Haarlem, Amsterdam

We caught a train to Haarlem, about 20kms from Amsterdam. We arrived just as a huge storm was covering the whole of Harlem. Luckily it passed and we got to see Harlem's cobbled streets and winding waterways, ancient buildings, Grote Markt, the square and Grote Kerk, a Reformed Protestant church and former Catholic cathedral, and lovely inviting cafés and shops before heading off to hire bikes.
We rode a loop trail that took us through a small section of the Zuid-Kennemerland National Park and through kilometres of sand dunes spotting a few highland cattle along the way before stopping at two beaches, Strandslag Parnassia and Bloemendaal where we had lunch. Bloemendaal is a busy beach. There are a couple of permanent restaurants right on beach and hundreds of temporary sheds and activities set up for the summer holidays - impressive. We then had a short ride back to Harlem. It was a great 20km ride!Leia mais