rooftops at Rennes Le Chateau

I can't believe it's been so long since I wrote a blog post! I really can't. But when I think about it, it's not so very surprising. Since I officially finished work on 20th July, I've been either away or very busy much of the time.

Sunflowers near Salle sur L'Hers

The first week was spent on my first real holiday in ages in the south west of France. I was lucky enough to get a real bargain of a flight from those wonderful Irish carriers, Ryan Air. Just to put it in perspective, my return flight from the Netherlands to Carcassonne (around 1500 kms distance) cost less than the return train fare from Carcassonne to Agen (less than 200 kms distance). It would be so great if train travel were the more cost effective, wouldn't it? I much prefer it for many reasons, not just the sense of real travel. Anyhow, I was also very lucky to have friends and family down there to stay with and I had a wonderful week. The sun was hot, the sunflowers pure gold and I literally wallowed in the warmth. Just what I needed, in fact. Carcassonne itself is a beautiful, historic city steeped in legends and drama, and for anyone who is interested in things to do with Cathars, Knights Templar and Holy Grail stories, this is surely the place to revel in them. I came home with a book on the subject that I am finding hard to resist, but know I will have to if I want to get other things done at all. It's called The Holy Blood and The Holy Grail by Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh and Harry Lincoln. It is quite a tome, but from what I have read so far, absolutely fascinating.

An enduring image of Carcassonne for me - sun, steely blue skies,
colour and above all, historic battlements

The only part of the ramparts that are still in the original
style with wooden walkways and palisades

The streets of 'new' Carcassonne - still lovely

When I came back on the 31st, I stopped overnight in Rotterdam to sort a few things out and give a final lesson, but then I sped on down to Zeeuws Vlaanderen to join Koos and Sindy at our usual haven of peace and tranquillity. We spent a few days pottering, painting and doing the garden but achieved a golden triumph when we got our little barge, the Hennie Ha, running on its new cooling system. What a moment that was! What a relief too, as it's taken forever to get it fixed. I also started doing the summer painting that's always necessary on boats so hopefully, this weekend, we will take a short test run in our ongoing project. I can't wait to be on the water again...

The Hennie Ha after its smooshing last weekend

Then on Monday, it was back to Rotterdam again to work on Koos's Luxor. It was in need of some serious TLC, so we've just spent the last few days cleaning, scrubbing and clearing the detritus of ages out of the old barge. We hefted an unwanted fridge, various other electrical appliances and heaps of old wood up to the tip, and then attacked everything with soap, scrubbing brushes and a high pressure hose, not to mention a good dose of strong will. It was hard, dirty work, but worth it. The Luxor now looks almost respectable again - just in time, as it seems someone is interested in taking it on, which will be another relief, especially for Koos.

We are now back in Zeeuws Vlaanderen once more and it is well into August, but the time has been well spent. We are hoping to have a few days of rest and relaxation, plus another foray into France, but more importantly, I need to finish some assignments for my studies and prepare things for next year....yes, already....sigh....

Life then is never dull, and while I hope I can get down to some writing as well, I know that will be the luxury I might not have time to afford. I do hope so, though. It's what makes life worth living in the long run. Well, it is for me, anyway, and this, our getaway retreat, is the best place for inspiring me.

End of the year

This last week has been crazy. The end of the academic year always seems to be chaotic with everyone panicking that nothing is really ready for September when it all starts again. It never is and it never will be, so I don't know why they panic...just part of the routine, I suppose.

I don't know if I've mentioned it before, but since last September, I have been teaching two mornings a week at the Rotterdam Business School, which is itself part of the Hogeschool Rotterdam, a sort of university college. RBS, as it's otherwise known, is where International students  are generally enrolled, and 90 percent of these tend to be Chinese. RBS has a reciprocal arrangement with Shanghai University to take students who have done some studying there and give them a European academic education and degree. This kind of programme is driven a little too much by commercial interests for my liking, but I enjoy being there very much because of the students - they are just great and I really like them immensely.

Working with students from such a different culture, language and educational background is also a huge challenge, and I find it endlessly stimulating. It rather puts the teaching of English to European students in the shade as far as the variety, creativity and new approaches that are needed are concerned. Anyhow, once the exams for the year were over and the students had graduated to the next stage, the scramble to look at the new curricula, timetables and division of classes took over and that was much less fun.

There was, however, one very delightful interlude in the midst of all this. I decided to take a group of my students out for a kind of farewell treat, so I arranged with them that we would meet in the harbour and then go across the river to the Hotel New York. This is a famous and rather ornate building where the great America Line ships used to moor up and where throngs of hopefuls would embark on their way to a new life in the US. There we had coffee and pastries and I gave them all a small gift. Then we took the water taxi back over the river and had a nice walk around our harbour where I showed them the Vereeniging and all the other ships lying there.

Are we having a good time, or what?

He's so cool, but then so is she!

Happy faces

More happy faces

Looking ahead in the Water Taxi

What pretty girls, and so very sweet too!

View of Rotterda's skyline from the Water Taxi

It was a happy day. The sun shone warmly for us and my lovely students were all charm and smiles. What a sweet group they have been and what a pleasure to teach. It makes all the administration hassle worth it to know I have somehow been a small part of the academic machine that is helping them on their way.

One Dog and his Man

Over the past forty eight hours I've been getting closely acquainted with a certain labrador by the name of Oberon. He's a canny soul, slightly posh,  remarkably well-versed and with a healthy contempt for the gullibility of his Lord and Master as regards his ability (the Lord and Master's that is) to resist or avert Oberon's attempts to get his own way.

To explain, Oberon is the narrator and 'I' character in the book titled One Dog and his Man by Mike Henley. This is a charming and very humorous view of the world from Oberon's perspective, hence the title. As anyone who has owned a labrador knows, they are obsessed with two things - food and comfort. Oberon is no exception and his accounts of how he manipulates his master into making both these things easily available to him are so familiar, I have been chuckling my way from page to page.  He has his master taped to a capital 'T' and provides a very useful guide to up and coming young hopefuls on how to sabotage their humans' intentions, kitchens and even love life with exceptional canine cunning.

It's not a long book. Interestingly, there are no page numbers, but the Lulu.com blurb says it's 109 pages including the title page, copyright page and extras. It's also beautifully illustrated by the late, Larry, who was a well-known British cartoonist, so given the amount of space pictures take up, it is a book you will romp through with ease over a weekend, or if you are a quick reader, even an evening. By the way, the drawings are a treat in themselves and would make me want to own the book just to look at them now and then.

Mike Henley is actually an actor and voice artist, but he clearly has some talent with the pen as well. I knew Mike at college long long ago (in those days, we both had long hair!), and had not seen or been in touch with him until we both re-emerged on Facebook and became contacts through the agency of mutual friends. I still have not met him again in 'real life', but even at college, he was known as a 'bright spark'. I see from his FB repartee that his wit has only increased with the years, and this is evident in his writing as well.

I hope this is not the only book he is planning to write as it would be good to read the feline side of the story too. I believe he has a cat called Nigel. That aside,  I can recommend getting hold of a copy of this one, especially if you have a dog, and more particularly, a labrador. You could learn a few things, and not only about dogs, while being very entertained in the process.

Roll up, roll up, it's the Magical Mystery Tour!

 Last weekend, it was a certain person's birthday - as if all his FB followers hadn't sussed that one out! So, I thought that while we were on the subject of Beatles' songs, he who is now 64 should be taken on a Magical Mystery Tour. Hence it was that last Friday morning, I presented said gentleman with three envelopes, each of which contained a destination: one in the north, one in the east and one in the south.

 Koos, as indeed that's who it was, chose to go east, so I quickly arranged everything necessary to make sure the mystery was crowned in comfort, and off we set on Saturday morning - to the east. The first stop was at Cuijk, where, being drawn irrevocably to all things watery, we wandered along the banks of the mighty Maas in the sunshine.

 Next stop (again, typically for us) was Grieth on the banks of the redoubtable Rhine. The day was just perfect, but as always, the current on the Rhine was strong and we watched the ferry that takes cyclists and tractors (well that's what it looked like) fight its way across the river, bouncing around apparently without control, but always making it to exactly the right spot. Drunk with coffee and sunshine (see? So innocent we are), we headed back to our destination for the night in the charming town of Goch.

 As I said, it's charming, and I was particularly taken by this lovely water mill as well as one of the most gorgeous houses I have seen in a while. I gazed wistfully over the fence and thought how very happy the owners must be. It is on the banks of the river Niers and everything looks tended with both love and a feel for atmosphere, grace and comfortable informality.

 In the evening we walked round the fair which was going on in town before having dinner at a very nice local restaurant. Koos's photos of the fair attractions have already received their due attention on Facebook. It was a lovely evening and we finished it with a glass of wine on the roof garden of the small hotel where we stayed.

Sunday meant we had to start back home, but not before we stopped at yet another beautiful waterside. This photo was taken in Nijmegen It looks like the perfect place to moor, that is until you see the high water poles. Then you realise it might get a bit hectic in times of heavy rain. Still, it was a lovely end to a lovely excursion, and judging by Koos's beaming smile, it was worth the mystery!

Humble request

Dear blog friends. I don't know how to contact everyone here personally, and in fact I didn't want to put anyone on the spot either, so I am making this request to all of you who have read Watery Ways in the past.

My publisher would very much  like some brief quotes to use on the book cover, and maybe inside too, about readers' impressions of Watery Ways. Many of you said some lovely things to me personally in my last post, and they warmed the cockles of my soul, they did, but (and here is the request) could you...would you...write a sentence or two that would be suitable for such a quotation, e.g. "Watery Ways is....." and put whatever you like. After this, I would need the name that you would want to be referred to in print, and your 'job description', e.g writer, teacher, poet..and maybe the name of your book, record or other if you have published something too.

If you write what you would like to say in a comment, I will take that as permission to use it :) but please don't feel obliged! You can just leave a comment in the normal way and that will be absolutely lovely too. After all, I don't know how many she actually wants, so there really is no pressure at all.

Hoping you are all well, and enjoying the...erm...summer.....?

Exciting times

After reading Mel's post about the exhibition of beautiful art mounted by his wife, artist Jane Brideson, I had the feeling creativity was in the air. Even before then, my dear friend Anne Marie Klein posted about her new book, Love Ain't for Keeping and others around me are also involved in a drive of creative output.

It seems fitting, then, that I should be able to join in, just for a brief announcement. I have just read the publisher's edit of my book Watery Ways, which will hopefully be coming out very soon. Sunpenny Publishing have again been a great support to me by taking on this, my second book, and I am very grateful for their faith in me.

Reading the edit brought back a whole heap of great memories, and by the end, I was even moved to tears. What a fantastic baptism to the boating world I had. I feel so lucky. My only regret is that times have changed and with it, the harbour which I write about and have been so involved with for eleven years. Everything is more formal and bureaucratic now. I am just so glad I wrote Watery Ways when I did. It captures what was, for us and all our friends, a golden age.

The Oude Haven, the setting for Watery Ways

My barge, the Vereeniging, which features in the book

The best feeling in the world, being on the way on the water

The image that captures it all: travelling by water

My dream is that this book will be some kind of success and give me a little more independence. After all, the purpose of having a boat is to travel, and my aim has always been to take off to France with my barge and spend another golden age there. One that I could write about too perhaps?

The village

A lane near The Village -- typical Flanders

It's been a long time since I posted anything on my Graafjansdijk blog. This was the cyber diary where I used to write updates on the restoration of my little house in the south. Strangely, although I have continued to make progress and improve the cottage slowly but surely, I stopped blogging about it. Or maybe it's not so strange since I've not been blogging about an awful lot at all lately. In fact it's been a long time since I posted anything on this blog too, isn't it? Well, I sincerely hope that's all going to change soon. I am heartily sick of working 23/24 (slight exaggeration? OK, yes), but anyway, let's say any free time I've had has been taken up with marking papers, prepping lessons and doing assignments for my own studies. I haven't even written a word for my book for a month or more...now that's really serious, isn't it?

So, I decided I needed to write something, even if it's just some nonsensical observations about our village. When I say village, I don't mean Rotterdam. I mean the 'dorp on the dyke' as I call it, and the place where the little house is situated. It's about two kilometres from the Belgian border in Zeeuws Vlaanderen and really is an 'echte dorp' as we used to say in South Africa.

Now, in many ways it is a typical village. Everyone knows everyone and everyone knows about everyone. And what they don't know? Well, why spoil some good gossip with the truth? It's far less interesting. The truth, that is. The other typical thing about this village is that local affairs are run from the pub. In a way, you could liken it to a kind of 'godfather' situation. You know, the 'Family' that controls life. In a rather gentle and totally innocuous way of course.

Our 'Family' is headed by the publican, Jon. He isn't actually a local as he and his wife come from the other side of the country, but there is no doubt - life in the village revolves around their pub. If you want a 'job' done, then that's where you go. But let me re-assure you. This is much less menacing than it sounds, because a job down here means 'klussen' and that includes everything from building, decorating and gardening to cleaning, plumbing and wiring. What's even better is that Jon has a member of the family or a friend of the family for everything too. So if it's wiring you want, then it's Arno. If it's roofing you need, then it's Ernst. In fact, you do have a choice - of sorts: you can have Arno assisted by Ernst. Or Ernst assisted by Arno. Good, huh?

Then the local cleaning lady is his son's wife's sister's friend. Jon's, I mean. She 'does' for practically everyone and if you need her, then you just call Jon. He is facilitator, organiser and conduit, or whatever else you like to call him. You just have to remember that you won't get far in the Village without bumping into him or his Family.

We also have our share of local personalities. One I particularly enjoy is a neighbour who for sake of discretion I shall call Jack. Jack used to live in Terneuzen and have his holiday home in the village. Then he decided he loved his holiday home so much he wanted to move here, which he did. This might seem pretty rash until you consider that Terneuzen is only nine kilometres away...and yes, he really did have his house here as a holiday home.

Anyhow, Jack is totally in love with the village. He has never discarded his notion that this is where he came to get away, so every day to him is a holiday and he never fails to tell you so when he sees you. It really is quite uplifting in a way. The weather is always wonderful, the view is always fantastic, the village is always perfect. How much more positive could you want anyone to be? Whenever I feel in need of a bit of a boost, I just make sure of opening the front door when Jack is walking past. It's instant therapy, happiness guaranteed. Bless him.

Well, I could go on, but I realise I've probably exceeded all the recommended limits for a blog post already, so I'll shut up for now, but maybe I'll post some more observations about life in the dorp on the dyke another time. For the moment, the writing thirst has temporarily been quenched and I shall go off, contentedly of course, to my bed in my little house in the Village. Sleep tight and slaap lekker allemaal xx