Netherlands Skating Adventure

Day 1

We meet after lunch in Enkuizen, which is an easy train ride from Amsterdam. We will skate from our hotel on a small road designated for pedestrian traffic that runs the entire way to the town of Hoorn along the IJselmeer, an inland sea that separates North Holland from Friesland. You'll see bicyclists galore on the path and an active waterfowl and boating population on the sea. This evening, we'll explore the cute port town of Enkuizen (with an optional visit to the fantastic Zuiderzee Museum, which revives the stories of people who once lived on the shores of the Zuiderzee - a shallow bay of the North Sea) and eat in a small local restaurant near the main street of town. Distances: Out and back as far as you wish up to 44 KM

Day 2

Today we skate from our hotel in the other direction to the town of Medemblik. Our skate route is primarily along a paved path on top of a long dike that runs along the Ijsselmeer. Medemblik is a cute small town that is a perfect stop for lunch - you'll definitely want to try the local fish and fries with mayonnaise! Don't forget a visit to the tiny "bakery museum" (more like a shop) where you can buy the delicious local almond cookies. We make time tonight for a historical walking tour prior to dinner. Distances: 22 or 44 KM

Day 3

We sail across the IJsselmeer together this morning to the Stavoren harbor in Friesland, where we don our skates and skate to Sneek (pronounced Snake). This section of the country is absolutely beautiful, with huge tracts of farmland, a maze of interconnected canals, and bike paths that lead us from village to village. Sneek is probably the liveliest town we visit on this tour (although still small at 34,000 residents) and we'll have plenty to do tonight delicious Indonesian dinner if we have the energy! (The Dutch East Indies was a Dutch colony consisting of what is now Indonesia - consequently, there are now many Dutch citizens of Indonesian descent). Distances: 21, 35, or 45 KM

Day 4

We spend another night in Sneek tonight and so have a loop route from Sneek to Bolsward and back. Much of the skating is on smooth paths and minor roads that were recently repaved. Bolsward is a small market town that is ideal as a lunch stop - and we'll still make it back to Sneek for some afternoon shopping (a very walkable shopping distrcit is right around the corner from our hotel) or a pint of beer in our hotel's "beer bar." Distances: 18 or 34 KM

Day 5

Our routes today take us from Sneek to Harlingen, the only town we visit on the tour that is actually on the North Sea. Because of this, Harlingen has a much different feel as a real port city, with hundreds of pleasure and fishing boats arriving and departing each day. Tonight we enjoy the signature dish of the area, pannekoeken, which is like a large thin pancake with pizza (or dessert) toppings. Distances: 27, 43, or 47 KM

Day 6

We skate today from Harlingen to the town of Makkum, famous since the late 1500s for its flowery pottery. On our way there, we'll pass through a number of small towns and, once in Makkum, you'll have the opportunity to shop and eat lunch. Back in Harlingen, we'll celebrate the final night of our tour with a delicious dinner. Being so far north means that daylight lasts forever, so after dinner we like to walk along the harbor promenade and take silly photos with a statue of The Little Dutch boy, who saved the day by putting his finger in a dike (remember Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates?). Distances: 13, 24, or 46 KM

Day 7

After a wonderful morning skate through the countryside near Harlingen, we say our farewells. We will drop you off at the local train station where you can catch a train to Amsterdam or directly to the airport. Distances: 12 or 24 KM