24 May

Today I was up and ready by just before 8, even though I had inadvertently set the alarm for p.m. instead of a.m. I wondered about breakfast and it arrived on a full tray – four pieces of whole-grain bread, three slices of white bread, four meat slices, three cheese slices, one egg (hardboiled), one tomato, a thermos of hot water, a tea bag, milk in a jug, a jug of orange juice – whew, even just writing about it makes me tired, let alone eating and drinking it.
I finally finished about half of it and had to call it quits. I packed up the car, settled my account and the son popped home to direct me around to the garages where he is currently working. He showed me the machinery they are using here – John Deere and Renault tractors, different farm machinery for general use and beet and potato harvesters. Most interesting.
I finally left there about 9:30 and filled the car with diesel – most likely the last or second-last time, as it should get about 1300 km from the tank and there is only about five hundred lineal kilometres to go.
As I left the town, I waved at some men on traffic duty and one of them recognised me and waved heartily back. The town is restricted in traffic because of all the floats, which are on wagons towed by tractors (yet again!).
I drove down to a town called Schagen, parked in the park-and-ride and went to get my ticket. The ticket machine would not accept ANY of my cards – credit or debit. I had to wait until the café opened to get my ticket – and still couldn’t pay for it by credit card!
The train arrived at 11:20 and pulled out at 11:21 exactly. It was in the centre of Amsterdam by 12:50 – a relatively slow trip. I found out the platform and times for the return trip, then headed off to get a canal boat ticket.
The on which seemed to suit me best was the Canal Boat Cruises, where there are three different lines and regular services. I intended to “do” one route, visit a few places and then walk a little around the city. Ah, the best laid plans …
The ferries had had one break down this morning, so services were slow and full. I waited to board with a family from France who were now living in Holland. The boat left very full, so a lot of my initial photos have heads and other bits of people because there were so many. However the trip around was most interesting and I learned a lot.
We didn’t get back until after 3:30, so by the time I got a drink it was time to get another. This time, the one I wanted left before I could board, so I had to take a different one, which did some of the same areas as I had before – but it was still interesting. I met a couple from the US who were over for five days holiday while the children were with the grandparents.
When I returned, I went to the station (as it was after 5:30) and got to the train a minute before it left. The trip back was faster than the trip in.
I went to the car and set course for a town in the south of Holland. Once I chose the fastest path, it took me almost beside the railway line back into Amsterdam. I started looking for places to stay and, of course no Tourist Bureaux would be open so it looked like a hotel would have to do. I tried for one in Utrech, but with roadworks, although I could see a hotel, I couldn’t get to it.
I continued along the freeway and chose to stay at an AC Hotel. This is a chain along the main highways. It was more expensive than I would have liked (and I had to pay extra for Internet) but by 8:30 anywhere to lay my head seemed good. By the time I finished all the work, it was 12:10 and so I headed off to bed, rather tired after my machinery tour, car, train, canal boat, train and finally car trip.