We are temporarily 'landlubbers' again now that we have been living in our fine just-completed apartment since December 8 😊. We call this the 'family rescue zone'; a place where we can always be 'home' as a family during our future traveling existence.
After 3 weeks of hard work, we are already quite furnished and beginning to experience the difference from living on the boat. It is wonderful to have more space, to be able to have the daughters visit us more easily and to have less direct contact with the weather elements in this wet and windy autumn. So the season and this exceptionally wet fall are working tremendously to make the transition easy. It is also nice to no longer have to live on the boat with all our work clothes and gear. With the closets full of neater clothes where it is careful of condensation.
From now on the boat is our '(t)home' again when we are not working (anymore); then you need less stuff on board than we had the last time without a home. Now, sitting in the spacious living room, I can long for the cozy living room on the boat. In short, everything in its time. Now we are enjoying the luxury and space in this apartment immensely, in over a year we will lovingly 'move' back to the boat when we plan to 'leave' in April 2025 ⛵️🌊🌅.
The month of November is all about both working hard and also preparing to move into the apartment. Like ordering Ikea cabinets, a second bed and a bathroom cabinet and making a schedule to move quickly. We make a lot of lists that we tick off step by step. It rains a lot and there are frequent strong winds 🌧️💨. Not exactly autumn weather for going out to sail. I also have a severe flu for another week and together with all the hustle and bustle, the 5 km Warandeloop is cancelled this year.
In mid-November we will have Jacomien and Roel from TARA visiting us. It's nice to catch up and reminisce about distant sailing trips. A week later we have the Captains Dinner of the HRC at a beautiful location near De Kaag. A very successful evening with many like-minded people. We spend the night nearby in a nice Airbnb room and spend the Sunday visiting Marinthe in Adam with a visit to the Rijksmuseum and chat in her room.
A week later we spend a weekend in Maastricht for the presentation of Marinthe's bachelor bull with Sam also present. For Toine it is also a busy work weekend. On Saturday evening we go out for dinner with the six of us and on Sunday evening the ceremony is held. A very nice milestone 🧑🎓🎓. Very well done!
The following weekend is our last and wonderfully quiet weekend on the boat for now, cozy with Marinthe. On Saturday, exceptionally, the sun shines and we go for a walk near Burgh-Haamstede with chocolate milk and whipped cream to finish. On Sunday it's raining and windy again and we have a delicious dinner at Bru17. We enjoy the peace and quiet before a few busy weeks arrive.
On December 8 is the delivery of our apartment and we will get the key 🏠🔑. That afternoon the floor is immediately leveled and the PVC floor is brought. In the afternoon we drive to the Ardennes to Chateau 'd Hassonville for our 25th wedding anniversary. Together with the daughters and their friends. On Friday evening we have an "on-warm" dinner with 3 courses. What a wonderfully hospitable place for this family celebration 😊. On Saturday we take a brisk walk mostly in the rain. Saturday night is "the party dinner. Toine is wearing the vest and I am wearing my jacket from 25 years ago. Eline and Marinthe have an evening filling in with words on the abc with which we look back on 25 beautiful years together and reflect on how we did this together and what makes our relationship still so good after 25 years 🥰❤️. A very special and beautiful evening with the six of us; for me the most special evening in recent years. Really very beautiful. The next time with the six of us could well not be for another 9 months due to Sam and Jonas' plans abroad.
On Sunday after breakfast we drive back to our apartment and start decorating. First the TV hangs and there is a double airbed in the living room to sleep on with as kitchen the workmate with the microwave and kettle. On Mon Dec 11, the PVC floor will be laid. On Wed 13 Dec the Ikea closets, second bed and bathroom furniture will arrive. On Dec 14, we step out for the annual dinner with the founders of the HRC in Willemstad, while the baseboards are being set. We spend one more night on the boat before moving all the stuff from storage to the apartment on Fri Dec 15 with the help of Claude, Jeanette, Luc and Marinthe. What a huge job and what a lot of stuff we have; it's quite disappointing 🤣. How do we get all that into this apartment with a very small storage room 🤔. After the huge job of lugging the table up all the stairs (because it doesn't fit in the elevator but fortunately we get help from two strong plasterers) and so much stuff laid out, our courage sinks into our shoes for a moment, 'how are we ever going to get this cleaned up?' Just start at the front and we do so with the fresh energy of Eline who joins us in the evening from her internships 👌👍😎.
Over the weekend we will continue to put cabinets together and tidy up, and tidy up the downstairs storage room after first sorting the stuff properly with some destined for landfill/recycling. Very nice that the daughters are helping. On Sunday we install the bathroom cabinet and continue to furnish the rooms. The following week is a busy last week for both of us before Christmas. In the evenings we do some limited work hanging lamps, mirrors, wall decorations etc. Early that week the kitchen is installed. Now it's really starting to look like something. For Christmas we are far enough furnished ☺️.
On Sat 23 Dec we celebrate Christmas at Inge's with all the kids and followers; a very successful party. The day after Marinthe flies to London for a two week visit to Sam and his family. Eline is coming with us and on Dec 26th Wim, Pieter and Eline will visit.
We order many things online and many packages are delivered. We regularly lose track of what is delivered when by which postal provider 🤔.
Now after three weeks we are done decorating except for the curtains and blinds. Even the shelves with the KLM houses are hanging 😎. It was hard work for a while, but it is nice that we are almost done now and can start enjoying it ☺️.
We wish everyone a very good, healthy and happy new year and a safe cruise in 2024💥🍾🥂⛵️🥂🍾💥.