Those peaceful nights

In the Netherlands, sailing is big. Really big. Or perhaps, the country is just a tad too small to fit all those sailors in. But on hot summer days, everybody seems to get out on the water. In the evenings, even the smaller natural harbors and inlets are packed full of boats. There's the smell of barbeques, dinghy-racing kiddo's and the five other boats you have to climb over to get ashore. Mass tourism, Waterworld-style.

But every-so-often (especially later in the season), you still get to enjoy one of those peaceful nights. When you are the only boat moored at a lonesome jetty. When all you hear is birds. When you wake up to see the sun rise above a misty landscape. When you are suddenly attacked by a feeling of total relaxation.

These are the nights that make it all worth it...