From Beek we took the train north, past Utrecht and Amsterdam, to the town of Hoorn on the west shore of the IJsselmeer. Since bikes are so popular here, the trains all have places to carry bikes. You buy a special ticket for the bike, and carry it into the train, choosing one of the doors with a bike symbol on it. The tricky part is carrying your bags at the same time. We tried leaving the panniers on the bike, but they made the bike too heavy and hard to maneuver.
At Hoorn, we started riding north along the coast to Enkhuizen. We cruised along on a bike path beside a busy road, making good time, when it occurred to us that there was no water anywhere near us. We checked the map and found that we were indeed going on the wrong path. So we turned right at the next road towards the coast and soon were riding on a narrow road on top of the dike.
What this picture does not show is the wind, and it was fierce. When the road curved around so we were going straight into it, we had to get off the bikes and walk. At other times it was a cross-wind, and that made it hard to keep riding in a straight line. Every once in a while a car would pass, which was nerve-wracking on such a narrow road.
After a bit, though, the route took us off the dike and inland, which was much nicer. When we did get back to the coast the wind was mostly at our backs, which was nice for a change.
The guidebook said that Enkhuizen "oozes charm." It wasn't too far off - it is a very pretty town, and big enough to be lively. We stayed with an older woman in a very old house right near the center.
The house had its share of "oozing" charm, and part of it was the nearby church with bells that chimed melodiously every half-hour. It wasn't so melodious to my ears at 3 AM, however!
The big attraction in Enkhuizen is the Zuiderzee Museum. It has a collection of old houses and other structures from around what used to be the Zuiderzee - a large bay that was walled off from the sea in 1932, turning it into a lake, the IJsselmeer. The museum recreates some of the little fishing villages that ringed the bay - not places where life was easy!
At Hoorn, we started riding north along the coast to Enkhuizen. We cruised along on a bike path beside a busy road, making good time, when it occurred to us that there was no water anywhere near us. We checked the map and found that we were indeed going on the wrong path. So we turned right at the next road towards the coast and soon were riding on a narrow road on top of the dike.
After a bit, though, the route took us off the dike and inland, which was much nicer. When we did get back to the coast the wind was mostly at our backs, which was nice for a change.
The guidebook said that Enkhuizen "oozes charm." It wasn't too far off - it is a very pretty town, and big enough to be lively. We stayed with an older woman in a very old house right near the center.
The house had its share of "oozing" charm, and part of it was the nearby church with bells that chimed melodiously every half-hour. It wasn't so melodious to my ears at 3 AM, however!
The big attraction in Enkhuizen is the Zuiderzee Museum. It has a collection of old houses and other structures from around what used to be the Zuiderzee - a large bay that was walled off from the sea in 1932, turning it into a lake, the IJsselmeer. The museum recreates some of the little fishing villages that ringed the bay - not places where life was easy!
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