Amsterdam

We spent a day in Amsterdam taking our bikes on the train so we could ride rather than walk across the city. It was busy, warm, drizzly, loud, and fascinating. We went to the red light district and were surprised to see women in the windows advertising themselves even though it was late morning. Out of politeness I didn't take any photos, saving these for the 'bloemenmarkt' and canals. I also went to see the Van Gogh Museum where I wasn't allowed to take any photos, and would have gone to the Anne Frank house except that the queue was a mile long. It turns out that people book tickets for time slots 2 months in advance. Wow.

Rembrant

Saw this on a door

Red light district

bloemenmarkt

Cacti at the bloemenmarkt

Thousands of tulips

Saw these in a window box

Spot the cow!

Banksy

Anne Frank House

Barry cycling through the streets. 1000s of bikes everywhere you look.

Canals, thatched roof houses and heat

It is unseasonably hot apparently, as the locals have informed us. Today was another scorcher, though as it was mostly a kind of hazy whitish sky, it felt more like a sauna.
We have been learning a bit more about the interesting history of Kampen, Zwolle, and some of the townships we passed yesterday.
Back in the 14th and 15th centuries, the merchants and traders of Northern Europe formed a kind of collective known as the 'Hanseatic league' and the towns that grew out of this, mostly towns along waterways where commerce and trade flourished, were known as 'Hansa towns'. There are a great many events and tourist activities going on around the Hansa towns. Yesterday's bike ride was part of a cycling tour that leaves from, and ends with Amsterdam.

Given a fair bit of money and a few months of work, I'd love to do this so maybe we will return one day. In the meantime, the funny tall and narrow houses with their narrow streets and impressively large Gothic churches, old noblemen's houses, city gates and bridges, give plenty of glimpses into the past, and make for fascinating photo opportunities.
We headed a bit further afield today to a place that has no roads and instead has canals and cycle paths. From Google:
"Giethoorn is a mostly car-free village in the northeastern Dutch province of Overijssel. It’s known for its boat-filled waterways, footpaths, bicycle trails and centuries-old thatched-roof houses. It borders a section of the Weerribben-Wieden National Park, a marshy area once popular for peat and reed harvesting."
Just beautiful. The photos don't do it justice (cliche but true) and don't show how steamy hot it was either for that matter! It was just lovely.

Geithoorn

Our rented bikes

Glass angel in Zwolle town square

600-year-old Sassenpoort gate in Zwolle 

Cafe in Zwolle

Geithoorn

The girls show just how hot it was today...steamy hot, and the weather was hot too 😂

Relaxing by the waterway

Horses in a field just outside the canals

Brass sculptures of two women, naked.

This fella took bread from our hands

Back in Kampen. Pizza for dinner

A cycle ride to Zwolle and back

The Netherlands can rival Denmark in cycle terms. There are hundreds of bicycles here and people young and old cycling everywhere. Noone wears helmets because there are cycle lanes along every single road and footpath and even the traffic signals have three 'go' signs; one for the pedestrians, one for the cycles, and one for the cars. There is a strict code of riding on the right hand lane too, just like on the roads.
So today we took a well marked route to Zolle, some 12km away, and it was a magical jaunt through beautiful landscapes. We passed windmills and many houseboats, loads of animals and dozens of other cyclists. We stopped at cafes and small villages and like yesterday, it was very hot.

Kampen from across the river

Kampen windmill

Kampen at night

Canal in Kampen

Toni and Barry in Kampen

Inlet in Kampen

Church in Kampen

Looking back at the church and old town gate of Kampen from the cycle trail across the river

Looking over the river to the windmill from the cycle trail

On the cycle trail with my touring bike

Little town along the cycle route

Farmhouse - one of many we passed

This was a very welcome tea house halfway along the cycle trail.

Mmm coffee...

Another farm along the cycle route

Cafe just outside of town centre in Zwolle

Town square in Zwolle

One of many cute houses in Zwolle, they have narrow streets here too.

Canal around the old town center in Zwolle

Looking through the flowers that line the bridges over the canals

Back on the cycle trail on the way home. This was a wee place called Zalk

A windmill in Zalk

Horses in Zalk

Goodbye Zalk

Scene along the river heading back to Kampen

House boats along the river on the way back to Kampen. There were loads of these are along the river.