A Wham! record is spinning in the background on the LP player. I sprawl out on the sofa lounging at Stayurt. "Where did your heart go? Did you put it on a train? Did you leave it in the rain? Or down in Mexico?", the singer sings. Not seen me in Mexico. My heart was stolen by this place full of Mongolian influences in Anna Paulowna, in the province of North Holland. Edwin and I spent three days here in a special luxury yurt.
Owner Hilde welcomes us. Stayurt, a project by her, Jurre, Fedde and Manon, stands on the farmyard of her parents-in-law. Jurre and Fedde are brothers and grew up on the farm where their father and his girlfriend Elles still live. Behind their farmhouse, hidden behind a row of trees, is Stayurt. The fact that our special residence is in a backyard is completely unnoticeable: meadows stretch as far as you can see. Complete privacy, then, though a cosy chat is just around the corner.
A luxury stay with nomadic influences - Between fields and a dyke
Hilde explains that the men themselves converted the yurt into luxury accommodation in three months. It is beautiful and completely different from other yurts I have seen. Stayurt, for instance, has windows in the tent fabric and is quite high. So high, in fact, that the bed is built on top of the kitchen and bathroom block. With a staircase, you climb up and plop down on a lovely mattress overlooking the sky - and starry skies - thanks to the huge skylight.
The first thing you notice about a yurt is its shape; round and held upright with a wooden construction. Nomadic peoples in central Asia still use yurts as portable homes. But at Stayyurt, you don't want to leave. Here, the nomadic influences are sandwiched between fields and a dike. You don't get more Dutch in terms of views. Sheep cool down under the trees right next to the yurt and horses graze in the distance.
Callantsoog: eating on the beach - Nice tips in the area
In the yurt is a booklet full of tips on what to do in the area. With 28 degrees, the decision was quickly made to head for the beach. The yurt is a 10-minute drive from Callantsoog - 20 minutes when you borrow bikes from Stayurt. After a cooling walk along the coastline, we settled down at Strandpaviljoen Vos for a vegan supper.
Although the sunset promises to be beautiful, we decide to go back to the yurt. It cools down a bit and it is not everyday that you have a hot tub at your disposal. Behind the yurt, you can enjoy the view from the veranda or - on a clear night - enjoy the starry sky from the hot tub. I make tea while Edwin warms up the hot tub. We are lucky, there is not a cloud in the sky and it is a new moon.
Free mornings - Lazing around in a hammock
The next morning, I descend the stairs and put the kettle on the cooker. Outside, I roll out my yoga mat and watch the 'pets'. As I move my body awake, I see Edwin making his way over the live wire to film the sheep up close. So apparently, when a photographer goes out with a videographer, this is reality.
The second day is also hot and in the afternoon we decide to seek out the coolness of the sea again. We drink coffee at De Strandtent and get an ice cream at ice cream parlour IJsie Prima. After a cooling dip, we head back to Stayyurt. We laze around in the hammock, read a book in the hot tub and enjoy dinner with a view of the sheep again. Edwin can tell them apart by now.
Our stay is quiet. Nothing has to be done and little happens. We let our creativity run wild and I enjoy the little details in the yurt, like the copper pipes that match the cutlery. The loose tea sitting atmospherically on the wooden beams in the kitchen (psst, as much of a tea nerd as me? Read an interview with Ms Cha' s tea maker Linda here!) and SOAP7's handmade, natural and plastic-free soaps, which smell great under the rain shower.
Winter in the yurt - Spinning records and warming up by the campfire
Wham! has been sung out and Edwin selects a new record. Another detail that makes me happy: a record player gives a different atmosphere than a JBL box. It is the third day and by now the rain is tapping on the tent fabric. I try to imagine how cosy a yurt must be in winter. I imagine that the security I already experience must be even greater. Cosying up in front of the wood-burning stove, shielded from the world, playing games and drinking tea. I think I'll come back another time in winter!
We have one more record to play and then we have to go. I get up from the sofa - which doubles as a sofa bed, so you can have up to four people over for the night - and pour myself one last cup of tea. Just do nothing for a while, before the world demands everything from me again. That comes easily to me here at Stayurt!
Love,
Yalou on the road - Unique experiences
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Staying in tinyhouse De Bosbes
Honeyguide Yalou stayed overnight in Tralaluna's homemade tinyhouse De Bosbes and enjoyed a cosy stay.
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Camping at Culture Campsite
On the grounds of Rotterdam's Delfshaven, you can spend a special night at the sustainable city campsite Culture Campsite.
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Walking from Amsterdam to Volendam
Honeyguide Femke and Yalou walked from Amsterdam to Volendam under the guidance of a storytelling podcat. Read the whole story here.