Last blog of KIWI ROSE for 2017

Well the weather has been unsettled across Europe all summer as you have seen o our blogs….. We headed back from Ghent towards Wessem in dull, wet or extremely variable weather but not the summer we expected.

One minute sunny, then rain and misty mornings…

We had a quick trip back to Bournemouth for Dawns and Alvins’ daughters wedding at the end of August. Really good trip catching up with old friends from NZ and UK.

Girls from School, Me with Dawn, Yazmin, and Sue.  And then The Bride, Holly.

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Sunday morning down to Bournemouth Beach for a few drinks, picnic at Dawns brothers Beach Hut.

Alvin,  Max, Sue  & Chris May and Dawn.

On returning to Holland we decided to bed down KIWI ROSE for the winter in Wessem, sort out the repainting job and the various winter jobs to be done and head for warmer climates….GREECE…our favourite country..

First a red bike, then we got upgraded to a white 200cc ,,,,, cool !!!!

A visit to Rhodes old town with its amazing old walls, cobbled streets and harbour.

These two columns are meant to represent where The Colossus of Rhodes was meant to have stood all those years guarding the old harbour.

Then a visit to The Ancient Acropolis of Rhodes…

Moon rising up as we have our evening drinks….

Our newly favourite discovered beach, quiet and with a bar !!!  A bit of a climb back up at the end of the day, but the Mythos awaited everytime…

So the end of the year…..  Back to Uk to start a real life again,, working !!!

so goodbye till next summer…

A few lovely moments to share, a skiing trip with our two beautiful daughters, Emma and Claire in Italy in April this year,,, first timer skiing all together in 11 years… Why is it that they still can beat us down a slope so effortlessly??.

And the Americas Cup yachting…( with Graham Berry)…..all watched on an Iphone….

2017 (10) River Leie (Ghent)

5th August.

One night back in Ghent, doing odd jobs like mending windscreen wiper motors, and washing floor mats then off for the weekend down the River Leie.

The River Leie is 24km of picturesque winding river, a bit like the upper Thames,  with large willow trees on the waters edge, and beautiful houses with their manicured gardens coming down to the rivers edge. Fields of cows, little docks and jetties, with little restaurants and cafes on the water edge with no regard for health and Safety ( just love it   !!)

Luckily we went down river on a cold Saturday morning so none of the many many pleasure day boats were out. On our arrival via another route back in Ghent on a beautifully sunny hot Sunday at lunch time, it was like a bloody motorway of all types of craft going past us out for the day and so noisy that Max couldn’t even get his afternoon nap in peace.

The River Leie….What can we say!!, $$$$ large beautifully kept houses, all ages, styles and designs !!      I reckon I should charge somebody for this advertising… !!

Old and new boats,

We love this guys roof garden, grain sacks, beer bottles and artfully placed stones !!!!

Of course to keep all these lawn looking beautiful, you have endless water from the river and a variety of lawn mowing techniques…

And lots and lots of these

automatic ones.

Coming into Dienze, the lovely lifting bridge.   We had to phone the lock keeper who was a really jolly fellow, who wound the bridge up by hand.

Lovely quiet town of Dienze with Church, drawbridge,  and a joy for Max as there was a big weekend ‘’ Dog Agility Competition’’, but luckily far enough away not to hear them all night from the camp site..