Day 13: Louis, Louis, oh oh...

Easy woke up with a nice instant coffee (no other option, but luckily not bad) in bed!

Then we bought sandwiches and had breakfast. The weather is still good, although it has become a bit cooler, the sun is shining!

Today is organizing and laundry day. Luckily, we have a big washing machine and dryer in the house, so we can do everything in one go!

Alda is taking care of the Kurtaxe in the village and I am working on arranging accommodations for the coming days.

We still want to go to the Dutch islands via the Dollard and Ems.

In Germany, I am trying to find accommodations through 'vrienden op de fiets', an organization that we are members of, where you can stay with private individuals for little money if you come by bike or on foot. Unfortunately, they are all fully booked, but in the Netherlands, I am lucky and already have a few accommodations.

After this intensive calling and searching, Alda has finished the laundry and we are ready for our outing today!

We have booked a boat trip to the seal bank! And since we found a seal on the beach in the Netherlands a few years ago, and Alda named him Louis, all the seals at our place are naturally called Louis! https://youtu.be/1RZJ4ESU52U

There is a strong wind, so we put on our jackets on the boat. When the boat is fully filled (many families with children), we go full speed towards the end of Norderney where the sandbank with seals is.

Arriving here, we find at least 50 seals in front of us and the mission is accomplished! They are such cute creatures. On the way back, we sit inside, enjoying a Bockwurst and a beer. Great trip!

When we are back on land, we walk home for a sanitary pit stop and then we go in search of good food.

We find it in an Italian restaurant where we are served by a Holland fan, and where we have to look for an ATM after dinner because their card machine is from the Middle Ages and doesn't recognize our Dutch card... But the food was excellent!

At home, we watch some news and then see you tomorrow!

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Easy woke up with a nice instant coffee (no other option, but luckily not bad). It's raining and the temperature is a bit cooler.

Then we bought sandwiches and had breakfast. The weather is gradually improving and the sun is coming out. There is a fresh breeze.

Today is organizing and laundry day. Luckily, we can use the large washing machine and dryer in the house, for a fee of course. Everything can be done at once!

In the meantime, Alda is taking care of paying the tourist tax in the village and I am trying to organize accommodations for the coming days.

We still want to hike to the Dutch islands via the Dollard and Ems.

In Germany, I am trying through 'vrienden op de fiets', an organization that we are members of, where you can find cheap accommodations with private individuals for people who are cycling or walking. Unfortunately, they are all fully booked, but in the Netherlands, I am more lucky and can book a few accommodations.

After this intensive phone calls and searches, Alda has finished the laundry and we are ready for our outing today!

We have booked a boat trip to the seal sandbank. And since we found a seal on the Dutch beach a few years ago, and Alda called him Louis, all the seals at our place are naturally called Louis! https://youtu.be/1RZJ4ESU52U

It's windy, so we even put on our jackets on the boat. When the boat is full (many families with children), we go full speed to the end of Norderney where the sandbank with seals is.

Arriving here, we see at least 50 seals on the sandbank and in the water - mission accomplished! They are such lovely creatures! On the way back, we sit comfortably inside - a wonderful trip!

When we are back on land, we first make a pit stop at our accommodation, and then we go in search of a nice place to eat.

We find it in an Italian restaurant, where we are served by a Holland fan, and where we have to search for a cash machine after dinner... Their card machine is from the Middle Ages and doesn't recognize our Dutch bank card. The food was excellent.

At home, we watch the news and then see you again tomorrow!