14-27 deg C, a beautiful sunny day with an annoying wind
Ride G: 48km; total: 2,528km
Walk G: 3km, total: 637km
Walk W: 5km; total: 529km
Greg’s legs started twitching again yesterday afternoon, so today he hired a bike from the shop two doors up from the hotel for €30 for the day. It had only one gear but five levels of assistance. He used it in the lowest setting all day; we are in Holland after all, flat as a tack. He visited Zaansee and surrounds. Zaansee is where there are many working, traditional windmills that Wendy had seen on a tour in 2012.
He also visited the nearby towns and some on the way there and back. Nothing to write home about but just a nice ride. Could have certainly done without the screaming sidewind, but at least it was fine and sunny. No wonder Holland resorted to the wind to drive their flour mills, amongst others things, the wind is relentless. Of course they are still doing it with the thousands of modern wind turbines across the country.
Meanwhile, Wendy did some travel and personal admin before reading an ebook to while away the time until the Cathedral opened. Greg visited it the day before yesterday while Wendy was doing something else just as important!? The inside of this church is just as big as the outside, but not too OTT. You have to pay to enter the church and that allows you to climb the ‘Stairway to Heaven’ to the dome some 45m above the ground. She also got to climb one of the bell towers. If churches have to charge an entrance fee to stay viable, it’s better than closing them down. They have done a wonderful job on the renovation and since then, the maintenance, so it’s all been worthwhile. After about 1.5 hr, she decided she had seen enough and returned via the ice cream shop!
When Greg was finished meandering his way around Zaansee and nearby places, he returned to Haarlem and kept going south until he came to the southern boundary of the city. Having satisfied the urge for a ride he returned the bike and had a traditional afternoon cuppa tea.
Dinner was had at the Thai restaurant next to the hotel for another excellent meal. The usual post dinner routine followed.
Greg about to set off on his hire e-bike
A free ferry ride on the way and return
Zaansee, traditional Dutch cottages
One of the many working 17th century Windmills
It was a beautiful day weather wise
Amongst this make believe world a real working barge glides past
A more modern version of the Dutch cottage,
note the amount of water, so susceptible to flooding
Saint Bavo of Ghent Catholic Cathedral
Pics from the dome down into the church after climbing the Stairway to Heaven
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