Alkmaar

23rd September
Our 45th wedding anniversary today, we have a lovely Belgian breakfast before heading to our final destination of the trip, Amsterdam. It is very misty again as we set off but by 11am the sun is shining and around 12noon we arrive at the Dutch border. We are on the A9 and directly under the flight path into Schipol Airport, planes are flying in every couple of minutes. We arrive at our hotel in Alkmaar which is north of Amsterdam and we have to park in a car park a few minutes away. The friendly young women in charge at the hotel speak very good English and we have a cup of coffee with them before going to our room.
Tonight is a shopping event in Alkmaar and we set out to see what's happening. There are lots of people walking around and even more cycling around. Tall people on large bikes, hundreds of bicycles parked all over the city, it seems strange to see people dressed up to go out and riding a bicycle. There are so many cafes and restaurants to choose from, many with outside heaters as although it's a lovely evening it is getting cooler all the time. The shops are open until 11pm tonight and the streets are lit up with fairy lights, there are musicians and singers everywhere. A great atmosphere and a fabulous place.Read more