(english version) Wat a reception in Ersfjordbotn, great!

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Willem Willemse / Ingrid van den Broek
Mon 25 Aug 2008 09:42
Wat a great reception in Ersfjordbotn. After a relatively short trip from Svalbard (we sailed very fast!!! 10 knots over water) we arrived after 96 hours in which we sailed 621 miles from Longyearbyen to Ersfjord. The first person we saw on the dock was waving and letting us know we could moor the boat against his quay, belonging to his fathers' fishing factory. That was really great because there are not many possibilities in Erfsfjorbotn. There is a small boat harbour but there are rocks everywhere and our map is not charted well. Of course you can always anchor but it is so much more quiet when you can lay at a quay.
 
We then grabbed a bottle of wine and went to meet Heidi and Jan Bjornaer, where we were greeted with open arms, a great lunch with fresh bread and shrimps AND as desert of course the great chocolate cake. Our freezer is now full of chocolate cake so we can enjoy this for the next few days for sure!!!
 
When we got back to the boat, the quay was full of children and their parents. Erfsjordbotn is not so big so a big sailing boat is quite excxiting. In turns children came on board to see what is felt like, being on a sailing boat, really very nice!!
And after that Viggo, his wife and Odd Arild (one of his crewmembers and uncle of Heidi) showed up as a surprise!
It was such a nice first day back in Ersfjordbotn.
 
Yesterday we were allowed to borrow Heidi and Jan Bjornaers' car (fantastic) and we went to Tromso to meet Pernilla and Joachim, our Swedish friends from Maloy last year. Just arrived we first met a guy we met last year in Bodo and we saw the Italian and Polish boat we had also met in Svalbard. Small world! Then we had a lovey lunch with Pernilla and Joachim to then drive to Odd Arilds' house for a great fish soup with Viggo and his wife.
 
At 23.00 o'clock last night we drove "home" to our fishing quay, feeling very happy and satisfied, having enjoyed great food and great company for 2 days. What a great reception in Ersfjordbotn!!!