Amsterdam

- September 09, 2023

9th September 2023

As we enter the harbour at Ijmuiden (the seaport for Amsterdam), there is no wind, fog and it is sunrise. Quite eerie conditions. A small yacht is just behind us with a mainsail up and a fair bit diesel assistance.

Ijmuiden is located on the coast and is the coastal port for Amsterdam. Until recently cruise ships were able to berth in Amsterdam port, but this is no longer allowed. Access to Amsterdam port is via the North Sea Canal, a man made canal that is around 11m deep and is capable of providing access for large vessels right up to the city of Amsterdam. It takes around 2 hrs by ship to get there.

Sun coming up as we near our berth

A yacht passes behind us

No mush renewable energy being generated this morning

This morning we are going on a shore excursion into the countryside to visit a cheesemaking operation and a scenic fishing village, Volemdan.

Our bus leaves the dock at 9 am, and in the early part of our tour we follow the North Sea Canal in the direction of Amsterdam. It is great weather with an expected high today of 28 C and no rain.

A ship heading along the canal towards Amsterdam

There are massive oil storage tanks along the canal, ironically with wind farms located nearby.

Soon we are in the countryside and are being educated on all of the reclaimed land surrounded by dykes, well below sea level and mostly only good for grazing, but we did see some crops of corn. It is apparently ideal for dairy farming.

Happy dairy cows feasting on the lush grass in these reclaimed paddocks

Corn being grown on the reclaimed land

Soon we arrived at the cheese factory and we were ushered inside for a presentation on cheese making and some background on this particular company.

Arrival at Cheese Factory/Farm

A short presentation on cheese making

The goats seem to have a good life

The cows are milked in a fully automated stable where they wander in and walk there way through the process. they cannot get back out until milked.

Of course the main objective the visit, was to get you to buy something in the shop, where a huge number of cheeses were available for tasting. Most of them very good.

We had more than enough time to look around here, so I wandered across the road to the top of the dyke where you could get a really good perspective on the extensive waterway on one side and the below sea level farming land on the other.

After a bit over an hour we were back on the bus and headed for Volendam, but not before a photo stop at what must be one of the most photographed windmills in the Netherlands.

The windmill is located just on the outskirts of Volendam.

Ready for our visit to a scenic and peaceful little fishing village, where fish tasting, sightseeing and a relaxing walk along the waterfront are promised, we arrived tofind something quite different.

Our tour guide explains how lucky we are to have arrived on the Saturday that is the beginning of a weeklong fair in Volendam. So instead of our idyllic fishing village, it is more like the Royal Easter Show.

Famous Dutch pancakes are on offer

Walking through the township towards the waterfront, it has all turned into a fairground.

As we get closer to the waterfront we notice that many of the shops lining the street have plywood nailed up over their glass window frontages. Our guide explains that the crowds can sometimes get boisterous after a bit of hydration at night.

Once at the waterfront, it seems these precautions are well founded. The bars are already overflowing and the patrons well lubricated.

You could imagine that when less crowded and noisy, this would be a pretty place.

We arrive at a small cafe for our "fish tasting". The group is far too big for the venue so we overflow out into the street, whilst the hosts present a tray of raw herring with a chopped onion garnish, and battered cod as our two local fish tasting experiences. The cod goes down well and the herring struggled for support.

Fish tasting

With the formal part of the tour complete we walk along the waterfront and have some free time.

The town is set up for partying

Boats are packed into the marina like sardines as it seems many of the revellers arrive by boat. There is no chance of getting your boat out in an emergency if you needed to.

Our guide walks us to the end of the waterfront, and establishes a meeting point where we are to return to after our free time to look around.

The Retired Fishermen's Club (apparently an exclusive venue)

Left to our own resources, we quickly seek refuge in more familiar surroundings. A number of other wise souls joined us.

Suitably relaxed, we rejoined with the group at the meeting point at the agreed time, walked back to our bus and it took about 45 mins to get back to the ship. We arrived back at a bit after 2.30 am, just in time to catch the last bit of lunch service and stayed on board, as the port is quite isolated and there is nowhere to go to have a walk around.

We sailed at 6 pm, and on our way out of the entrance we were amazed to see a couple of beaches packed with people and a marina. There was a heavy fog when we entered the harbour this morning, so none of this was visible. The warm temperature today has certainly ensured the beaches are busy.