Life on the water

 It was a spontaneous decision to go for canoeing 🛶. Saturday evening booked, Sunday afternoon go. 

We started 4.30pm and came back at 6.45pm, just before the storm started. What a relief. This was a new route that we took, to go more to the nature areas of Amelisweg rather than to the center of Utrecht. We therefore really had amazing time watching nature moving on the water. Plus because people wanted to go home sooner, either to avoid the upcoming storm or to watch Netherlands playing at Europe cup at 6pm (which they turned out lost 0-2), we really had a quiet time canoeing without giving ways to others.

The water was calm from outside but when you were in, it’s so lively society.  At one part, A mother duck with her kids crossed the river calmly despite of canoeing on their way. At another part, some others were sitting on the long hedge looking at boats passing by. We even saw a grey heron took a fish from the river to his mouth. For the first time I saw a coots nest so close, like 1m or so. There were 2 coots in the nest in the middle of the river. They were actually quite grown up already but still staying their waiting for their parents to bring food home. On the way back, we saw a coot bringing a branch swimming to the other side of the river, and when he saw the canoeing closed by, he started flying up, just enough so the feet still touched the water, splashed the water around. That scene looked beautiful. 

Not only birds, human on the riverside were enjoying the summer. Young people were more in groups and looked lively sunbathing (not so much sun tho), chitchatting, some even doing swimming competition. Families with kids took it more privately among themselves but also full of laughter. Older people enjoyed themselves privately, I saw a middle age man changing clothes quietly to swim very fast and enthusiastic. A middle age lady slowly got to the water, trying to tap it carefully before swimming. All of them had a  nice way to spend their weekend evening. So were us 😊

I’m so glad that we chose that unusual time for canoeing. Since less boats, the river revealed it true self. After we finished, we were also the last bikes in the bike parking… so easy.