Stuck in Lauweswoog

On the evening of Thursday 21st June, Ann and Alan Ramsden joined me at Grouw having got the train from Amsterdam airport. We had a long walk from the station as there are no buses that meet the train, and the only taxi service in the village went bust. Grouw is very pretty but not a teeming metropolis!
Never mind, we went to the same restaurant where Tina celebrated her birthday the day before and had a good feed and some liquid fuel. On Thursday 22nd we were weather bound, force 7 winds and impossible to exit our box berth, so more eating, drinking and reading!
On Saturday 23rd we were able to leave Grouw on a blustery but sunny day and motored to Leeuwarden. Leeuwarden has lovely moorings in the centre of town at Prinsen Tuin. These mooring have all the facilities but are in a grassed tree lined park area next to the old town. A very pretty stop.
The rain started during Saturday night and, by the time we left on Sunday 24th, it was pouring. Just our luck because we planned a long day through Dokkum and on to the marina adjacent to the sea lock at Lauwersoog. It rained and rained and rained. I have not seen it like that outside the tropics. Alan and I got soaked while Ann navigated and kept the spirits up with food and drink.
All things have an ending however, and we arrived to dry out, eat steaks and inhale two bottles of wine.
So here we are on Monday fretting to get to sea and on to German waters, but stuck yet again by F6 to 7 winds.