The rain is ticking on deck – I always love the sound of rain on deck and sitting comfortably below.  It’s steamy inside and busy with kids finding their cabins, unpacking their bags, getting to know each other and parents saying goodbye. The first day of our Europe Trip 2022 – the weather is grey but the mood onboard certainly isn’t 🙂 With lots of waving, air kisses and cheers we leave the harbour of Medemblik and hoist the sails. Today is a short hop to Den Oever – through the lock and into the harbour behind it. All ready for our sail to Texel tomorrow over the Waddensea. After dinner a few brave kids decide to go for a swim and before we know it almost everyone is in the water, splashing around and having fun. We are all off for an early night after a busy and eventful day and sleep in the next day ( that means waking up around 8am) The tide is still coming in so while we wait for it to turn we have a big good breakfast and a little walk ashore to the lookout. 

Around midday the tide is good and we take Guppy out to sea again – the kids enthusiastically hoist the sails and we’re off. There is not a lot of wind but enough to be sailing along really nicely – and with the current helping us we are flying past the buoys that are guiding us through the channels between the sandbars. 

Texel is the island of sheep and Jutters ( jutters are people who collect things that wash up on the beach) We rent bikes and visit a really big jutters museum where we can see things that have washed up on the islands beaches. It varies from parts of boats, lifeboats to tv’s and everything in between. After the museum it’s time for the beach and for some of us a fresh dive into the sea. The way back we bike through the forest, to a nice lookout point and arrive back on Guppy tired but content after all the activities and 25km of biking. Apparently we hadn’t tired the kids out enough because they still decided to go for a swim and played around on deck. 

The following day we left the harbour after breakfast. Today is a long day-sail to Terschelling. The weather is on our side, sun and a beautiful wind accompany us all the way and we even spot a few seals. After a couple of intense and busy days we are having a quiet movie night today and treat the kids to French fries and snacks. Tomorrow will be another day packed full of adventures as we explore the bunkers, dunes and town on Terschelling.