Woodstock love, peace and happiness on an Amsterdam houseboat

Woodstock couple falls in love with the houseboat life


 
In the summer of 1969 Bobbi and Nick Ercoline were, unknowingly, photographed during the legendary Woodstock festival. This picture became the cover of the iconic album Woodstock: 'Music from the Original Soundtrack and More'. Now, in the winter of 2019 the couple are the guests of honor of ‘Woodstock The Story – 50th Anniversary Tour’. During their stay in Amsterdam, they lived the most bohemian, hippie-esque life possible: on a houseboat. And they fell in love, head over heels, again.

 

Text and photo's: Juul Steyn

  

Bobbi and Nick love their houseboat

Bobbi and Nick Ercoline fell in love all over again both with each other and the hippie lifestyle on a houseboat (photo: Juul Steyn / Bookahouseboat.com)

 

A trip down memory lane

What a contrary this trip to Amsterdam was compared with their visit to the festival of peace, love and great music 50 years ago. Time for a trip down memory lane. Back then they had not even planned on going, but there was some magic buzz going on, and according to the news it was ‘a mad house’. “Reason enough to go! Not to mention the great names mentioned that would be playing there: Jimi Hendrix, Crosby, Stills Nash and Young, Janis Joplin, Joan Baez. Something really special was about to happen and we just had to be there”, says Bobbi, warming herself on the wood stove burner in the houseboat.

 

 

The iconic Woodstock Album, capturing an embrace of Bobbi and Nick that would change their lives in a great way.

 

Aboard the 'hippie houseboat' 

The houseboat, a typical Amsterdam way of living, was arranged as a surprise by the management of ‘Woodstock The Story’. The interior is bohemian, loose, with lots of recycled materials and vintage furniture. Yes, we may call this a hippie boat for sure, very suitable for the occasion. “I simply can’t believe that we will call this floating piece of history our home for four days. Living on a houseboat was something that was pretty much invented by hippies, back in the 60’s, when housing in Amsterdam was a huge problem. And now, half a century later, we are living the life that we could have had if we would have been Dutch hippies. Well, staying on this houseboat makes us feel like Dutch hippies for sure!”


 

Woodstock Bobbi and Nick love their Amsterdam Houseboat

Bobbi and Nick aboard their Amsterdam houseboat rental. (photo: Juul Steyn / Bookahouseboat.com)

 

A confession to make...

When asking about the 'level of hippieness', a big grin appears. “Well, I do have a confession to make”, says Nick when I ask him about being on the cover of the legendary Woodstock album. With a big grin: “We were not that hippie at all. Of course we liked the music, but you could not compare us with let’s say hardcore hippies like the Marry Pranksters for example. But when we found out that we were on the album cover, we were seen as icons of an era. And that has brought us many good things. Not only are we still involved in the current Woodstock festival, but it is great that we can experience special events such as being here in Amsterdam.”

 

 

Support