L'Avenir - cruising Europe's inland waterways

No, I have absolutely no idea either. As it is in Gouda (I'd have liked it to be in Assen) I'm assuming it's not Simpson and his donkey though. Keep it clean please.....

The posts seem to have become a little mixed up and any element of surprise lost. We obviously made it through the bridges with minimal damage - only a scraped handrail. We lowered the canopy, nav frame and windscreens, crossed our fingers and ducked. lots of bridges. The Indian restaurant where we had dinner the night before. Last year Rob was on a beer tour this year's quest has been for the perfect vindaloo. Not bad here. -and as always in Holland there's an army of people keeping everything nice. canal garbos scooping leaves out of the water and wharf cleaners blowing them in .....

The bridges over the canal through Utrecht are only 3.25m high so we are a bit nervous (well I am) about our ability to get through. We'll have to take down our canopy, nav frame and windscreen - and then duck! The first bridge The lock keeper tells us we'll be fine as long as we can get through the first bridge as it's the lowest. The canal basin with lock in the background. If we can't fit under the city bridges we'll have to turn around and go back. Entrance to the tunnel I'm more concerned about the tunnel in the centre of the city as it has a bend. It's also the focal point for the whole city and overlooked by cafes full of people hoping for some entertainment. The Dutch Film Festival is in full swing at the moment as well and there are people doing interviews to camera on every corner so any stuff up is bound to find its way onto film. It seems I always have to be worried about something. University The old part of Utr...

Through the tunnel in the centre of Utrecht. - and since the Film Festival is on here's my contribution .....

Dick Bruna, creator of Miffy, is one of Utrecht's favourite sons . What greater accolade could any author have?  Stop! Hop!

What a contrast to the week on the meers! As soon as we passed through the lock at Muiden onto the River Vecht everything changed. Not least the weather. We've had a week of balmy, autumnal days to cruise this lovely river. You could easily do it in a day or 2 but there's something about a slow moving river in the sunshine that makes you want to relax (with beer and book) and take your time. We are not far from Amsterdam here and the river is lined with magnificent mansions and stately homes built long ago by the wealthy merchants of that city and now occuppied by their present day equivalents. Probably financiers.... The houses have the beautiful manicured gardens common to most Dutch homes but on a much grander scale with sweeping lawns, formal rose gardens, statues and topiary. Some even have moats and draw bridges- or ferries Here's one for sale if you have a spare few million (euros that is). Lifting bridge, Weesp ...

Once we joined the River Ijssel we were back onto commercial waterways. This sign is encouraging us to be nice but it all looks a bit cosy to me. Personally we prefer to keep our distance - though we do the smile and wave bit. Sometimes you have no option but to get up close and personal.

And that's not only the flag. Things have gone pretty well this summer but there's nothing quite like a force 7+ gale to blow away your complacency. Over the past few days we have been wending our way back south and west towards Amsterdam. We locked out of the deserted canals of eastern Holland onto the River Ijssel and then out onto the Randmeren - a series of meers, or lakes, 97km in length. When we came this way 3 months ago it was sunny and the lakes were full of yachts and cruisers. I remember commenting then that I wouldn't like to do it in bad weather.... The first 2 days weren't too bad. Just wet. A year ago, when we first embarked upon this, a woman said to me, 'Don't worry about rain. It can't hurt. Worry about the wind.' We've had plenty of windy days along the way but it's really a question of where you are when they start blowing. Out on a meer wouldn't be your first choice. The final in the series of meers is Markermeer which ...