Travel & Hotspots

5 THINGS MAY LEARNED FROM FRIESLAND

In a desperate attempt to avoid spending my autumn holiday in an indoor playground or another equivalent of hell, I booked a traditional Dutch cruiser to sail over the Frisian waters. I did charter a real captain (my father, so that was easy) and arranged for some light crew (my girls). The last day has now arrived and I have learned a lot.

1. Female harbor masters are incredibly hands-on

If you expect to be visited in a harbor by a mustached harbor master with a pouch full of flaps, where I was, a particularly charming female figure walked by. Great.

2. There is wifi everywhere

From Terherne to Eernewoude to Langweer, you can find a solid wifi connection everywhere that doesn't require a password. The average five-star hotel could learn a thing or two from that.

3. Watch out for flying potatoes

In our ‘onboard book’ there are some behavioral rules, of which this is my favorite: “Please do not sail too fast past stationary boats. You wouldn’t like it if the potatoes rolled off your plate.” That is seriously written.

“Friesland, how can I not love you?”

4. The supermarkets

They are so incredibly precise as you want them to be. With a yellowed Harper’s Bazaar three months old, a selection of the best floats, Frisian sugar bread, and traditionally designed bags of pancake flour that-you-are-sure-to-buy-but-never-use and a wine selection where the most expensive costs 5 euros 69.

5. Everything goes as it goes

Frisians do not let themselves be made crazy. This was proven again when I came to the checkout with my shopping basket (a can of pea soup, a few cans of beer, some rolls, chips, and a bottle of fresh orange juice). The checkout was in the middle of a wooden table and it wasn't entirely clear to me what the front and back were, shall I say. I placed my groceries on the left, as I always do at Albert Heijn, but that turned out to be wrong. Completely wrong. ‘Oops,’ said the cashier. Normally, the groceries were placed on the other side. I asked if we could maybe do it the other way around for once. And it worked. The girl looked at me triumphantly. ‘Well, it worked out after all. I was feeling a bit gloomy and thought; how am I going to handle this now, but it all turned out fine.’

Friesland, how can I not love you?