Off to Coesfeld via Efteling.

Friday 7th July.

162 miles


The alarms had been set for 6:30am and it was just aswell we did, there was no announcement over the ships tannoy to wake us up which is unusual. We would not have slept in anyway as Joyce didn't sleep too well for some reason. Anyway, we got up and went to the dining hall for buffet breakfast and had our fill. The ferry docked in Rotterdam on a gorgeous morning and we were in Bessie and ready to disembark just after 8:30. 

My sat nav was set to take us to the theme park called Efteling. It is supposed to be Hollands premier theme park and it would not disappoint. It was recommended by the couple we had chatted to the previous evening. It was a gorgeous day and we navigated the busy roads around Rotterdam with no problems. We arrived and quickly made some sandwiches for the day...these are not cheap places to visit so taking some of our own food saves a bit cash. 

We had a few messages to and from Ina and Bjorn and it was agreed that we would aim to be at their house at around 8pm. Bjorn was working until that time and Ina had a lot of preparations to do as not only were they welcoming us to their home, they also had a big party and BBQ to plan for on the Saturday. Bjorn had explained about this party during our phone call, a lot of his good friends and family had helped out with various jobs in their new home and this was to be a part of his thanks to them all for their assistance, and we were privileged to also be invited. Bjorn had advised me that he was going to be flying a Scotland flag for our visit and also to make sure we found the correct house, there's not much he doesn't think about😊.

It would take us around 3 hours to drive from Efteling to Coesfeld so we had until just after 4:30pm to enjoy the theme park, plenty time we thought....well no actually....this place is huge. I think you need 2 full days to properly see Efteling.....the carpark is enormous and the park goes on and on. Efteling is themed around children's fairy stories, many of which we had actually forgotten about so it was great to remember the tales and also explain them to Callum and Logan. The weather was absolutely roasting, around 32'c which for us pale Scots folks is a bit too hot. The park was also very busy so there were some quite lengthy waits in queues for the bigger rides which combined with the heat made for a pretty hot and sweaty day. However the place is really good and we all had a great time....even got Joyce on a pretty decent rollercoaster much to her annoyance, 😆. 

We left the park at 4:30pm and got on the road to Coesfeld...it was unpleasantly hot and the many fairly boring motorway miles had everyone in the van sleeping...well apart from me...but at one point I did have to stop for a coffee before I too fell asleep....at the wheel which would not have been good. 

At 8:15pm we arrived in Lette, and sure enough and true to his word, there was the Scotland flag flapping away in the breeze we were at the right house. We recieved a very warm welcome from Ina, her mum Monika, Bjorn and their 3 dogs Fiene, Mila and Emma. In Norway there was only 1 big bloodhound pup Fiene but she is now fully grown and has been joined by Mila the Basset hound and Emma who is Monica's collie dog. Pretty soon tails were wagging all around and we were all sitting comfortably chatting and really happy to be in this great company again. 

After a beer we were soon tucking into a fantastic BBQ meal and lots of other very tasty foods. We had lots to talk about and we enjoyed a really lovely evening. Fortunately also the sun had dropped and also the temperature so it was much more pleasant. We all chatted into the small hours until eventually the ladies, and Callum and Logan all went to bed leaving myself and Bjorn to our stories, beer and of course whisky(s).....it would appear that we have a sort of unwritten rule that we do not go to bed until after 3am😀. A great end to a great day🍻!!!





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