Monday 30 May

Today was the start of a five-day holiday in the island of Vlieland. As a family, we have been going there since the 1960s, and it is a home-away-from-home. We rent a holiday cottage to 'get away from it all'. So, at 10.35, we joined the bus to Arnhem, and were just on time to catch the 11.10 intercity train to Zwolle. Was rather disconcerted by the sight of several people walking along and on the railway - these appeared to be people not long in the country, and really, somebody should have told them to stay away from the railways. Arrived in Zwolle at 12.15 and were joined by my sisters who had come up from around Amsterdam. We had a great time on the trip to Leeuwarden, where we had to change trains again, this time into a local service to the port of Harlingen. At Harlingen, a stiff breeze was blowing. It was very busy with people going on the ferry, but it nonetheless left on time at 14.30. Visibility was very poor right the way across, and the island of Vlieland only materialised in sight when we were within a few hundred yards of the shore. Arrived at 16.00, collected luggage, rented cycles and headed for our home for the week, the Boeier (an ancient type of Dutch sailing ship) in the Ankerplaats, the westernmost of a large area of holiday cottages near the North Sea shore of the island.