10-11 June Our next stop was Roermond, or to be more exact the Maasplassen. These are the lakes around Roermond. There are about 3,000 hectare lakes in the area. Someone told us that there were more lakes by area here than in the whole of Friesland. It took only 90 minutes to cruise here from Maasbracht on Sunday morning after filling up with water. Google Maps - showing the lakes area. We decided to spend the afternoon cycling around the lakes and looking around. Our first challenge was getting from our mooring to the road. On google maps it looked like there was a path, but the reality was there were a couple of paddocks with long grass to be crossed, including a locked gate that Howard had to lift the bikes over. It was very bumpy and tough riding so we were glad to finally make it to a paved road. We were surprised to see black swans as well as white on the lake. We also found a spot where there was a sandy beach and a water ski course with overhead wires to tow you around. You had to pay to enter so we just looked through the fence. There were many different marinas around. Each large and full. We stopped at one for lunch and saw a dog who looked like Benji at another table. After lunch we caught the bike ferry across the Maas River and investigated a different lake. It had a nudist beach (sorry - no photos), and was very pleasant. Then past more marinas and back to the boat. As my shoulder was getting a bit sore, I decided to walk across much of the difficult paddocks. Unfortunately the grass had dried off after the overnight rain and by the time I got to the boat I had severe hay fever. So the next morning we moved to a different part of the lake where it was easier to get to the road. This was a lovely spot. We went into Roermond and looked around the town. The highlight for me was the Munsterkerk, which looked so unusual and was on a lovely square. We also went to the city park which was small but pretty. They had a small maze which Howard did a much better job than me in solving. Before returning to the boat we went to the town's Designer Outlet. This was huge, and to my surprise was not fully indoors. It actually reminded me of Stanford Mall, with all the individual shops opening off outdoor streets. When we got back to the boat a couple of horses were hanging around. We fed them some apples and they were quite happy. Sunset views across the water to Roermond On Tuesday we originally planned to spend the night in Venlo, but the marina there wouldn't take us as we are too heavy (they must have flimsy jetties). There were some other options along the river, but none very enticing. So in the end we stopped at Asselt, after only 2 hours cruising. There is a nice lake here at the very north of the Maasplassen and from our mooring we have easy access to the road. Our steering outside hasn't been working. Howard had a chat with Henk, who installed it, and then went for a bike ride to get some hydraulic fluid. After being sent on a wild goose chase from the hardware store, he finally came home with the fluid he needed and topped up the tank. Now the steering works. Another system on the boat we now understand a lot better. In the evening we had a stroll around town. There is a quaint church overlooking the lake. And some signs about the history of the area including some vikings coming down the river to fight against Charles the Fat and his men.
2 Comments
Hazel
13/6/2018 11:46:41 pm
All sounds great...lovely pics.
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Lisette McCauley
15/6/2018 12:05:14 am
Great photographs. The places look lovely. There is a kind of familiarity about it too. The types of sculptures we are used to seeing in the Netherlands. And the buildings - sensational.
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