It’s only 50kms from Harlem north ,but the route twisted and turned for most of the way and when we did get a straight run a strong head wind got up. Whinge whinge…
It’s early Sunday morning as we cross the Noordzeekanaal by ferry at Ijmuiden. The Lycra lads are out for their early morning training runs. ( I’ve changed my mind about getting a Lycra outfit )
Nice to have the roads almost to ourselves but by the time we got to Burgen it was getting very busy
Close to the centre of Bergen is a large kiddies zoo. Set down so the fence doesn’t need to be high. What a nice town centre!
Burgerbrug. Wide open country now with lots of windmills, some old and some enormous power stations. 
and canals of course. Lots of them going in all directions
Schagen.! What a shock ! When we arrived the town was pumping . 
We hadn’t booked ahead and there was some sort of festival on. VWs and rock n roll mostly. The first 2 hotels I asked at were full so I got Booking .com to look for me. Oh Happy Days! 
The Slot hotel is council owned on the site of an old castle. Moat and all. Right behind the main town square. The bottom ballroom is used by the public for events and we were just in time to sit in on an Opera. Beautiful ! FREE, and they even bought me coffee.
oh and just a foot note. Schagen ,It’s pronounced …. Shay-gun
Paris to Paris 