Today Ken decided we would do a bike ride in the country. He had done some research on the Rick Steeves site and planned our route, starting with bike hire behind the library on the water at Star Bikes. We walked there and they found us bikes that didn't look too "idioty". They were plain and good to go. They gave us a map to follow with marked out bike tracks. We caught the free ferry across the water and were soon riding along the cobbled bike lanes.
We made a wrong turn very soon into the ride . Quite a normal state of affairs for us.It did take us into an interesting area, a housing development of large apartments where an enormous amount of people must live. We rode on through and found ourselves on a street in Nieuwendam where a nice lady saw our confusion and stopped to direct us. Soon back on the Dijke, we were on track. We rode past some nice houses along the parkland,.
The countryside changed as we came to the coast and there were sailing boats and views of the ocean.We passed a pretty little cafe and decided to go back and have our morning coffee. It was a tiny little place in Durgedam with a group of local ladies taking up the outside tables. The owner jumped up (she was part of the group chatting) and went inside to get our coffee, indicating we should sit on the bench outside. Ken had ordered a double espresso and the owner called another lady inside and we could hear conversation about it. Finally the coffees came out and they were good. She then told us that she had just opened that morning and we were her first foreign customers and she had never made a double espresso before. The other lady used to have a restaurant in the little house and knew how to do coffee. They were all locals and having a lovely time in the sun.
After saying our goodbyes, we were on the right track, navigation was easy. There were a lot of signs and the roads were good, cobbled and bumpy, but flat. We followed the coast around and then headed inland towards Ransdorp . This was farming land and you could smell the animals, especially when we went past a pig farm! The fields were beautifully green and picturesque and the canals were pretty green too. This is one canal you don't want to fall in!
We came to Ransdorp and it is a very pretty little town. It looks so neat with lovely houses, it feels like a perfect dolls house town. We stopped and took some photos and as we were riding out of town a lady popped out of the clock tower and asked if we would like to have a look. We felt obliged and went in, paid our 50c each and started climbing and climbing and climbing, round and round and round a tiny little spiral stairway.
The views were amazing. Because Holland is so flat you can see forever and it is really beautiful. Back to the city and all the gorgeous green fields around, dotted with little villages and houses. Well worth taking the break and going up. Coming down such a tiny little staircase left me a little dizzy.
We continued on to the next village of Zunerdorp. It was a very quiet place, hardly anyone around. It did feel a little like a holiday/retirement village. We rode around with the thought of having lunch, but couldn't find a cafe or even a shop anywhere, so we rode on back towards Amsterdam.
The signage to the ferry port was not as good and we made a hesitant stop on a bridge and noticed a cafe down below that looked pretty cool. We walked our bikes down the stairs rode there, locked up our bikes with both locks. There is a key lock on the back wheel and then you put the chain lock on the front wheel, to the bike rack .
The cafe was out the back of the Schellingwoudedijk Markt. It was surrounded by a garden and had a lovely al fresco area. There was an inside section that was a bit more crowded and busy. We sat outside and ordered the Broojde de van dag, with no certainty of what we had ordered apart from eggplant and balsamic in a sandwich. Turns out it was goats cheese and really delicious, washed down with a beer.
Finally back on the track, with another minor detour in Nieuwendam, we made our way back to the ferry, where we joined a mass of other people crowding onto the voyage back to Centrum.
Before we took the bikes back we went back to Hannekes Boom for a drink. This was busy, but we found a parking spot for our bikes and a sitting spot for our sore bums on the water's edge. Being a Saturday, there were a lot of boats moored with groups of families and friends visiting the pub. It was quite rowdy and fun. We watched some English guys jump in the canal and then struggle out when a boat came to moor. One of them had left his clothes near us, he told us the water was surprisingly warm . He was surprisingly drunk to have survived the ordeal.
We returned the bikes and it was too late for a visit to see Vincent. The Van Gough gallery was going to be missed. Shame on the art student!
We went back to the barge and packed up a bit, finished the beer in the fridge and chilled.
Time to find some dinner and we meandered in the general mass tourist direction, finding ourselves in the seedy red light district. It was crowded and sleezy and the overwhelming aroma of pot was stifling. But it was interesting and we've seen it.
We had no intention of eating here so we kept walking. There were so many people out and about and the restaurants in this area didn't look all that inviting. How hard does the chef have to try to feed a stoned tourist with the the munchies?
Anyway, we somehow ended up near Centraal and had a really yummy dinner at Pancakes Amsterdam. I had a smoked salmon and guacamole crepe, very good.
We kept on walking, taking in the madness of the city at night. Ken stopped for a waffle at our local, where the man is very friendly, "nothing for you, my lady?", and the waffles are good.
Home for the last night sleeping on a boat.



Steps 12,236
Kms walked 9,2
Kms cycled 29.8