Houseboat Tjalk de Dankbaarheid
“I sleep on a houseboat near the island of Woude in a Dutch lake called Alkmaardermeer, but I feel like I’ve disappeared from the earth’s trees for a while and don’t have anything to do with anyone out there. Just what I needed: freedom!”
The four-person classic Tjalk is decorated in a beautiful vintage-style and besides a whole boat, you have your own garden with outdoor kitchen and outdoor bath as well! Because you are staying at a tiny island, it feels like you are sleeping in the middle of nowhere while the houseboat is just a 30-minute drive from Amsterdam and the North Sea beach!
Inside you will find made-up beds, a pile of towels and a bathtub under the skylight next to the wood-burning stove. No worries: there is also central heating on board. There is a kitchen with everything you need, a seating area, a couch and a toilet. De Dankbaarheid also has a garden which has an outdoor bathtub, dining table, outdoor kitchen and lounge benches. There are two free bikes and two canoes for usage: perfect! The island itself is lovely. It is small, but offers a lot of unspoiled nature and you can walk around the island in just two to three hours.
I loved the welcoming bottle of rum and all amenities to make an old-fashioned hot chocolate with rum and marshmallows. God, I loved it! Another lovely detail: the old-fashioned typewriter had a paper that welcomed us personally and gives you an opportunity to write a short story or poem. I couldn’t help myself and started typing:
a quiet boat
on a quiet lake
under quiet rain
floats in my mind
and even if
today gets loud
or scary
i know i can find
that quiet boat
in the quiet forest
the quiet forest
of my brain
anytime i wish
i can sail and dream
in a quiet boat
under the quiet rain
