So much for an starting early to avoid the wind. When we woke up this morning the windmills were all happily spinning, with their heads indicating a headwind for the afsluitdijk crossing. We had a headwind all the way. The people coming from the opposite direction didn't seem to have to work as hard as we did. It is amazing how much more difficult cycling is with a headwind. We crossed with a couple of stops, one of which was near the monument, beneath which there is a small restaurant. The was a big que of women waiting near the food counter, but it turned out they were all waiting for the toilet.
The place was jampacked full of memorabelia, including the ceiling. They started building the 32km afsluitdijk in 1920, after one too many storm that flooded large parts of Nederland. It took 13 years to complete, with a huge amount of manual labour, heaps of barges, and tons and tons of materials. An amazing feat. It would be amazing even today with modern construction methods. There are several rivers that flow into, what was the Zuiderzee (Southerly Sea), and is now the IJsselmeer, including the River IJssel. Over the years the saltwater has been completely replaced with freshwater. This has also resulted in a complete change of ecology, from saltwater creatures to freshwater ones. The waterlevel is carefully controlled by two sets of locks that allow the freshwater out during lower tides but stop seawater from coming in. There are also locks beneath bridges to allow boats to go from the IJsselmeer to the Waddenzee (Sand-flat sea) and vice versa.
After the afsluitdijk we headed south direction Alkmaar. We entered via the Molendijk, which is appropriately named as it has 5 old style windmills in close succession. Between the afsluitdijk and Alkmaar there were heaps of electricity generating windmills, whereever you looked you could see at least a dozen, all spinning. I still marvel at the proximity of the windmills to where people live.
Alkmaar has a very beautiful town centre, full of historic houses, some dating back to the early 1500's including one house that was hit by a canonball fired by the Spanish in 1573. The canon ball, supposedly, is still stuck half in and out of the wall. We could see a canonball but rather doubted that it was the original heavy solid metal one that was glued to the wall. Alkaar is also famous for its cheese market, and carrying cheese on cradle carried by two chaps. The overhead street decorations often feature cheese ornaments. It is a very vibrant and interesting town to be in.
We've spent a bit of time taking photos of bicycles this evening, just to show you the range, colour and modifications that the Ducth lavish on their bikes. We had a bit of trouble tracking down some electric bicycles, and our theory is that with a price tag of more thatn 1000 Euro, only the rich older people can afford those and they had all gone home to put them back on charge. You still have to pedal you understand, but the pedalling is assisted with an electric motor. Much easier than one of those old fashioned bikes, as one elderly couple told us as they zoomed past. They only have a range of some 50km, afterwhich they turn back into a very heavy pumpkin.
We had Indonesian food tonight. Sort of like a buffet style takeaway. The people behind the counter dish up for you, and you can take it home either heated up or cold. Or, as we did, you can sit at one of the three tables and eat it there. The cherry icecream (for me, George had a similar sized cranberry one) at the next shop was really a bit too big, but waste not want not. The bed and breakfast we are staying in is very near the town centre, and has been only recently opened looking at the all the fittings. The room we have has no windows at all and a bunk bed. So far on this trip we've never actually managed to sleep in a double bed yet. Most were single beds pushed together, a few have been single beds on either side of the room, and now bunkbeds. Who knows where we'll end up sleeping next.
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