Kalvehave - Höllviken 29 July

Received this mail from a good friend, G, who has been following our travels from her armchair in South Africa. This touching account of our travels all the way from South Africa is a fitting end to our blog. Thanks G for inspiring us with our blogging!

"Hello hello,

Thank you for sharing your journey every step, or sheltering marina or lock rather... I'd love to respond to every blog with more detail. Maybe that's for future 'trailing along' in my dry armchair...

It is great to see your 'sweet little blond children' as 'grown-ups'. Calle very much the oh so independent young man totally equipped for the challenges of life 😇 And Alex quite a beautiful young lady taking life by the hand.

The Laboe Navel Memorial somewhat reminds me of the Voortrekker - and Taal Monuments, or should I keep that design-observation to my little self?

With every blog, even b4 your T-shirt, Les, I am convinced of your sailing skills-simply because Carl seems completely relaxed on all photos capturing him idling along some beach, or safely 'parked' on some restaurant chair, but most importantly (if I understand correctly) pointing out historical facts of relevance even in this day and age... As Pieter Dirk Uys, our own SA comedian, discovered: 

IT IS NOT THE FUTURE THAT IS WORRYING, IT IS THE PAST THAT IS UNPREDICTABLE 

Nou toe, lekker slaap en voorspoed. And a big African hug. Gxx"

Lellebelle leaving Kalvehave for Höllviken.

Welcome committee Birthe and Kenneth.

Here they come.

Champagne, of course. And thank you Lars and Kinna for crewing on the last bumpy ride to Höllviken!

And so the 3 year project has come to a happy end. Many years of dreaming, fantasizing, planning have resulted in wonderful feeling of satisfaction. Now onto new challenges.

And thus ends the blog!

All's well that end's well.

From the LelleBelle logg 2014 - 2016 comes following records 

Time travelled 360 days 

Distance travelled 11 000 km

Hours sailing 1017 

Countries visited 14

Ports visited 190

Locks 500

Marstal - Kalvehave 28 July

OBrother Lars called last night and, after three seasons, has at last decided to join Lellebelle on the last leg! That is tomorrow from Kalvehave to Höllviken. So we end up like we started, Carl on the boat and Leslie driving a car,

Leaving Marstal, beautiful day.

A Danish harbour along the way.

Only three hours to Kavlehave.

Danish cottage in the wood, little man at the window stood ( he was in the garden)

New crew arrive, Lars

And Kinna.

Had dinner at the hotel, stekt fläsk, that's all you getting the waiter very definitely told us, and there was no way to get anything else but stekt fläsk! Great evening

And here we are, the last evening before we get home. Quite emotional, happy and sad, but so enriched with memories!

Laboe - Marstal 27 July

KLeaving Laboe and Germany today. Denmark next.

The lovely holiday town Laboe, with the beach and Korbstuhler. A really friendly and comfortable marina. 

The Navel memorial seen from the sea.

Denmark! Was assured that the trip over from Germany was going to be smooth and calm, almost like a pond.

Well, as the T shirt says," A Smooth Sea Never Made A Skilled Sailor", I now can call myself a Skilled Sailor, having crossed a rough sea!

Staying at the marina in Marstal on the island of Aeroe. The last bit of history from mr history teacher. Apparently the King Carl X crossed over from this island to the mainland during a severe winter when the sea was ice. Took his whole army of 10 000 men, horses and cannons. And that completes our historical tour of the Swedish time of power that we have been following for the past 3 years

The beach at Marstal

Walking back to the marina after a swim.  Wonderful environment for family sailing holiday.

Carl needed to be reminded of the Belgium steaks .

Duisberg 24-26 July

Goodbye Wren. On  our way again tomorrow.

And shortbread with ginger from the Scottish travellers, home again.

Duisberg 22-23 July

Braaing in Belgium!

More Braaing in Belgium

Sleeping in Belgium

Walking in Belgium, or rather Duisberg outside Brussels. 

Took Wren for a walk. Lots of excitement. New dogs, new people. Had to take care of runaway Husky (dog), met an Englishwoman with a rescue dog, who had lived in SA for 14 years. ( the Englishwoman that is) joked about South Aftican language. Ag Shame!

Laboe - Duisberg (Brussels ) 21 July, by train

The puppy WrenI

With Alex 

With Carl 

With John 

Passed a company called Eller Montan outside Duisberg 

Two hour stop in Köln. Had lunch at Gaffel am Dom, same place we visited with Hermsnn two years ago.

Laboe 20 July

What happened? A most beautiful day!

Baltic Marina, bathed in sunlight. Carl in a hurry to get to the beach and the Korbstuhl.

 

The Kiel fjord beach with the container ships in the background. No connection with the people in the photo. Should not take photos of people? There was a man close by with a camera hanging round his neck. The camera was at stomach level. We could hear the click click of photos been taken, although he had not lifted the camera. Suddenly from behind us a man shouted, Du mitt brillen, you with the glasses ( the cameraman had glasses). When he eventually responded the man behind us asked what photos he was taking. He answered something we did not understand, but stopped taking photos. It was a bit weird!

And we did not get a Korbstuhl, all booked, we were told.

But after lunch we tried again, happiness is a Korbstuhl!

Had fun watching people trying to fold up those small beach tents. This couple gave up and just bundled the tent up and went home. A family in front of us eventually got it right with much laughter and even said to us that they had provided us with much entertainment.

 

Korbstuhl number 257

Must say, they are not so comfortable.

Laboe 19 July

After a fully packed morning with activities like washing, boat hull cleaning, breakfast, sleeping we set off to the Marin Memorial. 

Today a memorial not only in honor to German sailors and servicemen but to sailors and service men of all nations who have died on sea duty. It is quite an ugly building built between WW1 and 2. But a magnificent landmark and all naval and commercial ships hail the flag when they pass. 

At the top of the memorial you have a great view of the surroundings. On a clear day you can see Langeland 50 km away. The pic is towards Kiel.

A well deserved rest before cooking duty on board LB.

At the restaurant we test how we fit in a beach Korbstuhl.

Tomorrow we look like this. 

Laboe 18 July

Kiel - Laboe 17 July

Dropped off Calle at bus station at 01.20 this morning.

Conference time again, and this time we agree. 

Take Lellebelle to a marina a few km from central Kiel along the Kiel fjord to Laboe where she will stay untill 27/7. Bought train tickets to Brussels where we will stay at Alex and John's place from 21-26/7.

We chose Laboe partly because we can fill up with diesel and mostly because, Carl, on his trip 47 years ago, stayed here. He remembers the beach and the resort atmosphere.

Everything done according to plan, arrived in Laboe, after some confusion as to which of the two marinas we had booked, a settled down nicely.

Laboe is a fantastic choice, lovely seaside place. 

Now a few days relaxing and maybe swimming?

Great having Calle with us for a few days, especially when mother needs support 

Brunsbüttel - Kiel, Düsternbrook 16 July

We had planned to make an early start (for a change!) but not so early. Today we take on the Kiel canal, 98 km. Calle leaves on a bus to Sweden at 01.20 from Kiel so we have to get there.

Carl woke up at 5 am, put on the coffee and then heard something outside. This boat, The Roaring forties, was just about to ram us, but Carl managed to stop it. Out popped a spritely, happy and very talkative German. He was sorry for nearly ramming our boat, but no worry, continued to tell Carl ( this is  at 5 am and the whole marina is sleeping) about all his escapades, his fantastic boat, his sailing in Sweden with 4 Swedish blondes with hair flowing in the wind on his boat, and his future plans of breaking the record of sailing single handed around the world! Laughing crazily all the time. I think this is what happens when you are too mad about sailing! Anyway, we decided to give him our place ( hooked on as third boat) and escaped. So we got a very early start to Kiel

The Kiel Cansl is 98 km long and quite heavily trafficked with these monsters. This was the biggest one we saw.

And this was the weirdest one we met! Brittish flag.

We arrived at the lock after about 6 hours and had to wait nearly two hours before we could enter. An enormous lock, but the water level only sank a few cm. There were two container boats and about 15 yachts and motorboats in the lock. This is inside the lock.

And arrived in Kiel safe and sound and in good time to get Calle to the bus. Marina in the centre of the city. Lots and lots of sailing boats. Strange to be back in a sailing boat marina again and with sailing boat people. They are also quite special in a way. Like horse preople and golf people, they have their own code of conduct, not always clear to other people. The marina we stopped at is the Olympic marina from 1936. Here the Kiel Yacht Club have its base. There was a wedding party going on  at the elegant KYC hotel which is housed in the old Alfred Krupp mansion. In the harbour for the large yachts lay the classic yacht Germania VI. Very smart and well kept. 

This boat was all decked out with balloons and decorations and a Just Married Sign. The bride and groom arrived in their wedding finery and sailed away, to the reception a few 100 metres away. I sincerely hope the bride likes sailing!

Killing time in Kiel, Calle fooling around with some photos.

Another on of Calle's photos in front of the church in Kiel.