Monday evening, after the ride back, from visiting the Coster Diamonds and Cobra Art we settled in for the evening on the Ship. Before leaving Amsterdam however, we had a leaving celebration with a group of musicians playing on the dock – a drums and bugle group playing some wonderful calypso music. Barbara and Rik dressed for the occasion and the whole group of us went to the sun deck to appreciate the music and entertainment. Our ship sailed and off we went for our next port of call.
After the departing entertainment, we went back to the lounge for the reveal for the next day – a visit to Vlieland. This would mean sailing all night, arriving early the next morning. We woke up in the the port of Harlingen for our day’s adventure. Looking out the window, I noticed a ‘whale’ across the harbor.
As part of an international art project in 2018, fountains were placed in the eleven cities (or villages) each designed by a different artist from eleven different countries. The whale in Harlingen is one of the 11. It is located between the pier and the quay by the harbor. Once in a while you will see the whale blows water through its blow hole. As the water was a little bit lower than normal, you will see the whale was above the water.
Once we left the ship, we walked over to the ferry which would take us on the 90-minute trip to Vlieland. The Island of Vlieland is known for its peaceful nature and many sand dunes. It is located in the northern Netherlands and is the second least populated municipality in the Netherlands. Our adventure had two options – a bike ride or a drive on the beach. Needless to say, we chose the drive on the Beach. As we left the ship, the bike riders went in one direction and we boarded a bus for a quick ride to where our transport awaited.
The Vliehors Express makes trips over the sand desert which is some 20 square kilometers on the west side of Vlieland. The Vliehors is also called the Sahara of the North due to the size of the area covered in sand. Our transport was a converted military truck with extra wide tires. Along the way, we were on the look-out for seals, but alas non were in evidence during our trip. The highlight of the trip, beyond the unique adventure, was a visit to the Reddingshuisje or rescue cottage located in the middle of the sand dunes.
The cottage dates from 1890 and was built here as a shelter for shipwrecked sailors. If a ship was wrecked during a storm, and survivors were able to make it to shore, they could reach the striking white house where blankets, basic foodstuffs and water were stored. There was also a telephone connection to a post house more than five miles away to alert someone of their presence at the place. After the storm had subsided, they were then picked up by horse and cart. Nowadays the house is furnished with all kinds of things that were found during beachcombing.
The fence is also made of driftwood and buoys. Everything that has washed up on the beach can be admired here, from cigarettes to messages in a bottle – small items stored inside the ‘house’ while lots of stuff arranged around the driftwood fence.
Since 1997, the rescue house has been one of the official wedding locations on Vlieland. This unique wedding location has been in the top 10 of the most beautiful locations worldwide for several years. Inside the house, those who have been married in the house are allowed to write their names on the wall and ceilings.
After our visit to the rescue house we went back to where we boarded to reconnect with our biking friends and have lunch.
After lunch, we walked through the village and visited various spots – of course including a gift shop or two.
Once completed, we were to the ferry and back to our ship for the evening’s entertainment the ‘reveal’ of the next adventure.