Saying goodbye to the land of water and sky

Hello and welcome to the latest blog from The Olivia Rose Diaries on August 26^th 2023.

On Thursday August 31^st our cruising year ends. Olivia Rose comes out of the water and will spend the winter at a boatyard in The Netherlands. The end of the season always brings mixed emotions. If we have had a year fraught with closures and drought problems, as has sadly been the case recently in France, it is easier to leave and resume our life on land over the winter. If it has been a good year then leaving is harder, and without doubt this has been a good year. This tiny country packs a punch far above its weight, particularly if you can explore it by boat and by bike.

The memory that I shall take away with me is of a land of water and sky. The land is so flat that the skies begin at the horizon and stretch on and on, seemingly forever. The clouds can be the purest white against every possible shade of blue, and if you look hard enough you can see make-believe castles rising up on the thermals, turrets and towers hidden within the layers of clouds, there one minute, gone the next. At other times the mood turns sombre, grey fading into black, and our own moods turn dark and introspective to match it. The colour palette switches to deep purple and pink as the sun sets, and changes again to gold and bronze in the dawn light.

The water is everywhere, an integral part of everyday life. It is both friend and foe, an ever-present threat as so much of the country is below sea level, but also a source of joy and respite, a place to relax with friends and family, an environment that offers something for everyone, from the youngest child throwing himself, or herself, gleefully and noisily off the quay into the water, to the adults of all ages swimming along peaceful rivers in the early morning when the world is so perfect it feels newly made.

This country differs from almost any other in that it is largely man-made and that includes the natural landscape. With characteristic modesty the Dutch like to say that God made the world but the Dutch made The Netherlands. Everywhere I look I find something that intrigues me, that makes me want to know more about it. From the historic world of windmills to the ultra-modern business of producing and selling bulbs and plants. From the obvious consequences of over-tourism in Amsterdam to the sheer ingenuity of how they manage to keep this country from disappearing beneath the waves. From the feeling that this is an automated, highly sophisticated digital society to one where almost everyone has a bike and uses it every day, reminiscent of a different era.

I have compiled a selection of photos as a record of our four months here. As a travel writer I have found The Netherlands to be a fascinating country, full of surprises, and more diverse than I expected. For so many people it is a short city-break destination but there is much more to it than that and to judge it solely by a weekend in Amsterdam does the country a grave disservice.

The weather has also been largely kind to us, allowing us to use our days to the full, and thankfully not suffering the extreme conditions further south in Europe. I appreciate we have been lucky enough to travel around by boat which is not an option for everyone, but we have spent as much time on our bikes as on the water. The wonderful thing about bikes is that they are open to all and nowhere welcomes a cyclist more than The Netherlands. Tempted? I recommend it.

The next blog will have a very different subject matter. Part of it will no doubt include a few pictures of Olivia Rose being craned out of the water, which is always of interest to us (perhaps not so much to others). The other part will be about our journey back to Le Shack in early September. We are taking the night train from Paris, a new experience for us and an exciting one – depending on who we share our cabin with! All will be revealed but, until then, take care and see you soon.

MJ