Weekend at Den Helder and Texel Island

We had a fun weekend in Den Helder and Texel Island, on the North Sea, on the west coast of the Netherlands.



The Dutch Navy is based in Den Helder, and every year they hold "Fleet Days," an open house when the public can tour some of the ships.



Here are some of the ships we could tour:



There were several interesting demonstrations of military maneuvers, including an amphibious tank landing and paratroopers. Here the helicopter is used to fish out a sailor who fell overboard:



We also got to tour the magazine, where armaments and other supplies are stored. I was suprised that we were allowed to see (and photograph) these yellow boxes, containing missiles:

Texel Island, one of the the Wadden Islands, is a short ferry ride away from Den Helder. This is one of the two ferries that make the crossing:



Texel Island is a beautiful, peaceful place with excellent bike trails through heath meadows, forests, beaches, and farms. There were lots of sheep:



Of course there were several quaint towns. Here I am in Den Hoog, where we stayed at a bed and breakfast:



The beaches along the North Sea are a favorite vacation spot for many Dutch and Germans. It was about 60 degrees and very windy when we were there, but there were still people out swimming. Others were hiding in holes they dug in the sand to get out of the wind.