This afternoon we came home from a week long vacation we spent on a house boat in the Netherlands and we are thrilled that everything worked out so well!
This was the first time we had a sitter for our two cats and house and it couldn’t have been better.
The day before we left the sitter arrived by train and I picked her up from the station. After a walk through the house we invited her out for dinner and had a nice chat afterwards in our kitchen. We had a good feeling about her right away and it proofed to be right.
She sent us pictures each night at the same time and we chatted a bit about her day. She got along with the cats perfectly and giving them their medication was no problem.
This morning she left before we got back, everything was as spotless as when we left, there were new sheets on the bed and a delicious meal waiting in the fridge, which I just now warm up in the oven…that’s why I have the time to write this.
The cats were relaxed and said hello only on the way outside which was completely different when we only asked the neighbors to feed them twice a day.
So all in all it was a success! Thank you THS!
Welcome home @anon39388349 and thank you for sharing a such a wonderful post, I’m sure your kitties were pleased to see really, although it sounds as if they didn’t have the opportunity to actually miss you … a phrase I use with owners “They will never know you’ve been gone until you walk back through the door” Yours left as you walked back in 
Thank you again for sharing and to think this is happening in thousands of homes around the world … pets being kept happy and loved at home and human families enjoying time away with absolute peace of mind.
How did you enjoy a week on a houseboat and had you vacationed on one before?
@Angela_L
Thank you so much for your words 
We haven’t been to the Netherlands before and we have never been on a house boat. My husband loves to go sailing and has all possible and necessary licenses for renting a boat. We have been to Greece, Turkey and Croatia before but I must confess, as a non-sailor I liked the house boat better. It’s not as “shifting” as a sail ship and it’s much easier to dock on with it (not really wind ans waves) and I liked the canals in the Netherlands. It’s beautiful and I never knew 
You can stop in the middle of a town and walk to many restaurants and markets
Thank you for some beautiful images and for your experience of being on the canals, I love the water but have a very bad “sailor” husband, this could be an ace card … thank you.
@anon39388349 what lovely photos, it looks wonderful! I am a very bad sailor, I get seasick easily. I love narrowboat holidays on canals and rivers in the UK though, for all the same reasons you mention above. We will have to try a houseboat holiday in the Netherlands some time.
Thanks for sharing the pics.
When my dad retired in the 1980s, we took a month long trip to the UK - 3 weeks of driving, but the last week on a 42 foot long canal boat on the Shropshire Union Canal. We had a great time - tied up most nights in towns so we could ‘eat out’ and not have to cook on the boat, although we could have. My dad drove the boat, which meant that I was hopping off to open and close the lock gates. I’ve never gone back to digitize the old film pictures.
Glad you had a good experience with the sitter. I’m sitting for 3 weeks in the San Juan Islands with some first-timers now, although they have sat for others.
I love it !!
Great experience for all!!! Thanks for sharing 
Woohoo 
We had another just perfect sitter experience finished yesterday.
We were away for 11 days, including the insecurity of prior to departure PCR testing and the risk of not getting back on time due to Covid-19 infection, both of which hasn’t happened thankfully 
Our sitters took really good care of our two cats and they were given their medication on time each day. We were in contact daily and we received short video clips and pictures.
When we arrived back very early yesterday morning, they had prepared a breakfast for us including eggs and fruit and Harald said he still feels like being on holiday 
The couple was so easygoing and fun, we were actually sad they had to leave.
We would welcome them back anytime to look after our house and the cats.
Fabulous news @anon39388349 … it’s always good to hear about “perfect” experiences, and wow… it looks like you had a fabulous time with your WILD “pets”. That definitely deserves a “TRAVEL TALK” update if you have time to do one at some point 
Fantastic photos @anon39388349. I’ve been fortunate to visit parts of Africa three times and just love seeing the magnificent animals in their natural habitat. Have a real softness for elephants.
So great to hear about your positive experiences. I have a question about the food that was prepared for you. While I always make sure that to stock the fridge when I complete a sit (milk, eggs, bread) and buy some fresh fruit, onions, whatever I think they will use, I have thought about making soup or quiche or a casserole, but then wondered if that would be appreciated or not. What did your sitter make that you reheated for dinner when you got home from your trip? Maybe we should start a new topic thread so that people can chime in with good ideas.
She made vegetarian Tortellini with spinach, tomatoes and peas, nuts and a pesto sauce. It was delicious!