The sky is gray over the Dutch island of Texel, and there is a strong breeze on the Wadden Sea. The island’s cyclists don’t have to do any pedaling if they go downwind. The wind is so strong that even the sheep are hiding in the lee of the dikes to get away from it.
When I get to Oudeschild, a picturesque village on this largest of the Wadden Islands, it’s blowing Force 6, and wind is tearing the whitecaps right off the tops of the waves. Tucked away inside Oudeschild’s well-protected harbor, I find the TX20 Walrus, a shrimper licensed to carry passengers, and ask the skipper whether he’ll be going out this morning.
I had found out about the shrimper on its website, which states, “The windier the day, the greater the adventure.” With the sea conditions being what they are, I’m hoping to see for myself if Walrus is the home of “Deadliest Catch, Texel style,” as the website promises.
The captain tells me he won’t be going out this morning. “This afternoon,” he growls. I’m bummed because the forecast predicts the winds will start letting up by then, and I want it to be a wild ride. “I came all the way from America,” I tell him, but the only response I get is a curt “two o’clock” as he disappears into the wheelhouse.
Now, I have almost four hours to kill, although I know that won’t be a problem on Texel. The island is drool-worthy beautiful with long views across flat meadows as well as the Wadden and North seas. In the village, I get myself a and a (a cheese sandwich
