Hello friends, it's been a while since I blogged so I am catching up now. We are just pootling out of Muiden on our way to a boatyard in Amsterdam where our port side gearbox will be stripped and hopefully repaired. Manoeuvring on one engine is a little tricky.
It is always the way with boats that something goes kaput. I keep reminding myself that if we had a house it would be the boiler, or the roof, or dry rot or similar, so it just has to be gotten through. Although this does mean having no floor in the main saloon for a few days which will be fun.

I have spent the last four weeks training to be a yoga teacher, in an ashram in the middle of lots of fields in Holland. No wifi, no coffee, no meat, no alcohol and no sleeping in my own bed. I did get 10 hors off on Sundays though when I at least got to come back home and see Rick! It was a bit like a cross between cub camp and karate camp. 6am start every day with breathing exercises, often about 6 hours of yoga, lectures every day, cleaning the toilets as my karma yoga (selfless service) and lights out at 9:30pm. It sounds quite bleak when I write it starkly like that but it wasn't at all. OK, my alarm going off at 5:30 every day was a bit bleak but the days were so busy and we learnt so much that there really wasn't time to be anything but focussed on the yoga.

The month started with being given a 5page script of a 90 minute yoga class and being told we needed to know it by heart by the next Monday as our practical exam was to be giving that class with no notes by the end of the month. It is strange how time is not real and feels both fast and slow at the same time. Fast in that the days left to learn and practice seemed to whizz past. Slow in that the days between Sundays and coming home briefly seemed so long. I was bloody mindedly determined to crack a headstand knowing I really should have done it before I went. This meant lots of falling. Stronger, more flexible yogis had their four minute peaceful headstands interrupted by repetitive "donk, donk" sounds as I became very good at forward rolls out of almost vertical positions. But gradually it happened. Eventually I managed to get vertical upside down. Then I managed to get my legs up. Then I held for 5 seconds, 10 and so on. I can reliably now hold for 60 seconds and usually more. It helps if I'm not on the moving deck and I'm sure the daily push up regime will enable me to stay up for longer. I sure hope the improvements in concentration and focus become apparent! If I can do it, anyone can.

I have my first yoga-related injury to boast of too. The little finger on my right hand got dislocated while I was trying some pose no one could remember the name of. Luckily the Indian method of injury care involved simply popping it back in and getting on with the class.Thanks Omkar! Two weeks later it is still swollen and I think I may now have one of those joints oft bemoaned by grannies, that aches in the wet weather. Hey ho.

So now I am raring to go to get some teaching opportunities. Arhanta training was tough but I do feel well able to stand in front of a class and teach. I also have lots of new friends and some rather silly photos.

Now we are in Amsterdam. Parodox is poorly and we have been out of the water for a day while the prop shaft gets worked on. We keep hoping for it to be something simple but each step leads to something else. At the moment we are back in the water but there is still an oil leak. Sigh.

So this is a blog about bikes, of which there are multitudes in the Netherlands.
I have a totally proper Dutch bike. Well nearly. It is English (Dawes) but it looks like a sit up and beg Dutch beast. It is very heavy. The decal flowers and purple paint job make it look all light and Tinkerbell-like but hoisting it up and down 6feet on and off Paradox, negotiating the rails, an outboard and lots of lines is no small feat. Rick has a lightweight road bike which looks like shite but causes less cursing. And less back ache.
Anyway. Holland is amazing for cyclists. The road layouts prioritise cyclists and the culture seems to do the same. Bike stands everywhere. Sensible lanes, cycle lane traffic lights, the works. Young lads on cycles not in the least embarrassed. Brill. I love it.
Anyway anyway. Cycle story one. A couple of nights ago we were in Arnhem at a yacht club (called Jason, hehe), where the pontoons were about as wide as an A3 sheet of paper and apparently made out of springs. However, the club was great so this isn't a whinge. It did make it a bit tricky to wiggle past the two Dutch families with several kids and more deckchairs having a barbie next to our boat. And it was the cause of my bike toppling into the river and drowning one cucumber, an expensive bike lock and Rick's new cycle stand which were in the basket. Poo. On the plus side I caught the bike by the back wheel and it fell in fresh water (Rick dropped his in the sea once and it never recovered, poor thing).
That then leads to bike story two. I have been dithering over buying a new set of panniers. Ours are old and ugly and rusty and have too many zips. But. Technically they function . Hence new panniers would be a luxury, not a necessity. But I do want a pretty set to go with my (now clean) purple flowery two wheeled lovely. And the super cool basket (thanks Ange) feels dreadfully damaged being paired with ugly panniers. But, lo! New panniers! We stopped to get another stand to replace the one at the bottom of the Rijn and I saw the beauty in the picture. Smitten, the cost was irrelevant and there she is in all her Dutch-appropriate glory. An absolute necessity, clearly. Feeling very satisfied I am.
And dear friends from PHE, my leaving prezzie money was very well spent.

We have anchored in a lake. Yes. Really. There were quite small rivers to get here so it is very quiet. There are no waves, but then there is no wind either. Good job we don't have sails.

Add your own subtitles!

Heusen. Very pretty little town. Nice enough to let cheapskate cruisers anchor for free in the outer harbour. Yay!
The pink skies look like a classic painting and we even have a rainbow.
Lush

Hey y'all
It's my birthday! So we've popped a bottle of Mumm (thanks Ange D, I've been saving it) and we are sitting at anchor near Philipsdam. A bridge thingy. In Holland.
Somewhere.
Wind today but we are moving east and getting there. Not sure where there is but we are definitely on our way.
Night night lovely people.