It is the first time that we live on the boat for a whole winter and are moored in Dordrecht. Last year the boat was also in Dordrecht for the whole winter but we were still busy emptying the house until the beginning of February. How do you like that so far? Fine! We are a few spots further away but that is actually better, with fewer large boats next to us that are also uninhabited. Also, we now lie with the bow to the dock instead of the stern, so we experience more freedom from the back of the boat. Below you can see our spot and the view to the left and right from the back.
The first few days after the 'move' we really have to get used to it and even the first night it feels a bit strange. In recent months Bruinisse has really started to feel like home and Dordrecht has to become that again, but that feeling quickly changes. Nice to be able to use everything within walking distance in the city; unfortunately from the end of November again with many restrictions by corona. Nice to speak to our old neighbors Petra and Cor again. We only just manage to do this before they leave for their boat in Patagonia for the rest of the winter.
For us, the advantage of living in the city is especially the easy walking distance to eat out. In the month of November this is still possible 😃. The first weekend of November we are visiting Eline and Marinthe in Maastricht, with Grandpa, Nathalie Pieter and Eline and kids present. A very cozy bunch 😃👍.
The following weekends we discover two nice new restaurants in Dordrecht and finally eat in (instead of taking out) at de Stroper. Admittedly only between 5 and 8 pm, but that also works well for us👌😊. One weekend the girls and Sam are there. Then on Sunday morning we also visit Kinderdijk 😃.
We even go to the cinema once to the latest James Bond movie together with Eline. At the end of November everything closes again because of corona 😥. We celebrate Sinterklaas on Saturday with the four of us on the boat and the day after with Inge and Mark with all the children. We play dice for small gifts and enjoy the delicious food that Inge, with the help of Tess and Mark, always manages to prepare 👌 😋.
Of course we watch all the F1 races. With Inge and Mark, and twice cozy with the Calanche and the NoDoubt, including that absurdly exciting final 🏎👍.
The period around Christmas and New Year is very atmospheric in the city, with many beautiful lights and light effects. We also participate again and hoist the 50 meter lights into the mast. We regularly take an evening walk through the illuminated city. Also once the route of Dwaalspoor which leads along 12 special places, with the route along our harbor.
At the end of November I run the 5 km with Monique at the Warande loop in Tilburg 🏃♀️💪. That feels good, and I'm keeping it up so far with regular running in Dordt as well. I also have a nice gym very close to here found for yoga and fit group classes. Until just before Christmas that one has to close too 😥.
But you don't hear us complaining ... we are healthy and we are very lucky that we can ski the week before Christmas in Austria ☺️☺️. While in the Netherlands everything is closed we ski in the sun with good snow on very quiet slopes. A top week that we enjoy more than usual 😎.
Boxing Day we are back in Dordt and we celebrate with the girls with a collected Christmas menu from De Stroper. The following weeks we go back to work and the girls their own way. Marinthe goes to Sam in London and Eline goes skiing with a group of medical students. That goes on at the last minute with everyone toasted and a negative PCR test. New Year's Eve we celebrate cozily at the NoDoubt 🍾🥂💫.
And so suddenly it has become 2022. What will this new year bring us? Probably not as many changes as last year. But it doesn't have to. Life is very good as it is now ☺️. Cautiously we think about 'leaving' every now and then and set that for now at May 2025 😊. When you see the date like that, it's pretty close anyway.
Yes, we like the winter in Dordrecht. It is a nice mooring in an atmospheric town with cozy church bells that let us know the time every half hour. Very easy to start or end timely team meetings while working from home 😉 .
Still, we now feel too much houseboat and too little sailboat, with the sails off and without easy waters nearby. Therefore, next winter we plan to stay in Bru with the sails on for once. With the expectation that we will then sail more often. After all, we live on a sailboat 😉⛵️.