82.18km//4hr36min//17.8km/hr
Saturday August 31
It was decided that Amsterdam warranted another visit. This time we entered from the north (last time the south), and were pleased to find the route much more scenic. Think canals and locks, green fields, and placid livestock, the stuff Holland is made of! In addition, there were dozens of young and old men alike, perched in chairs, sitting on the edge of the canals, fishing. Quaint. We followed one of the many canals to a pedestrian only ferry that takes you a short trip across the water, and into the heart of Amsterdam (letting you off next to the train station. The station is quite the site...for bicycles that is. Hundreds and hundreds of bicycles lining the rails, posts, streets, canals, and filling and overflowing a three level bike parkade. They say abandoned bikes is a big problem in Amsterdam and I can see why!!! There are many frames locked up and nearly completely rusted in place, some missing integral parts, others bent and twisted into unfamiliar shapes, or harvested and left for dead.
In Amsterdam, among other things, the tent saga continued with a visit to Carl Denig (a local outdoor store). It has become clear that Canadians demand more from tents that Europeans do, and we are hard pressed to find one that we feel has sufficient water proofing.
In Amsterdam, among other things, the tent saga continued with a visit to Carl Denig (a local outdoor store). It has become clear that Canadians demand more from tents that Europeans do, and we are hard pressed to find one that we feel has sufficient water proofing.
After all our time cycling through the countryside and cities, seeing the network of beautiful canals, it has been decided that we should plan a massive canoe trip through Holland. In lieu, we succumbed to the most popular tourist attraction in the country, namely, the Amsterdam canal tour. It was neat to see everything from water level, and see how the canals function as their own system of roads and highways. However, we did feel a little like herded cattle being spoon fed little but much quoted facts on this or that. Luckily, we sat near the driver, who ad-libbed quirkier truths (or lies) about bikes, boats, and bodies lost in the canals. The real show saver was the improbable game of bumper boats that occurred between the commercial tour boats and the little boats filled with young men or hen do's.
After our boat tour, we cycled out of Amsterdam to a campsite that was a sight to behold - a mash-up of a campsite and a zoo.
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| Blinded by the bikes |
