Having patience like angels. That is quite difficult for a motorbiker in the winter (except for a few die-hard, of course).
At the moment we are looking forward to the Motorbeurs in Utrecht here in biking Netherlands. The previous edition was in 2020. Many are therefore eager to visit the Motorbeurs after all the corona misery.
Still, I look back at 2022 with a smile.
I often tell about the beautiful historical places within the Province of Zeeland, but also occasionally outside Zeeland. For example, the city of Hellevoetsluis can be found on one of the South Holland islands.
In the 15th century, Hellevoetsluis was a small harbor called Nieuw-Helvoet. The current historic fortifications was built in the 17th century. This to strengthen the war and trade port. Hellevoetsluis developed into an important naval port with associated naval base, training institutes and fortifications. At the beginning of the 20th century, however, this slowly came to an end, especially when the naval base was moved to Den Helder.
Unfortunately, Hellevoetsluis was partially demolished by the Nazis during World War II. Simply to create a better field of fire in defense of their own institutions. After the war, the navy temporarily returned. The harbor was used by the navy as a base for temporarily decommissioned ships from the minesweeping service. One of the minesweepers was eventually named after the town. The Mr. Ms. Hellevoetsluis (which was decommissioned in 2011).
The minesweeper AMS 60 Bernisse served until 1995 under the name M927-Spa. After some wanderings and name changes, the ship was definitively named AMS 60 Bernisse in 2002. The ship can be visited to this day, but when you visit Hellevoetsluis it may just be that the minesweeper is not present. The ship is part of the cultural sailing heritage of the navy and therefore visits various events (often port days) in the Netherlands.
The Buffel is a so-called ram tower ship. The name actually tells the function of the steamship. The bow was an armed ram with the aim of ramming/damaging enemy ships just below the waterline. The bow is therefore very impressive to stand in front of. The Buffel was launched for the first time in 1868. It was the very first fully steam-powered ship of the Dutch Navy. However, the Buffel has never really performed its function effectively outside of the various exercises. Due to, among other things, a very heavy gun turret on top of the ship, it was very unstable in the water in rougher weather conditions. The Buffel was therefore put into use in 1894 as a training ship to train sailors in the use and maintenance of steamships. From 1948 to 1974, the Buffel was used as a floating sleeping quarters, after which it was transferred in 1974 to serve as a museum ship from that year onwards.
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