14th - 18th June: Reason to carry spare parts. Princely Prinsentuin. Leeuwarden.

The picture says it all. Now to fill you in on the background info. We'd enjoyed a relaxing, if cool, early evening at our mooring on the outskirts of Wergea and at about 2000, I figured it was probably time to start cooking some food. Two chicken legs bathing in a spicy marinade of chilli, lime and a few other goodies were ready to cook…

On went the generator. Two minutes later, the generator auto-stopped. So, we tried it again, double checking the water output; seemed fine. Then the generator did exactly the same thing. Richard heads into the engine room to investigate the generator's internal gubbins. Our Fischer Panda generator has a Kubota engine and the somewhat sad-looking impeller in the first photo came from the Kubota. Thankfully, we carry spares. And so the poor man spent the next hour fitting the new impeller and cleaning up the aftermath from the event. 2100 hours and the generator is switched on again. It fires up and runs sweetly. We check water output again and that's OK too. We let it run a while longer just to be sure. Then I cook something entirely different to what I'd planned. Good old spaghetti bolognese in the pressure cooker. Super fast, super delicious, super filling for two hungry people. The chicken, now in the fridge, will live to tell the tale another day. 

Whilst the skipper/mechanic/engineer/hero was replacing the impeller, the farmer who owns the moorings called by to say "Goedenavond" and also to request our mooring fees for the night. He and I enjoyed a long chat about various things - Australia (he wasn't sure if our ensign was Aussie or Kiwi - it's neither!), sailing in the UK, Australia and NL, places to see in Leeuwarden, to apologise for the fact it was raining (bless him!) and to give us a little 'Welcome to Wergea' gift bag of goodies. Such a charming man! 

Our mooring place for the night at Wergea…

And looking in the direction we will take next day…

The next morning, we took a walk into town and walked along the canal which bisects the town. We were also looking for some shops to buy bread from the artisan baker, vegetables and maybe some meat as we wanted to spend some money in a town which welcomes visitors with open arms. Sadly, it being Monday, all the shops were shut, bar the Spar supermarket. We bought a big bag of delicious nectarines, fruit loaf and some fresh rolls for lunch later on. Back at the boat, we had a cup of coffee on deck, then engine on and we left the mooring. As usual, we cruised at a gentle pace into Leeuwarden which gave us plenty of time to appreciate the city outskirts. We had four bridges to go through before we reached the main waterway that skirts the old city itself. Three of the bridges were merely a case of cruising underneath but the other bridge had serious work being carried out, so we had to wait our turn along with everyone else. Which was no hardship at all. Then around a sharp-ish bend to the right to be greeted by this impressive swing bridge.

Slauerbrug, with Hermesbrug in the distance.

Closer…

Three more very low bridges with clearance heights of between 1 - 2m only, and a substantial increase in traffic in both directions, meant we made quite slow progress through to our proposed mooring at the Prinsentuin. We waited at the Hermesbrug for 25 minutes and had about a 45 minute wait at the Verlaatsbrug. The Verlaatsbrug also carries a €7 bruggeld which covers all the bridges through this, the principal city of Friesland. Road traffic over the Verlaatsbrug was heavy this day and water traffic leaving the town was given precedence to traffic coming into town. Which was us and about a dozen or so other boats behind us. We were third in the queue. Happily, whilst I was sitting on the foredeck, clutching €7 in my paw, the sun came out and from the grey skies you see above, it was suddenly time for sunglasses and a couple of layers less. Perfect welcome to Leeuwarden! Petra and Klaus had told us how lovely the Prinsentuin was, I'd seen images on Google StreetView, but I don't think we were quite prepared for what we saw on arrival. Here's our view forward from our mooring. It's difficult to not fall in love with a city that allows you to moor in such a magical location for €15 per night (12 - 15m boat) with a minimal fee for on-demand electricity and water if required. Plus, there are rubbish facilities and foul water pump out also available. Free wi-fi too.

And if you want another view of the Prinsentuin, just take a look at the header photo on my blog - that's also the Prinsentuin. The park is immaculately maintained and it's always busy. Folk out jogging, walking their dogs, riding bikes, groups of friends sitting on the benches or the grass, chatting or picnicking. There are concerts in summer, and during the day, there is the endless and constantly changing array of boats arriving and leaving.

I think Richard likes it too!

We visited the havenkantoor to pay our fees. The charming havenmeester directed us to the brilliantly efficient automated gizmo which accepts credit cards too… Hurrah! We paid for three nights; it's easy to pay for more if you change your mind and want to stay longer. Then we walked to the big Jumbo supermarket on the northern side of town for fresh vegetables and other necessities. Back on board, we settled down to watch the passing parade of boats. This waterway is a part of the Standing Mast Route, so yachts with fixed masts can follow this route without having to unstep their masts between the Ijsselmeer in the south and the Lauwersmeer in the north. In other words, all the bridges lift or swing so the yachts can pass. From the Ijsselmeer, they can head to Amsterdam or Rotterdam or further, and from the Lauwersmeer, they can head further east to Delfzijl and into German waters. To name a few options.

For dinner, we ate the chicken we should have had the night before at Wergea. Cooked in the Remoska, served with sweet potatoes and a cherry, rucola and lambs lettuce salad, dressed with lemon olive oil and balsamic.

The next day, we walked into town and visited the VVV (Tourist Office) to inquire about the location of a chandlery we'd seen advertised but the advertisement failed to give the address. We also tried really hard to find a collar with the Friesland lillies on it for our lovely dog back home. None, which is a shame because I think dog owners would buy them. (hint, hint Friesland VVV!!) The charming woman at the VVV gave us a map with directions to the chandlery, but sadly the chandlery was a bit on the 'trendy' side and had few of the practical items we wanted/needed. Next, we went on a walking tour of the town and somehow managed to find the Boomsma distillery. They advertise a 'tour' of the distillery but in fact, it's a very good audio video that takes you through their history and how the drink is made. Interesting and to the point, it's a bit of fun, too. Afterwards, we made a few purchases from the shop. We found an excellent cheese shop. No surprise to learn we came away with lots of yummy cheeses, tapenades and spreads. 

Boomsma goodies.

We staggered back to Pirramimma, laden with all our purchases. And enjoyed some of the cheeses with our lunch. The Boomsma will have to wait for a suitable time and occasion. We decided to eat at Paddy O'Ryans Irish Bar that night and enjoyed a very pleasant meal. 

Dinner at Paddy O'Ryans, Leeuwarden.

Back into Leeuwarden the next day for more sightseeing and some shopping. Firstly, we visited the Friesland Musuem and spent the entire morning there. Excellent. Do visit it if you're in town as it's very well laid out with lots to see and learn. A big plus is there's no stinting on the information available in English and other languages. Did you know Mata Hari was from Friesland? No? Yes? Well, there's a display about her, and her life, in the museum too.  

After lunch onboard Pirramimma, we walked in a different direction and took in more sights and sounds of the town, before indulging in a bit of retail therapy. It was hot day and we needed a restorative drink, so headed to the Bierkade for a cup of coffee for me and a beer for Richard. There's a pretty little canal that runs through the centre of town. If you have one, it's possible to take a dinghy to explore this little waterway, or, you can purchase a ticket on one of the guided tour boats which will take you around the waterways. Good value, too.

The Bierkade is an extremely popular spot. Mind you, so are all the good eating and drinking places in Leeuwarden. 

Looking one way from our table…

and the other way…

That night, we walked back into town to dine at Le Sandre, a predominately fish/seafood restaurant, about which I'd read very good reports. I have to tell you that if you ever get the chance to dine at Le Sandre, then grab that chance with both hands. It was an excellent meal with equally excellent service and ambience. We both enjoyed a delicious main course of two different cuts of beef with eel and potatoes in a citrus mustard dressing. The balance of flavours and textures was very well judged by the Chef. This restaurant has been voted as second best in Friesland. Number one spot goes to the restaurant owned by the Chef's parents. Clearly, excellent food runs in the family.

We left Leeuwarden the following morning: engine on at 1010, then we reversed our route to head south again through the town.  We'd had a great stay. Thank you, Leeuwarden: we'll be back.

Vxx