Zaandam to Alkmaar 11 May

Arrival and First Day

Our ship for the week was the De Willemstad, as I have mentioned, we boarded in Zaandam rather than Amsterdam (a short cruise) due to flight timings. It was also helpful because on the way over Mike’s multi tool in his hand luggage was confiscated and he needed to get a replacement. Although this is very much a cycling city, finding bike shops selling tools rather than bikes was not that easy.

He deposited me at a hotel bar in Zaandam where I enjoyed a refreshing beer and some nuts whilst he hotfooted it to a nearby bike shop to get the last multitool in stock! Feeling a bit parched he joined me in another beer before we set off on the hike to the mooring struggling under the weight of our bags! Although only a 15min walk it seemed far longer and we were very happy to see the De Willemstad.

We had booked a superior cabin which was a good decision as it was comfy and spacious and I really liked having full length opening doors. First evening being newbies to this it all felt a bit odd, but we soon got into the swing of life on board. The table we had been allocated to for meals included 2 Dutch couples who were very friendly, happy to chat to us in English and we enjoyed their company.

We were surprised that we had to be off the boat cycling for 9:00, assumed it would be later. My clothing choices were based around a mid morning start when the temperatures had started to warm up! As it was we were in the middle of the first of many heatwaves so it was not an issue.

It was all a little chaotic to begin with as guests were getting set up on their bikes, trying to figure out how to unlock them (the integrated lock fooled me for a while), set saddle heights etc. Eventually we were off, only to find an American couple a just down the road struggling to get the navigation set up on their phones. We helped them out and cycled together to Zaanse Schans a model village where Old Dutch wooden houses and windmills have been relocated to as a tourist attraction. Liked looking at the site from the outside but inside the windmills themselves were very touristy and not appealing to us.

My saddle kept slipping, after a couple of failed attempts (with the guides help) to secure it properly Mike swapped with me – what a sweetie. Eventually we got it secured and he was able to ride on it for the day until we got back to the boat.

Key memories

• Really lovely seeing all the windmills, a lot of them in working order
• We had a yummy ice cream in a small café at De Rijp, an old whalers village. Really surprising to think that this whole area was once surrounded by the sea with this a small island! The village was very pretty to cycle through
• Enjoyed our lunch in a churchyard in some shade. It was a very hot day
• We had a beautiful relaxing ride into Alkmar, (our destination). Although this was a large city, our route brought us through a nature reserve which I really enjoyed
• The variety of scenery interspersed by small villages and windmills (mostly used to manage the water levels), dykes, ditches and canals
• Herons and storks stalking their prey as well as various other birds. Lovely to hear all the birdsong
• 45 km seemed a long way on the bikes we had rented and it was hard work

We got back in time for tea and cake which we enjoyed on the sun deck, fortunately under some shade. Noticed a Decathlon store on the other side of the canal so we made an impromptu shopping trip for some t shirts and shorts and a lightweight pack. Must admit neither of us expected it to be so warm. We were both too tired to go for the organised stroll around the town that evening and had an early night – pattern of the trip for us!

See below for a video of our ride. Note to see the full controls click on the < control on the progress bar. This will allow you to watch the video full screen