How can one not visit IKEA when moving aboard a boat or into any new home? Today was our third visit to IKEA in Groningen, an hour's drive from Harlingen. This is a long drive for most Dutch, but being from Canada, we find the distance not that far. In Vancouver we are accustomed to visiting IKEA either in Richmond or Port Coquitlam, both about fifty minutes from our False Creek home. Familiarity is what we like about shopping at IKEA. With the layout in the Groningen store being almost identical to those in Vancouver, there is no need to ask for directions; one can find the cafeteria and always close are the washrooms. Check-out is the same, with some self-serve lines, which we choose. We have already been trained by IKEA Vancouver.
The main purpose of our expeditions to IKEA were to find items to organize our small space aboard, with hanging rods, hooks and trays. The Europeans, who are accustom to living small spaces, seem to have a flair for well designed, multi-purpose, practical and visually appealing pieces. In the hardware department we found some handsome drawer and cupboard handles and other fittings for our tiny galley, all with reasonable price tags attached.
Light fixtures were next on our list. We had been searching locally for the past three days for small wall-mounted fixtures. We found some fixtures close to the shipyard, but their prices were €80 and up, and we needed ten. At those prices, we had carefully unpacked each item for a closer inspection to see if they contained platinum, but found only chrome, metal, plastic and glass. This visit to IKEA was well worth it, as we found some stylish lamps for the boat also made with chrome metal and glass, at less than ten percent of the cost.
At the entrance to IKEA are some rental delivery carts at €2.50 per hour. You can get your fifty cent ice cream cone and pedal your loot down the bike path, unload and most likely be back within the hour. Assembling the furniture will take a bit longer.
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