Laatste dag Peddelpraatkamp

We're enjoying a leisurely breakfast with our neighbors Caroliene en Remco.

Day trip from Muiderberg

Erik Oosterbaan from the Haarlem's Kayak Club sent a mail last week that he was planning a kayak trip on the Markermeer (this was a part of the Zuiderzee before the Afsluitdijk was built to close this huge sea arm off from the North Sea.) We don't like to miss any opportunity to kayak on big expanses of water so Theo and I decided to join Erik and our other clubmates. The day started out cold (neoprene gloves and "moffen"), a bit windy 3-4Bft but dry. We experienced a bit of anxiety just before leaving when C. discovered that she had lost the small dry bag with "everything" in it - money, creditcards, bank card, keys, cell phone. It took a while before we gave up searching and as a result C. called her husband to ask him to pick her and her kayak up. After which she proceded to have all her cards blocked by the bank.Back to the startoff spot. Muider-beach. We headed for the emergency harbor (no panic!) of Almere and found a delightful place on floating gardens to enjoy our thermos coffee and sandwiches.

 After lolling around out of the wind and in the sun for a while Erik insisted that we head for Pampus Island smack in the middle of the Markermeer and then change course toward Muiden in the hope of finding a cafe with cappucino e.d. We paddled slowly into the shelter of the harbor, only to be greeted by another kayak group from Heerhugowaard - OSSA. We chatted and generally caught one other up on kayak news and other tidbits.

Erik is calling C.

We continued our search for the ultimate cappucino, drifting past the Queen's sailboat - the Green Dragon, and a chique "café came into view. KNRZV the Royal Dutch Rowing and Sailing Club - the royal family's own yachtclub. As you can see we installed ourselves on the terras and ordered what turned out to be one of the best cappucino's this side of Milan.
Reluctantly we climbed back into our boats, and with the wind in our backs finished the trip arriving back at Muider-beach around four in the afternoon. A great day and an unexpected trip.

Muiden haven

Muiderberg

Nieuwkoopse Plassen (Nieuwkoop's ponds)

Our "new old" car is sand free, the kayak carriers are brand new, the roof doesn't leak and we would love to keep things that way: bright and shiny, spic and span, smooth and aerodynamisch. Our car has become a metaphor for growing old and not being able to accept inevitabilities like wrinkles, bags under the eyes and a less than aerodynamische figure.

That's why I suggested we do some flatwater, fresh water kayakking instead of an adrenaline-packed day surfing at the beach. Theo suggested the Nieuwkoopse Plassen where he used to paddle before he got hooked on seakayakking.

The Nieuwkoopse Plassen is very close by - a mere 20 minute drive from Aalsmeer. A drive through the green heart of Holland with its grazing-meadows, cows in the early spring grass and centuries old farms took us to this nature preserve managed by the foundation Natuur Monumenten.

This area is too wet for raising crops or grazing cows, a fact that Hollanders already in the tenth century had discovered, but from the 14th century on the bogs were a lucrative source of fuel: peat!

A landscape of long straight strips of land and water was formed - Google maps! - and eventually as a result of erosion lakes and ponds.

Most of the year the bogs and woods and waterways are undisturbed, but in the weekend in the summer season they are definitely not.

Nowadays the reeds are harvested for making thatched roofs.

Today we enjoyed a unique chance under a bright blue March sky for an afternoon and early evening just the two of us, of paddling and reflecting on (wild)life in general.

Peddelpraat - 1st kayak trip season

Perfect springtime weather, 51 participants, 17 kilometers, and a well organized trip around the island Marken to Volendam and back, led by a perfectly organized lady, Marianne Boer. What person in their right mind would even attempt to evaluate a trip with 50 kayakkers. She pulled it off perfectly.

It was a grand reunion - we were able to catch up with old friends and kayak buddies, chatting and joking on and off the water. Hulde M. and Peddelpraat!

Plannen

The kayak season has begun. After a few short and and a few long daytrips we're getting back into form. Tonight an evening on the Spaarne with the Haarlems Canoe Club. Afterwards a film - Nannook, the famous Inuit movie.
Still have chores tho. The skeg on my flatwater boat is waitng for warm weather and epoxy.

Rockhopping in Brittany

http://www.nkb.nl/kano/Content.aspx?sid=19&cid=1990&mid=&mnu=3326

Link to Nederlands Kano Bond "Kanosport" waar je mijn artikel over Rockhopping in Bretagne kunt lezen.

This is a link to the magazine of the Dutch Canoe Asscn "Kanosport" where you can read my article about Rockhopping in Brittany.