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| Windmill De Adrian near the city center |
We made our way overnight from France to the Netherlands, docking in the town of IJmuiden just a little after noon. After a few busy days wandering around France our plans were to simply take it easy. We knew there was a nice beach near the Felisin Cruise Terminal. We intended to take our time getting off the ship and then to wander in the direction of the beach.
It seemed as if the majority of our fellow passengers were making their way either by bus or on their own towards Amsterdam, which was a little over an hour away. We had no need to head that direction since we’re going to be spending a couple of nights there later in this adventure.
Once we were off the ship, we quickly scrapped our beach idea. The sun was now buried behind the clouds and the wind had picked up considerably. It wasn’t exactly beach weather! As usual, Beth had a backup plan and what a backup plan it turned out to be!
With a little assistance from the cruise terminal information desk we were soon on our way to the city of Haarlem.
There was no direct bus service from the cruise terminal to Haarlem. To catch the bus from there would have meant waiting in a long line with people trying to buy tickets to Amsterdam. We’d then have to wait on a bus that would take us to another bus station to catch the bus to Haarlem. Or, we could walk a mile and a half to a different station and catch a direct bus (#385 from the Dennekoplaan Station) thereby avoiding the lines and transfer. Of course we walked, after all the journey is as important as the destination! We did pass some World War II bunkers on the walk and saw a bunker museum that gets good reviews, but apparently (from reviews) has limited opening hours.
The bus was inexpensive ($5 round trip pp), clean and comfortable. Within about 30 minutes of a very scenic ride, we were at the Haarlem Station which is near the city center.
Haarlem has a population of close to 170,000 people and has at least that many bikes. It was Saturday afternoon and the city center was very lively. The Grote outdoor market (market days are currently Monday and Saturday) was hopping, selling all kinds of food and merchandise. The canals were busy with boat traffic, while bikers and pedestrians were twisting and turning to avoid each other on the narrow streets and paths.
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| It’s still a little chilly but the flowers are in bloom! |
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| Bikes, bikes and more bikes! |
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| Grote Market |
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| Another view of the windmill. The bridge is a working bridge that rotates to allow boats to pass through the canals. |
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| Haarlem is known for its hidden courtyards….we found a couple of them! |
