Texel Island, NL, 2024: Renovations

 

To be honest, I thought I had already posted about our January trip to start some renovations in Jaap's bungalow, as a gift from Astrid's deceased brother, Sander.  

But no, I didn't.  So this is the gist:

After years of surviving on a dorm-sized fridge, we all agreed it was time for something larger

that would still fit in the space.  Astrid did the prep, while Jaap "supervised."

The same thing for a new stand-alone freezer, which needed a cabinet to protect it.

We were gone when the appliances arrived, but the photos from Jaap 

proved that all Astrid's hard work paid off!

So, that was why we were there in January.

Segue now to early March when Astrid and I returned but without Jaap.  Astrid didn't like the back of the freezer cabinet because it wasn't adequately stabilized.  So here at home she prepared a new back which she was able to install this trip.

And, yes, it did the trick!

And with that done, we spent the rest of our time (6 days total) traipsing all over the island, "practicing" with our new "Sanders" (iPhone 15 Pro Maxes).  

All the photos following, from this March trip, are with my iPhone 15 Pro Max:

Let's start with eating out!

A café in Oudeschild.

Outside that café in living color.

A café in Oosterend and, yup...I'm still on that penchant for the NOIR option.

The same café in Oosterend in living color outside, of course.

Before and after eating, as you'd guess, we were taking photos everywhere, whether at the beach (North Sea) or in the vicinity:

Again, always "practicing" with the new iPhone 15 Pro Max.

And, yes, we even visited a couple of wee churches:

This one is the Reformed Church in De Waal.

And of course, a windmill:

This one is Het Noorden near Oosterend (yes, near that café).

But the crowning success of the Texel trip this time, hands down, was my first visit to the The Slufter salt marsh, nature area.  OMG.  Where have I been all my life!

From L to R:  The Netherlands, then Texel island, zooming in to where The Slufter is.

Using the pano option, we're looking out to the sea from the inland entrance to the salt marsh.

It totally made my day, the trip, and my new "Sander."

Enough for now to say we're both totally thrilled with our new iPhones and wonder how often we'll use our Canon PowerShot cameras going forward.  Will we always want to carry BOTH cameras with us, for the rare times the Canon might actually get a better zoomed-in shot??  I guess time will tell....

Clarification:  all non-collage images have been tweaked in PhotoShop,

which means they are not SOOC (straight out of camera).