It wouldn’t have mattered how many hours we had spent in bed, gentle nervousness rather than anxiety had ruined any possibility of adequate sleep, so we had no chance of missing the early taxi to the hospital where we arrived more than an hour early and as things so often do, things simply began falling into place.
It began with our coffee in the hospital foyer. George, the proprietor of the shop, concerned that we’d spent way too many days in the last two weeks drinking his coffee, enquired as to our health. After discovering our story, with genuine concern told us he understood how difficult it must be, strangers in town locked in a small boat, and very sincerely offered at any time we wanted a break, to come to the boat and pick us up to take us for a coffee just to get out for a bit.
Shaken by his kindness, but not stirred, we arrived almost an hour early for our appointment to be told that the post-op department wasn’t particularly busy and we’d be welcome to come now if that’s ok.
Even more shaken, once the plaster was removed and the sutures had followed, with strict instructions for the next six weeks or so, and after picking up a paper trail that seemed to have everyone in the hospital running after us for a time, we had that tick!
After a round of farewells, thanks and hugs around the harbour, we gave Mr Perkins a little tickle under his chin, and before midday we had left that wondrous part of this year’s adventure in our wake.
With one thing in mind, to push as far south as we could in the next two days, we had no time for glorious cruising photographs, but as we passed Willemstad to Port, the waving Windmill gave us pause for thought.
We had been on a mission a few weeks ago, to begin our cruise further north, telling ourselves that there’d be plenty of time to photograph windmills later and that we should really get excited about the first one we’d seen in the Netherlands (this year).
There is probably no need to expand on how that worked out, but now faced with a journey curtailed by several months, with just a little disappointment, this same Mill will almost certainly be the last one we see in the Netherlands (this year).
1 comment
Never say never. It will all be there for next year.
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