23 May

Have you ever had one of those days when nearly everything turned out right?
First of all the shower was one of the best while I have been away, and though I wondered why there was no bathmat down, I soon realised as water went everywhere, why it was not.
Secondly, breakfast was out as a right royal spread, and while there was no cereal or rolls, there was just about everything else. I hadn’t realised the night before that there was a fridge there, otherwise I would have put a coke bottle in to chill.
I set out to see the windmills in the province of Utrecht, the historical heart of Holland. I just wish they had put the actual address of the windmills, not the postal address – so I found myself looking through at the windmill, but unable to reach it. I persevered and got to see a few, all of different types. None of them were open, except by arrangement (and I didn’t have time to arrange). I had wanted to head right up to the north coast and then come back via the west coast. I made time by going up to Groningen on the main road, but then looked for minor roads heading north. I came across a beautiful windmill in a town called Ten Boer. I drove around to find a way into it (and did) and chanced upon the man who had restored it sitting there with a friend. As soon as he heard I was from Australia, he opened it up, showed me all around (the last few photos show a plan of he mill and the document he used as a template for the woodwork) and wouldn’t take anything, so I gave him a kangaroo and koala pin, which he seemed to really like.
I headed off north, but found it was going to take me quite a few hours to get around the north coast, even before heading south onto the west coast. I changed plans and headed straight for the northwest corner of Holland, but realised I would arrive well and truly after all the information centres shut. I found one along the way and set course to that, arriving about 3:30. The lady there was very helpful, not only ringing up and arranging a place (in Dutch, to make it easier), but by suggesting that tomorrow I could head to a town just south of the large dike and catch a train into Amsterdam to look around (and that I would get out opposite the Tourist Bureau in Amsterdam and could get an all-day water-taxi ticket there to see most things).
I headed off and arrived in Dronrijp about 5, to find the place I was staying and be offered coffee and cake. We sat and had that, her husband turned up, and I showed them where I had been in Europe. Then I went to look around the town and the first street I went into was decorated and had all bird cutouts along the street. I was looking at and photographing these when I saw a group all dressed up and found out what the story was. Tomorrow there will be a festival and a street parade of about thirty floats. That street (Skries) is with a bird theme and this particular float is with a Rio dancers theme.
As I returned to where I was staying, I saw other streets – one had suitcases and bags outside nearly every house and another had people at work (which I suppose was how Santa got into the act). Just before I got back, I saw a bridge lift to allow a boat through.
Back at the house I unpacked, set up, did the processing of the photos and wrote my blog, but couldn’t find a network to tap into.
I burned a DVD for the family and took it down, but had trouble getting the computer they had (no DVD player for the TV) and so the husband brought another person in, who I had seen outside drinking coffee with them. We finally got to be able to see the photos and he was able to read the English captions I had on them. We chatted about Australia and ended up outside having a beer and talking about different countries and travel. When we finished, he offered to show me agricultural machinery here tomorrow morning and then told me he was their son. I made my way up to beed and finally got into bed an hour of so later than I had planned.