It’s time to hit the high seas, ok, well, the high canals! Raise the anchor and get ready to do some Cook’n & Cruis’n. We’ve made several trips to pack our boat, Virus. As you can see, our small 500 FIAT, Bella, was loaded to the top. But after three trips to and from the boat, we are ready to hit the canals and rivers of Belgium and the Netherlands.
Yes, Virus. We inherited this name and have stuck to it since Lutz, and I have a VIRUS for the sea. It grows on you, if you know what I mean.
Stay tuned for some adventures as we travel and share exciting hot spots. I’ll share some awesome gluten, soy, and dairy-free yummy recipes on our voyage. The kitchen is small and has no stove, but we have a grill, many creative gadgets and ideas, and inspiration from neighboring villages and local folks!
I’ll do my best to recap the German that my husband has written below…my German lessons for the summer:
Lutz shared that many of his relatives were professional boaters. As a child, he recalls adventurous days motoring through the rivers and canals in Germany. In 2016, he spent a few weeks with a close friend, Andreas, on his boat motoring the Rhein and canals in Germany. Lutz said, “I got sick and caught the ship ‘VIRUS’ and decided to buy a boat for myself .” The lifesaver in the picture below was on the boat Friede (Peace), which belonged to Lutz’s Godfather. We celebrated our second delivery of goods to the ship with a glass of Champagne!
I'm Melinda Stevens and living the life of a beach bum was inevitable since my father was a lifeguard for the city of Los Angeles. My memories of growing up on John Street in Manhattan Beach, California were filled with joy, excitement and adventures; until my world, as I knew it, fell apart when we moved to Del Mar, California. My father was offered the position as Captain of the lifeguards and we started the slow migration to the small deserted stretch of beach in 1963. At twelve years old, this seemed like the end of my life. Remember, I’m writing with clear hindsight now, ok somewhat clearer… Little did I know this would be the beginning of a new journey and give a bit more clarity to many of the events that led me to this new cooking adventure.