July 20 – 25 Schiphol, Haarlem, Uitgeest

Picking up this travel blog where we left off in September of 2025 – it feels like the last 10 months didn’t happen and here we are again – back where we belong. On the road with only our panniers for 2 months.. So I finally have time to catch up and try to remember how to post a blog post. Here’s try 1.

But I’m getting ahead of myself – a lot did happen, and it took another flight across the ocean on July 20-21 and another slow startup to get back in back in the swing of life on a bicycle.

The flight was fine and we landed at Schiphol on sched around 8:00 AM. By the time we got through immigration and customs and out on the street with our LUGGgage it was 10:00 and then we found they had moved our bus stop even farther away. More LUGGing. By the time we got off the bus & walked to Het Hart Haarlem to drop our bags (remember this is 2 months-worth of stuff including bike gear) it was 11:30 AM and we had already got our 10,000 steps!  Without the LUGGage things got easier and we felt freer, we went to Botermarkt for breakfast, then walked to the library to wait for our room to be ready at 1:00. (sitting, reading, talking welcome, but no napping allowed, we were informed.)

After that life got good again. We had reserved the room in January, so had our favorite apartment C. We got reacquainted with our friendly hosts Esther and Ad who run the apartment complex and always hold our suitcase for us.  Next stop grocery store and a walk around town to remind ourselves why Haarlem is our home-away. Early evening with wine in the beautiful courtyard and a light dinner at home.

The breakfasts at Het Hart are so lavish there is no need to buy a lot of food or to dine out unless we feel like it. We spent the day planning our trip and walking in our favorite town.

In the evening our Dutch friends Willy and Gert arrived and we enjoyed drinks in the courtyard. Gert especially enjoyed seeing the inside & inner courtyard of one of the great houses of Haarlem (of course greatly modified and carved into a few units). Gert is related to the famous architect Gerrit Rietveld, so he is interested in architecture. In the old towns the property lines are very complicated – “our” cozy courtyard is enclosed by at least 10 different connected properties. 

We met Willy & Gert in the Maldives in 1981 when we were on our long-way-around-the world-with-unlimited-stops on Singapore Airlines following our 3 year stint working for Computer Sciences International Deutschland in Munich. How we became friends is a crazy story but long – so I’ll tell it another day when I can add photos. But Willy just sent me one photo – Jim, Willy, & Gert frolicing on the beach in the Maldives – Willy showing off her Dutch-Girl muscles! We had a wonderful dinner at our traditional spot Colette’s right by the St Bavokerk.  

The next day we needed to get our bikes, so we walked up to Haarlem Station and took the train. Our Friendly Local Bike Shop recently relocated from Beverwijk farther north to Uitgeest.  Ernst was on vacation so we didn’t get to see him this year, but his assistants had our bikes polished up, serviced and ready to ride. 

We use Komoot for navigation in Europe – so much better for finding more interesting, scenic and safe routes so it was a lovely ride.

We took our usual Velsen ferry across the main  Binnentoeleidingskanaal (Amsterdam shipping canal).  While on the ferry Jim started searching for his wallet & keys… he began slapping pockets and searching through his complex backpack & Panniers. He was beginning to panic thinking we left them 20KM back at the bike shop…   we both completely forgot I was wearing a small backpack until a kind Dutchman pointed to it and suggested we look there – where he had put them. Of course, we already stuck out as the only ones in helmets and hi-viz gear, so everyone around us got a good-natured laugh at the silly Americans. Then another kind Dutch person pointed to Jim’s ankle where he was bleeding from a pedal scrape and handed him a band aid. Such is the way when in Holland.  It’s great to be back and have our trusty bikes again and to be starting a new adventure.  

Not too bad for a couple of Octogenarians on the loose in a country that feels more like home than home.