Middelburg

Well we have been in the Netherlands for five weeks and this is the first time we have revisited somewhere from last year. We knew it would be a safe, nice place to be in the high winds. We met Terry and Chris from Muffin 111, they too were there because of the winds forecast. It is nice to find out that other people had the same idea as you and you weren't being silly. In the event it was a good choice and we knew we would find plenty to do. A super town with lots of walks etc etc. The forecast was right - very blowy and wet.

There are also excellent rail links and we took the train to Vlissingen and explored. We walked 9 miles that day! The train ride was only eight minutes and quite reasonable at 2.20 euros each, each way.

Until we went there I had not realised that there had been big battles there at the end of  the 2nd world war - I will now look up Uncle Beach and find out more. Was shocked to find the population at the end of the war was only 3000. Of the houses that still stood only one was undamaged. That explains why it is mainly a modern town, but well worth an explore.

The most moving thing was the memorial to the Jewish population that had been deported and murdered - so sad and the ages some of the victims was heartbreaking. Whole families were just wiped out - it is something we must never forget or let happen again. I was so moved by the memorial I didn't take a photo.

Look at the size of the people to get an idea of the size of the boat.

As we walked along the sea from it was amazing how close the buoyed channel was to the beach and equally amazing to see such large ships very close to the shore. Looking at the sea we were glad we weren't crossing over to Breskens today.



While we were there we had a sneaky look at the lock we would be going out of tomorrow - it looked as if they weren't using the small lock so I checked the mooring faculties in the big lock  - it could be fun.

The marina is based round the harbour and the facilities are clean and well kept. The age of some the buildings in Middelburg amaze me. There were buildings from 1560 - over a hundred years before the Great Fire of London.

In the end we stayed there four nights - we left by the 8.15 gate today. This was so we could fuel up before heading home. We needed to go at that time as the gates opened every hour, we wanted to be at the railway gate by 9.20 am as that was when the 'blue wave' began. Although the railway bridge was only five minutes away we couldn't refuel and get there in time.

Our gate opening, to let us out of our mooring.

The fuel pontoon outside the famous Jos Boone.

John has just been inside to pay the bill. He's not actually saying how much, but looking at a free map we got.

The 'blue wave' is where a convoy of boats go through all the bridges together - saving an awful lot of time. Although after refuelling we had time to kill it was no problem as we moored up on the waiting pontoons and made tea and had my cornflakes.

One of the hotel boats.

Breakfast!

The bridge at the marina opened at 9.15, at about 9.18 all these boats came piling out.

Railway Brug

Brug 2

Boats jilling around between the two bridges.

Going up. Note on the next pictures there are actually two bridges here as it is a duel carriageway.

The charge into the lock at Breskens. We were nearly at the front of the queue when the blue wave started, now we are nearly at the back. 

Couldn't resist this happy chappy.

View of Vlissingen from the sea.

This system worked, although the start was late we were locked out of Vlissingem by 10.50, in Breskens waiting to be issued a mooring and moored up drinking tea by 12.05.  A very hot afternoon, after putting our course into the chart plotter and buying supplies for tomorrow's journey there was nothing for it but to throw myself into the water.