Join me on my trips

Driving northwards and along this long sea dyke.  I'm staying in Bolsward but took a trip around south Friesland where the grass is amazing and the cattle sheds huge They are attached to the square farm houses with their pyramid rooves. The soft soil necessitated a different construction from our stone or brick buildings with concrete foundations. There is also a different language I here This glass roofed church is in. Bolsward. It is hundreds of years old but when it burnt down and was left a ruin it was bought and restored though the glass roof only went on a few years ago. This is a typical small town on canals The odd looking basket thing is actually a nest for ducks I think. Staying in an old orphanage with a pretty orchard in a vast iron bed in a suite of rooms as the only ground floor one and a huge walk on shower.

Rained in the night A bit about dogs. There are dogs everywhere. On beaches.  Often muzzled.  In the restaurant, at meal times on tight leads. Mostly large and fluffy. Seen in special trailers behind bikes and in cages while driving. All very well behaved. As I wrote this a large bark from under the table near me. People just come up and talk to you. Well no cycling. Too wet and slippery for someone who hasn't ridden for 14 years and the electric bikes are very heavy  So borrowed some binoculars and went bird watching. Here is one of two spoon bills.  Lots of different geese of course. Then in De Kocksdorp having a savoury pancake. Van het Wad meaning of the mudflats. A Lancaster bomber came down here. These will be dug up for bulbs you can see the poor visibility. I took this in between windscreen wipes but there are still a few drops.  Had to ask for an extra blanket and got a second duvet. People are hardy up here with the

Very comfortable night. Drove around the island to all sorts of little places. Reminds me of Guernsey where a road that looks like a major road is no more than a little lane often wandering through a few houses. Luckily everyone road is named so a map gets you to where you want to be of just end up. Much of the dune area on the North Sea and on the Weddell sea is a national park or indeed the latter is a world heritage site. So visited Ecomare where abandoned seals are taken in until ready to be released. From there I found the bunker that is left over from the war   And the view the soldiers would have had. Livestock consists of hardy cattle and the famous Texel sheep. The cattle graze on the dunes to keep them open but of course not many flowers out yet. Some more buildings. The church spire of Den Hoorn can be seen from miles away. Plenty of water birds especially geese. Wors

Discount on the ferry on Thursdays so ,48 euros return.  Not sure if this is a hotel or cottage or what. It's a hotel. Ground floor. Everywhere there are ramps in town for the cyclists of course. WiFi free everywhere usually no password Great room with extra seating. On Texel. I picked a couple of hyacinths and they make the room smell good. You can smell them as you drive along. I wonder about so much land being used for flowers instead of food. Still very windy  This is at the northern end of the island Then talking to a guy who lives here says they also grow potatoes. Leeks and carrots but all are exported  or go to restaurants and in the supermarket the veg come from abroad like sprouts from Egypt! There are these strange old farm houses. They are square with four rooves and the upper part may be thatched with the lower red tiles. And a

Dreadful night. Lumpy pillow made of little bits of styrofoam. Tried to sleep sideways on foam mattress, not successfully so writing this at 3.30 am. Played bridge last night after another Japanese meal and walk on beach. There was nowhere to sit so balanced laptop on a cushion . No bedside light. I just have to study the booking sites more carefully but you expect a standard plus room to be at least better than a standard. Can't open windows either. Given it one star.  Nearest like for like was in Weymouth though there there was a live band. Very windy this AM. Came across the 10 year rule for passports. If it has more than 10 years on it from issuance you can't enter EU. I have 10 years and 6 months so must get a new one on return as after May I would not get in. Huge container ship brought down an even bigger bridge in Baltimore.  Israel ignoring UN call for ceasefire. Shows what a toothless organisation it is. Long walks on the beach where there  are hundreds of