Thursday: We felt so much stronger today, riding our bikes against a cooler wind for much of the time on a 28 miles journey from Zaanse Schans to Alkmaar. We had a tiny bit of rain for the first 30 minutes, but it quickly warmed up a bit and we were greeted with blue skies and lovely billowy clouds. After a brief stop by Hortus Bulborum, a unique garden museum dedicated to the preservation of rare and historic bulbs. We continued around areas that used to be mostly lakes and marshes, then stopped for a coffee break at a marina near the large lake and later visited a beautiful small Catholic church with amazing paintings above the alter and along the side walls. A woman from the monastery quietly and reverently attended to the alter area.
We biked down canals and passed more tulip fields, then stopped for a coffee break at a small café near a lake and marina. Ted saw they had a guitar available, and hammed it up, first singing a Beatles song just to Sue (I’ve Just Seen A Face), then got everyone in the room enthusiastically singing Country Roads, to the delight of the cafe owner.
Later we rode through a nature preserve of sand dunes, and a beautiful forest while getting close to our destination of the day, Alkmaar. The old town here, has well-preserved 17th century buildings, many small shops, and narrow-winding canals. Our guides led us in a town walk. Then we enjoyed a dinner in town at the De Buren restaurant, with our new friends Dana and Pete, from Littleton, Colorado.
Friday: Our cycling group got smaller today on our last day riding, as several people decided to stay on the boat going back into Amsterdam. We chose to cycle, and enjoyed a 30-mile ride past a former windmill complex of the Schermer Polder, and two small towns with centuries of history evident in the wooden facades. Sue bought small porcelains plate, a sticker, and a pair of miniature clogs to remember beautiful Netherlands.
We also took three different ferries just to cross rivers along this route. All towns were thick in preparations for King’s Day on Saturday (celebrating the king’s birthday). Best of all we cycled past several tulip fields which was Sue’s vision for this trip all along. Breathtaking beauty everywhere.
Biking into Amsterdam was bittersweet, as we knew that it meant the end of our cycling journey in Holland. We enjoyed a wonderful dinner beginning with a goat cheese salad, followed by duck on chicory with mashed potatoes, and two desserts: sliced cheeses and chocolate mousse served with port.
The evening was a wonderful time to celebrate the joys of the week with new friends and to bask in the gratitude of extraordinarily good weather, biking safety, and wonderful sights and experiences. Blessing upon blessing!
🙂 Who was that wonderful guitar player in the picture?