Norway Day 2 Sunday 4 June 23 Harwich to Hook of Holland

 Andy bought  flexible tickets for the ferry which can be changed at the  last minute , for example to avoid squalls at sea. These include priority boarding passes.  Having stayed overnight in the ferry terminal car park , we find ourselves at the back of the queue for joining the  busy check in queues , as priority is given to drivers arriving from the road to avoid tailbacks.We waited  only 10 minutes to enter queue, but the internal grumble and toxic sense of entitlement quietly  ruminated.

Going through security, Andy was patted down by a security officer outside and the interior was given a cursory peek.

We set sail at 9 am.

Stena Hollandica was fully refitted last year, however , it felt claustrophobic . Due to high winds , only one side of the ship was bearable for sitting outside. The outside area was available on  just two levels and only at the stern end of the ferry . 6 hours of  alternating between a the cramped  lounge  or outside patches was pretty boring, and the desire to shop was  strong , as the chocolate is cheap 😉 and  I'd already seen Guardians of the Galaxy 3. 🙂 

We chatted to an English person on his way to his flat in Holland , Brexit had  made a big difference to his allowed   lengths of stay and he hadn't been able to obtain  Dutch residency even though his Dutch mother was born in Holland and later naturalised in England . A retired paramedic / fire and safety officer/ trainer for civil aviation , he was very interesting to talk to. 

We came into the Hook of Holland  an hour late at 5.45 pm, ( European time )  having  turned around  briefly to allow a big container ship to come out of harbour. The black backed gulls loved the large swell this left behind.

Wind farms dotted   the  horizon all the way across the North sea, it was a very calm  crossing with constant sun shine 

We drove to Gouda 40 mins north and parked for free in Klein America car /MH park (8€ per night after night one) EHU grey waste and toilet facilities available NB fresh water nozzle very small , we didn't have a fitting which worked. 

We were both very tired and didn't take the opportunity to explore this pretty canal rich town again , having done so last in 2019.