Jane and I went to visit cousin Jitze and his wife Joltje in the little village of Oosterzee on the Tjeukemeer. (Jitze and I have a mutual Grandfather after whom we are both named) I also got to make a boat trip with them in their boat to visit Jane during the week, when she was doing her sailing in another of the Frisian lakes.

6160   A lovely summer's day - sitting with cousin Jitze and Joltje on a bench on the dike that passes near their house

5489   Their son Joost - and that's not a real cat climbing the drain pipe behind him.

5477   Jane with relatives - we took a walk around the village.

5472   .and went to take a look at their boat, moored in a little harbor a few yards from their house.

5473   Jane inspects the boat more closely

5479   The central landmark in the village is the chimney of the old dairy processing factory (zuivelfabriek) that used to be at the heart of the village. It has since been consolidated out of existence, but the chimney was retained as a piece of history. (In California it would also be a useful earthquake warning device)

5480   Also in this village, they discriminate against cows using the pathway along the back of the houses.

5487   Along the dike you pass by some fields with sheep. The Tjeukemeer (lake) lies directly behind the dike on the left.

5843   . During the week, when Jane was sailing, Jitze, Joltje and I (and their two dogs) went on a boat trip across the lakes and through the canals to meet up with Jane, and then sailed back the next day. Here Jitze has brought the boat to a mooring place right behind their garden for ease of loading before we set out.

5845   Joltje at the wheel.

5848

5897

5899

5855   The traditional red sails that one sees in these parts

5858

5862   We pass by the mill in the village of Sloten

5867   and on to the bridge which opens for us - the light turns green and we can go ahead...

5869   after depositing our bridge toll fee in the wooden shoe lowered by the bridge-keeper on the end of a fishing pole.

5880   When a road meets a river or canal, it is usual for a bridge to be built over the waterway. But this can be a nuisance on busy waterways because then the bridge has to raised or rotated every time a ship wants to go through. A sensible engineer will immediately realise that the alternative is for the waterway to go over the road instead of vice versa. Trucks tend not to have tall masts and are quite happy with a vertical space of a few meters. (The Frisian for "aqueduct" is "akwadukt")

5885   We pass through Woudsend. This is the same sawmill that we saw in another album with the Aston Martin parked along the quay side.

5890   After you pass under the bridge at Woudsend and pass the Cafés with terrace seating along the water, you come to the church (built 1912) which has since been converted to apartments. As we passed by here, we noticed some sail boats from Jane's sailing class tied up along the quay - maybe playing hooky for lunch or taking further supplies on board for the thirsty crews? After inquiring it turned out Jane was not with them but sailing out on the lake,

5937   A cup of coffee with a little something... goes very well on the water on a summer's day.

5839   Everybody needs a little something with their coffee

5941   And the coffee itself is of course necessary to stay awake on a sleepy afternoon.

5963   After arrival in Elahuizen, we joined up with Jane who had just come in from sailing.

5967   And we joined the whole gang for dinner that evening in Allemansend.

5968   After dinner we walked back to where the boat was moored. Jitze had moored it at the marina next door to the sailing school for the overnight stay

5980   Back at the boat, Joltje put on the kettle

5981   A "lekker" cup of coffee as the sun went down.

5982   Joltje showed Jane pictures of their children (Annette and Joost) when they were younger - some of the Couperus resemblance was striking. (Annette has the same forehead and eyes as her second cousin Jennifer in California)

6011   Jitze skippers the boat back the next day as the weather deteriorates slighly.

5911   We pass a skūtsje who is out sailing despite stormy weather brewing.

6022   We took a different route home, passing through different bridges. The combination of red and green light here means "Not yet, but get ready to go".

6027   The dog will be glad to get home.

6154   Just before our return journey at the end of our trip to Holland, we dropped by the family in Oosterzee again for a farewell meal on the way back to our hotel after visiting Leeuwarden and Eestrum. A brief walk along the dike before dinner

6155

5488

6163   The Dutch have a word for it - "Gezellig!"

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