James arrives from China

Sat 29/6/19

James arrived at the marina from Shanghai at 0700. We ventured across to the city for a quick look around. To quote Bill Bryson we arrived just in time for the litter festival. This is a common scene first thing in the morning but the mess is soon cleaned by an army of workers who make the streets presentable in time the hoards of tourists arrive.

The "Litter Festival"

Having picked up another bike we set off to explore on 2 wheels.  What a eye opener. Just a few miles outside the city is beautiful countryside peppered with irrigation channels, quaint bridges and beautiful individually designed houses.  I highly recommend taking time to get away from the bright lights and experience the stunning vistas just outside the city. Broek in Waterland and Monnickendam are well worth the effort 

There are some lovely houses in beautiful setting as you head through North Amsterdam

Once out of the residential area open countryside provides for some stunning vistas

Broek In Winterland is well worth a visit (see above 3 photos). We found a lovely little cafe on the banks of a tiny canal for some well-earned refreshment.

From Broek we cycled to Monnickendam, a quaint seaside town with a vast marina complex and lovely centre.

We felt we deserved a good quality hearty meal so, after some research, opted for the highly recommended TDQ steak emporium. Don’t bother: bland steaks, over priced and poor service. As the night was still young and James didn't seem to be suffering from jet lags (one of the benefits of youth) we hit the town and ended up in a canal-side bar specialising in a wide variety of beers. First night madness ensued and today's blog ends here!