Part I: Schoorl to Heerhugowaard (bikes)

We cycle south along the Noordholland Kanaal, with the odd riverboat passing in the opposite direction; the crews sometimes waving as we pass. We buy tickets at the Heerhugowaard station - still big enough to have an apparently massive bike hire place

PartII: Heerhugowaard to Enkhuizen (train)

Manhandled to bikes onto the train; much stress as the guard blows his whistle halfway through the process. Change trains at Hoorn - more stress as we run to the front of the (double-decker) train. Collapse over coffee and cellophane wrapped almond pastries at the station cafe at Enkhuizen. [much consternation and amusement when Tess's pedal fell off. Comes of having a right-handed pedal on the left]

Thus replenished, we followed signposts to the Zuiderzeemuseum, only to find ourselves ushered onto a taxi-boat. It turns out that the boat does a little three-stop circuit (Station=>Ticket Desk=>Museum), so we must get tickets when it stops at the ticket desk. I get off the boat, money in hand, leaving Janice, Sam and Tess behind. with assurances from the boat-main that he will wait.

At the ticket desk, a long queue awaits and, after around twenty minutes, I return, now with less money but 4 tickets to rejoin the awaiting boat. As I board the boat, I find myself thinking that the boat-man looks rather different; maybe it's just bad memory. Since I am the last on, the boat leaves the moment on board - just as I discover that Jance, Sam and Tess are nowhere to be seen. It dawns on me that this isn't that same boat at all. I think grim thoughts until the boat arrives at the museum, where Janice, Sam and a tearful Tess await. Their boat had to leave to make way for the next one. The poor boat-man apparently had to suffer the baleful glares of Janice and the kids all the way.

The museum itself was splendid; a preserved middle-aged town. All sorts of interesting sights and smells. The smells are the bit I remember. They had a fish smoking building going; the smell was, shall we say, rather strong. I was tempted to try some, but was dragged away by the kids, who couldn't take the pong.

Onto the (surprisingly small) ferry to make the 1 Hour 20 minute crossing of Lake Ijsslemeer (formerly known as the Zuiderzee). The lake is big enough that the far shore is farther than the horizon.

The spooky sight of seagulls flying immediately behind the boat so that they appear to be hovering. They occasionally dive to cathc fish.

Part V: Stavoren to Oudemirdum (bike!)

A short (fast!) cycle along the shore (I nearly wrote coast) of the Ijsslemeer, sometimes alon the Ijsslemeer, sometimes along the great banks, which I guess are sea defenses. We could see dozens of moders "aeroplane propeller" windmills, apparently in the Ijsslemeer.