When Rex first mooted the idea of my help in getting Duonita across the North Sea to the Frisian Islands and back again, I had no hesitation in offering my assistance for a couple of reasons.
    Firstly, I'm a sucker for long passage crossings. I admit that the first 24 hours of watches are a challenge, but after that I soon settle into a routine.
    Secondly, the Frisian Islands held an allure for me, stemming from the film Riddle of the Sands, based around the Wadden Sea and Frisian Islands. Rex also lent me the book to read before the trip, which added more to my zeal in exploring the area.
    When the idea was extended to cover the inland waterways of Friesland and North Holland, this stimulated my imagination further. I had often thought of travelling the canals of Britain, calling in at places steeped in industrial heritage. It did not take much for me to transpose the idea and replace industrial relics with Dutch villages and towns.
    The Frisian Islands, Friesland, West Friesland and North Holland were unknown territories to me, and I relished the opportunity to explore them.
    But I had reservations; I didn't know if I could handle being the spare part of a "three's a crowd, two's company" scenario. The thought troubled me, and I discussed this with Rex and Meryl. They had no qualms with my presence on the trip, but were sensitive to my feelings. We agreed that if my self imposed hang-ups got the better of me, they would have no problems in me taking off for a few days and do my own thing, which was really very kind and understanding of them. But it all worked out fine, as expected of three easy going, adventurous adults, each pulling their own weight, and no cross words passed between us. It did my confidence no end of good.
    As well as discovering a little more of myself and my companions, the journey was a revelation to me about the Netherlands. We were visiting an area of the Netherlands not frequented by many British travellers. To visit a land, much of which had been recovered from the sea, held a particular fascination for me, a sort of reverse geology in a way. The villages and towns were all so pristine and quaint, abundant in well preserved old buildings. I enjoyed learning about the history of the towns, and how that related to the history of the Netherlands.
    The Dutch were a very friendly and helpful race, always with a joke at hand and not afraid to engage in gentle ribbing. I grew quite fond of them, their language, their zeal for self-propulsion on two wheels, and their food which was heavenly and usually of good quality.
    Their country appeared to be quite affluent, and this was reflected in costs. However, according to the lady we met on a train, it was heading for a "tightening of belts" phase. I welcome them to our club.
    Holland was indeed a green and pleasant land, and I was totally charmed by the haunting beauty and isolation of the Frisian Islands. But to be frank, despite the gorgeous villages and towns in Friesland and West Friesland, the land soon held no variety for me, there was no landscape diversity: no mountains, valleys, moors, craggy coasts etc.
    Overall, I enjoyed being afloat again, exploring a part of the world that I was unfamiliar with, learning more about a country, its history, and in particular its people. Equally importantly I learned more about myself and my travelling companions.
    None of this would have been possible without the generous invitation extended by Rex and Meryl to join them on their adventure. Their patience and understanding, their friendship, fun, banter and company was brilliant.

            Rex and Meryl - Thank You for a wonderful time!