August 11, 2023
Day 21: To Haarlem and Amsterdam
Today’s ride selected itself. This is our last day in North Holland and Amsterdam is just down the road. Well, not quite. It’s 25km as the crow flies. The crow will not be required today though as I have a TL who likes to make up interesting , possibly scenic circuits.
Our ride will take in both Haarlem and Amsterdam in a clockwise direction. There are no plans; we will ride the route and see what we see. (This is the official policy of TL’s tour company. I do like to steer the itinerary towards slightly more tangible outcomes if possible, and I think I achieved this today.)
It seems that summer has decided to give it another shot in the Netherlands. Today is warm enough for a single layer and the wind is of no consequence. The riding is, as ever, excellent. Always paved, often bike-only paths, mostly shared with scooters and the occasional car. We are in the countryside soon after leaving our apartment and this continues until the outskirts of Haarlem, not too distant.
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Around now, we feel the urge for morning coffee and Bruce locates a strong contender: Hunter's Coffee Shop. This is too good to be true; we can kill two birds with one projectile, morning coffee AND a shout-out to our good friends the Hunters. We’re nearly there when I check Mrs G for opening hours, only to find it’s actually one of THOSE coffee shops that Amsterdam (and obviously, Haarlem) is famous for. But here’s my surreptitious photo anyway, just for you, Dawn and Bruce!
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9 months ago
A bit of backtracking is required now to locate the centrum of Haarlem. Too much distraction. We park the bikes next to another very large brick church in the old town, and are deciding whether to pay 4 Euro to go in when we hear organ music. So of course we go in.
The church – the Grote of St Bavo - is almost overwhelming in its dimensions, as these ancient cathedrals are. Understanding its construction beggars belief. How many men? How long? How much did it cost? The organ, though, is truly magnificent. It was built in the 1730s, is nearly 30 metres high and made up of over 5,000 pipes. A 10 year old Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart played here, as did G F Handel. We enjoy the rehearsal today, even from a lesser star in the organ universe.
Another point of interest, according to the guidesheet, is the Dog-Whipper’s Chapel. The medieval chap given this responsibility was expected to discipline unruly dogs and to maintain order in the church. The good old days, eh?
It’s time to carry on to Amsterdam. The bike path is busy now and we’re having to pay extra attention when turning, slowing and stopping, which is good practice for what’s ahead. We pass by Schipol Airport and there seem to be three distinct landing paths operating today with planes descending around a minute apart.
We have no destination in mind (remember the tour company’s policy?) but I recall a happy visit to Vondelpark five years ago when we stayed a week in Amsterdam. We had tickets for a wonderful outdoor concert by five talented clarinetists. So begins an exhilarating roundabout ride through central Amsterdam to Vondelpark – and then to a nearby café to settle the nerves. Exhilarating, yes, but riding in Amsterdam is not for the faint-hearted; we need to be super-confident as well as attentive. We do well though.
From Vondelpark, our Wahoos locate the route home. The first part retraces the ride into the city because there are limited options given the proximity to Schipol. The final 10 km or so has some lovely woodland paths. There’s also a supermarket. While Bruce does the shopping, I mind the bikes, and have a lovely long chat with a woman my age who owns five bikes, hasn’t had a car for 30 years and has visited New Zealand twice as a tour guide, the second time just days after the devastating Christchurch earthquake. Serendipity.
We’re both happy with our three-night stay in Heemstede, enjoying the urban environments of Haarlem and Amsterdam along with the countryside – of which, I can report, the Netherlands has a great deal. We will be leaving North Holland and riding south tomorrow, with a detour or two along the way if TL has his way.
Today's ride: 68 km (42 miles)
Total: 1,095 km (680 miles)
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