23 August   Sixhaven, Amsterdam

Sixhaven. It is quite astonishing just how many boats they can stuff into the smallish basin at Sixhaven. Just when you think it is chock-a-block, with some yelling, shifting, and squashing they can get in a couple more with just inches to spare.

"We don't like to turn anyone away",  the harbourmaster explained.

Of course, it means that you better not have an early start planned, because until everyone starts leaving around 9.30 you are stuck. Last in, first out. But everyone helps with fending off and passing lines. Can't deny it's convenient for a visit to the city though and at 18 euros a night including electricity is not exhorbitant considering the location. A couple of minutes walk takes  you to the ferry across to Amsterdam Central station The ferry ride is only 4 minutes and the boats run constantly throughout the day and night.

Sixhaven. Chock-a-block and even the channel into the marina has boats moored cheek by jowl. It is highly entertaining watching everyone trying to leave next morning. 

We had decided to hop the metro and go out to the Ikea (again) to look at kitchen cabinets together. A good idea, as we were able to resolve some issues jointly. After a quick lunch in the cafeteria.

"I think the food in the Portugal Ikea is better!" declared Skip,  referring to the roast pernil (pork knuckle) with roast potatoes which is a staple in the Lisbon store - we headed back into the city.

"Let's get off here", I suggested, one stop before the central station one.

"What's here?" asked Skip.

"I dunno but we can walk back and get some of the city atmosphere".

So we got off at Nieuwekerk and found ourselves in a bustling square with a gorgeous old kerk in the centre surrounded by lively bars and restaurants. Just then a couple stood up from a prime table on the road side which we grabbed and whiled away an hour with a La Chouffre and people watched.

"Which way do you want to walk back?" asked Skip.

"Down that narrow alley looks cute and interesting", I suggested.

Well it was certainly interesting, as we started to pass window after window of, ahem, ladies. I guess I shoulda noticed the red lights.

"You do pick the best routes", grinned Skip.

Back across to the Sixhaven side of the river, we decided it was suppertime so stopped into a small riverside pavillion and had an ok steak. Not as good as Atletico on the island, but not too bad or overpriced.

24 August. Sixhaven to Zaandam

After shoehorning ourselves out of Sixhaven the next morning we headed down river a little ways to Dekker Watersport to do a little research. We were thinking about buying a small dinghy and outboard as there have been numerous occasions over the last couple of seasons where we would have loved to explore small canals where we could'nt go with Zoe. Much to our surprise they had a new 2,5m inflatable dinghy on special for 390 euros.

" We'll take it!".

But the outboards were too expensive so will have to keep our eyes open for a second hand one. I also, happily, found a very detailed cruising guide to the inland waterways of Germany, IN ENGLISH!!!!  We are thinking of taking Zoe to Germany next year, so what a find.

The small and historic old lock into Zaandam. Isn't it a sweetie. Unfortunately we had to use the large modern lock next door.

From the IJ we turned up into the Zaan river. The first bit is wide and uninteresting but that changed as soon as we passed through the first lock into Zaandam. A most attractive town, with lovely old buildings along the water and a supermarket right on the riverfront. Perfect for provisioning, which we needed to do. This region is the cocoa capital of Europe, supplying 1/3 of the world's cocoa powder and cocoa butter. The raw beans arrive by ship and barge from all over the world and the processed cocoa is sent to chocolate makers around Europe.  There is a wonderful aroma of chocolate all around town.  

The old Zaan-side warehouses.

By now it was after 3pm and we started looking out for a likely overnight spot. Moorings seemed few and we were loosing hope when suddenly a row of lovely old windmills appeared around a bend in the river and we spotted a small dock just beyond. The bikes went ashore as soon as the lines were secured and we cycled back downriver to get a closer look at the windmills. We later discovered that most of the area's moorings are a couple of kms upriver.

Turns out the windmills are part of a museum complex of old buildings called the Zaanse Schans. The complex was the dream of the architect Jaap Schipper, who, for a graduation project in 1946, came up with the idea of saving old Zaan-region wooden buildings which would have been lost to demolition or just plain rotted away. Schipper worked out a way to save as many as he could by moving them, whole or in parts, to this location. Some were put on trailers, some on barges and some dismantled and moved piecemeal. There was no plan for a tourist attraction at the time - the goal was preservation - but it is now a popular place to visit in Noord Holland. There were certainly lots of visitors, but not in the crazy numbers one gets at Giethoorn, for example, and the money raised goes towards their continued preservation. 

This was the very first Albert Heijn shop. For those who are unfamiliar with Albert Heijn, it is one of the biggest supermarket chains in the Netherlands. The first shop was owned by grocer Albert Heijn in Oostzaan.

The windmills are all operational and most of them were still working when we arrived although it was late in the afternoon and they were about to close. The barns and agricultural buildings house various crafts - a cheesemaker, cooper, clogmaker etc. All very interesting although sadly we were too late for the chocolate factory. I know!  

 The clog maker and some of his wares ...

The most fragrant of the windmills was this one grinding spices which came from the Dutch colonies. 

And of course, one of the rescued buildings housed a cosy pub.

25 August. Zaandam to Groet.

We cycled into town in the morning to find a mobile phone shop to sort out our internet issues (hence no blog til now). We had bought a 25 euro data chip from Nos, the supplier on the island, who assured us that it would work on roaming as well as in Portugal. NO NO NO. It does not. So once we are away from town, marina etc wifi, we don't have any internet. A nice asian lady in a phone shop supplied us with a Lycamobile chip for 15 euros providing 5gb internet for 30 days. Deal! We handed her 11-year old son our hotspot doohicky and he kindly installed it and set it all up for us too. "See," said Skip," that's all we needed - a kid."

The town centre is very attractive and up-market. The local authority planning department obviously stipulates wooden facades and gables and only green paint is permitted  as everything conforms to code. But it is certainly pretty.

The C & A. Even the big chains conform to the planning code.

 This cafe found a  cunning way to increase their outdoor seating.

How about this for a hotel facade?

We decided to save Alkmaar for later and carried on 15 km up river to the small village of Groet. The yacht club at Groet is  couple of kms down a narrow and winding offshoot channel towards the sea. The entrance to the canal is somewhat discreet so one has to keep a lookout or you can easily miss it. There are a couple of 3m fixed bridges to pass under so it was down with the awnings again.  We had been here in spring 2016 and loved it. Would it live up to our rose-tinted memory? Oh yes. Just as enjoyable the second time.

There were a few low bridges on today's canal. Down with the awnings, and sometimes even the windows, but we scraped through.

"The chart says the next bridge has zero clearance!"

And it was right. 

The peaceful moorings run alongside a grassy bank for a kilometer or so.  According to the harbourmaster the most boats they ever had was about 10 years ago when 150 boats were moored along the canal. Happily those heydays are over and there were about 30 or so boats, so we found a spot with at least 20 meters between us and the boats in front and behind. Groet is a charming small town surrounded by a nature reserve full of lovely walks and cycle paths. The yacht club has few facilities - a small shower block, a couple of loos along the canal path and a water point. No power. At 13 euros a night, it is quite expensive considering, but the area is great so hey ho. By the time we had our lines secured it was beer o'clock so we biked the km or so to the nearest beach pavillion and spent an entertaining hour watching the late-afternoon beach activities.

26 August . Groet.

I consulted my invaluable ANWB cycle route atlas and plotted us a 40km route taking in most of the nature reserve, a couple of beach villages and the small town of Bergen. 

 The market in Bergen.

 

The most activity surrounded the cheese stall where they were handing out plentiful free samples. Mmmmm.....

Admittedly this was the swankiest of the Bergen homes, but the others were not too shabby, either.

We even went paddling in the North Sea - 20C, not too bad. 

We had no idea what to expect at Bergen, other than it was on the way. What a delightful little town! Very pretty and very up market. The homes around the town are in the multi-million-euro bracket. There is a venerable old kerk in the centre of town  surrounded by a village green around which crowd cutsy old houses and shops. And to top it off the market was in town strung out around the green. It was probably the most larny market we have come across with eco this and biological that. Even the clothing stalls were designer labelled! We spent a happy hour browsing and tasting the many free samples being handed out at the various stalls. Skip discovered the kibbeling van - I think it's his nose what does it - so no prizes for guessing what he had for lunch. It was pushing 4pm by the time we got back to the boat where Skip decided it was time to wash and service the bikes. I finally found the time to start up the blog again, so here we are …..