Holland 2012, Day Eight

May 21st Day Eight

Got up early and got the room ready to leave, only for the rep to inform us that we could use the room until 12:00 if we wanted to.

So we spent a final couple of hours in the amusement park.

 

Then we drove to the seaside and popped into Lidl for some wine and beer to take home, I was surprised how much I could fit into an already full car. I got as much of the canned wheatbeer as I could, this was the beer I bought a lot on our trip to Germany in 2007, Grafenwalder, Hefe Weissbier. Also got a couple more new beers from the wine shop close by, I though I had the exact money to pay but forgot the deposit on glass bottles and had to go back to the car for more, very embarrassing.

We then set off to be somewhere closer to the port, also stopped for some engine oil, on the way, as the oil warning light had been flicking on and off. As has happened before to us, when you get too close to the ferry port, there is nowhere to go but the terminal, so we ended up there. Although we didn't have to wait too long to get on the ferry.

We had a beer while the ship was loaded and wandered on deck to take photos. Also bought more beer from the booze shop on board, Got two slabs of Morland, Old Speckled Hen. I have worked out, if I bought 13 packs of beer, the price difference would pay for the ferry crossing, and that would be for the van not just the car.

Back on deck for photos as we left the port and of the other ships in harbour. Later Amber and Dot went to the children's play area and watched a Alvin and the Chipmunks film, while Ralph and I had another beer or two. Then Amber fell asleep while we had a final beer of the holiday.

I did venture out a couple more times for shots of the sunset as we headed out to sea and home.

Holland 2012, Day Seven

May 20th Day Seven

Our last full day in Holland, did some packing, then Me, Dot and Amber went for a walk into town, I think Ralph was a little delicate after the long football match at the bar.  We had a pleasant walk before heading back for lunch.

Later after food, we all went back over to the town for a couple of final drinks in a couple of bars we hadn't visited before.  We had a couple in the first bar sat out in the sun before moving on the the bar just outside the campsite.

Not only was it the closest bar to the campsite, it was also the cheapest we had used all week, typical the last place you visit, is the one you could have used every night.

Amber kept herself amused by getting money from her Gran, to use in the gumball machine, to get little toys to play with.

Then it was back to the van for an early night, we had to be up early but only because we had to vacate the room by ten.  The ferry wasn't until the evening so we intended to stay on the park and spend some of the day on the funfair.  We just had to be out of the room.

Holland 2012, Day Six

May 19th Day Six

Could not find the problem with the car battery and with a little help from passer-bys we got it running. With the car running immediately set off for a day at the seaside, this would also help recharge the battery.  We headed to a resort recommended by the Thompson's rep, Scheveningen.

The first thing to go wrong was a road that sat nav wanted us to turn onto had a sight saying no right turn and this was the way we wanted to go. So from being within a mile of the resort we were heading for, we were on a dual carriageway heading the wrong way and it took an age to get back.

Then, when we eventual got to Scheveningen, there was nowhere to park, it was very very busy but of course it was still the holiday weekend. So we headed back to the smaller seaside resort that Ralph and I had found earlier in the week, Katwijk aan Zee.

Parked up on the sea front and headed for the beach, only for Amber to inform us that she doesn't like sand. So we went for a beer in a beach bar instead of playing in the sand.

Back at the site and at the funfair again, I think the beer had an effect on me, as I agreed to go on a ride that I had said "I am not going on that" earlier in the week. I think a went blind just before the end of the ride, with all the G-force involved.

That evening Ralph and I went to the "Irish Bar" to watch the UEFA Champions League final, between Bayern Munich of Germany and Chelsea of England at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Bayern Munich's home ground. It was very crowded and we didn't know who was supporting who. When Bayern Munich scored there was a huge cheer but when Chelsea equalised five minutes later, there was an even louder cheer. The game went to extra time and then went to a penalty shoot-out, which Chelsea won 4–3. We where late geting back to the van.

Holland 2012, Day Five

May 18th Day Five

Spent another full day in the funfair, mainly watching Amber enjoying herself. We had initially intended to spend some of the day in the pool and had gone over early to miss the crowds but we were too late. The queues were very long, too long to waste holiday time. If we had known about the long holiday weekend in Holland, we would have used the pool more earlier in the week.

At lunch time Amber had to catch up on her homework, a diary of her holiday for school, to make up for having time off. Then it was back to the funfair.

We had a night in with a movie but first Ralph went off to buy some beer, only to discover that the car battery was completely flat. We could not find a reason for it but it would have to wait until the morning.