Posted by Les Faber in Departing Hoorn, we headed west towards Alkmaar. Helen had convinced me to take a less direct route up to Den Helder where we would take the ferry to the Island of Texel.
Read about Days 1 (here), 2 (here), 3 (here) and 4 (here) of our Netherlands cycling adventure.
We lucked out as we had the wind (partially) at our backs. The ride itself is somewhat boring. We did see some Dutch windmills (old & new). The Dutch used to make extensive use of traditional windmills in order to drain the fields (remember this country is below sea level). Most of the old windmills are no longer in use. The ones we did see operating are tourist attractions.
Times have changed in Holland. Ever ingenious, they have now harnessed the wind again. This time to generate electricity. The country is dotted with wind turbines They are absolutely everywhere. It is pretty surrealistic to come upon them while riding your bike on a Fietspad. You can usually tell which direction you are going in by looking at which way they are facing (into the wind).
Once in Alkmaar, we went to the downtown area (Centrum). When in doubt in Europe, simply follow the signs marked “Centrum”. It was a bit of a mission to get there as there was construction on the main route in. Silly us as we forgot what lengths the Dutch go to ensure cyclists have access to their Fietspad. We wandered around a bit until we saw the elaborate set of Fietspad detour signs. Follow them and you will get to the Centrum!
Alkmaar is a beautiful town and worth a visit. Helen and I wandered down the main (pedestrian mall) drag. Cars really do take second place here in the Netherlands! It was a glorious day which necessitated us stopping at a little bakery for some “treats”.
No sooner had we arrived and we were off – bound for the north and the ferry to Texel.
Many of the bike paths in Holland go alongside canals as they were the original “roadways” of the country. We headed northwest until, in the distance, we could see the huge dike that protects this country from the sea. It is amazing to see for the first time. Climb the dike at any point and you have a beautiful view of the sea. In this case the North Sea. Pretty windy up there. So ride on the land side. Less views, but better cycling.
We rode North parallel to the dike. Things get interesting once you hit Camperduin. This is where the Fietspad enters the sand dunes. It is positively spectacular as Helen’s pictures will attest to.
Schoorlse (roller coaster sandy dunes by the sea)! What a spectacular introduction to the North Sea. You know it is there but cannot see it as the Fietspad is not right on the sea. A kind of excitement builds up in you as you think that you will see the water at any moment. No worries….. It arrives – along with a (very) strong headwind. We transitioned from sand dunes to waterside cycling – just like that.
Oh my goodness – be careful what you ask for. I felt I was peddling into a gale force wind (probably normal for here). This is where I was thankful that we had 7 gears on our fiets (down to gear # 1). We rode along the side of the sea for what seemed to be an eternity. And then, around a bend was Den Helder (our destination). Weird spot inasmuch as it is a Dutch naval station and there were ships and helicopters doing some sort of naval exercise out in the bay (would have made a great movie).
A Word on Signage: There are basically 2 types of bike signs in the Netherlands. Some are up and others down. Below you will see an example of what is called a mushroom. Always look up & down at intersections!
A short wait at the terminal and we were on the ferry (no reservations needed at this time of year). While traversing Helen & I chatted with a very nice Dutch couple who kindly gave us some great travel advice.
And then we were on Texel. A short 6 kilometer bike ride had us in Den Burg and at our hotel. Decision time: Lie down and pass out or go to town and find a nice pub along with a glass of Heineken. We chose the town and beer (2 glasses for me – we deserved it!)! I had a nice Schnitzel and Helen had an excellent Sate (we are very happy that there is good Indonesian cuisine in the Netherlands as we are not to fond of the traditional Dutch kitchen).
Nighty night………
This brings up sweet memories! I’ve been to Callantsoog a few times during the holidays in my childhood. We used to walk along the beach to Groote Keeten. Great photos!
You 2 chose wisely (again) on the routes, really beautiful scenes. Great that you got meet Paul and more ideas. I take it you skipped the other two islands, as you’re on shore already?
@ Nico: The islands are truly beautiful – especially with such awesome weather. Stressfree cycling!
@ Amsterdamize: Yep we hopped over from Vlieland as time will not allow us to do what we want. Today (Friday) – we are in Leeuwarden cycling in the vicinity (going to Helen’s ancestral homes). Tomorrow we are off to cycle central (Groningen)
Gotcha, you’re doing well, my friends! Leeuwarden, great, Helen must be VERY excited. Groningen will certainly be a blast, you’ll feel right at home after 3 days in Amsterdam
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You’re right about the islands! I have now spent over two years of my life on the Dutch island Ameland. It’s a great place.
great blog but please make the font color darker — it’s almost unreadable!
@Osric: Thanks for the support. What font are you referring to?