Netherlands 2

 8 to 14 Sept

Turn back time

The ferry to Texel was extremely efficient; there was no check in, just vehicle number plate recognition. Once on board we barely had time to drink a cup of coffee in the seating area before we were driving off again. 

While on the island we did a short cycle ride around the de Waal nature reserve and a longer one from near Oudeschilde, where we were staying, on the dyke along the east coast as far as De Cocksdorp at the northern end. 

The cycle routes are easy to follow; junctions have a number (knooppunt) making it straightforward to go from one to another. Despite this we did manage to miss a turning, the plus side being we passed an enterprising dairy farm with a soft ice cream vending machine (there was another for milk - less interesting!)

On the final day it was forecast to be quite wet so we drove the van to the lighthouse at the northern end of the island, and had a brief walk on the fabulous beach before climbing the 118 steps to the top of the lighthouse. It was so windy on the outside that you could barely walk.

Heading back south we stopped off at the De Slufter nature reserve and walked towards the sea but the birds seemed to be hunkering down out of the wind and showers.

After disembarking from the return ferry we stopped at the navy museum just outside the ferry port. It comprised an indoor historical exhibition and several ships outside including a minesweeper, a ram and a submarine. It was fascinating to explore the ships, especially the submarine, which brought home what a tiny space 70 submariners had to live and work in.

An hour's journey in the wind and rain took us to Enkhuizen. Fortunately it had dried up by the evening and we were able to walk into town and find a restaurant for dinner. Lava turned out to be such a good choice that we went again a couple of nights later.

There were two reasons for visiting Enkhuizen. One was the Zeiderzee Museum, a collection of about 140 buildings rescued from various towns in the vicinity to show how life was before the Afsluitdijk was constructed across the Zeidersee, turning the sea water into the freshwater lakes of the Ijsselmeer and Markermeer, thereby destroying the fishing industry. The museum was brilliant; many of the buildings were furnished and equipped in such great detail and volunteers were playing the part of former inhabitants. 

The steam laundry

Inside the laundry

We saw a garden hospital, that is a summer house you could rent, vital for recovery from illnesses such as TB and pleurisy before antibiotics came on the scene. 

The garden hospital

We needed more time than we had and never made it to the additional indoor museum.

The second attraction at Enkhuizen was to complete the triangular route to Medemblik (by boat), to Hoorn (by steam tram) and back to Enkhuizen (by the regular train service).

Our final day was a little more leisurely with a walk into town, where there is an amazing and very tempting cheese shop, plus a cycle ride to the De Ven lighthouse and along the Vest dyke which encircles much of the town. 

View from the Vest dyke