We are in Amsterdam for Christmas, as guests of Tanya’s sister Olga and her partner Koen. After a few days of the usual holiday overindulgence, we started to explore. A trip to Amsterdam revealed a city changed little since I last visited. How,refreshing! The atmosphere around the canals is as festive and bohemian as I remember.

We also found time to visit the excellent maritime museum, a must for us salty types. The centrepiece exhibit is a full scale, working replica of the ‘Amsterdam’ an East Indiaman. The original sank off Hastings (UK) back in 1748.The new model, built between 1985 and 1990, is a tribute to the shipwright’s skills. It is all a far cry from RYA sail training but good to be reminded of some real nautical history.

Next stop on our winter yrvale extravaganza will be southern Spain to catch up with more relatives. I doubt Puerto Banus will have anything to as traditional to offer as the ‘Amsterdam’.

Happy New Year to all of our clients. We hope to see you here on a RYA course soon!