AMSTERDAM

There was a thunderstorm last night which cooled the room for a while but made me a bit apprehensive about tomorrow.It feels like it could rain any minute as we look back to Lelystad. It’s 4 kms back out to the dyke again then 20 kms battling a strong head wind . This is the cycleway, the road is to the left on top of the dyke. The IJsselmeer on the left is about 7 metres higher than the lake on the right. When we finally turned inland to the Gooimeer, the wind is finally behind us . Very pleasant riding past sandy beaches and this catamaran racing clubThis caught my eye. A shipping bouy made into a barbecue on one of the beaches.We could see the Muiderslot long before we reached the ancient ,fortified town of Muiden.As we sat having our coffee beside the lock a huge sailing ship moved into it loaded with tourists. It almost filled the lock !This old timer was waiting its turn . Muiden is on the main cycleway to Amsterdam but we must leave that route here and turn towards Amstelveen. The last town before Schiphol ( Amsterdam airport)Weesp. Christine has the same iPhone 6 so a lot of the photos are hers. Ouderkerk is a new area with attractive appartments and commercial buildings. The cycleways are more like cycle motorways as the planners have planned all developments around them.Here It cross’s the motorway. That’s the Fletcher hotel. Even the windows are round.Amstelveen. There’s been a jazz festival on this weekend. It’s been rather difficult navigating our way across to Schiphol, forever having to check our position ,and what with the head winds, it’s been a much harder day than yesterday even though we’ve only done 80kms. FINALLY ! We’re back at the Schiphol Best Western where we left from nearly 3 months ago. 4200 kilometres ( actually biked ) and 2 new bikes later we’re back !