June 10: Visiting Haarlem

 Market Day in Haarlem

Bike shops are everywhere, mostly renting two types of bikes: Upright city cruisers with internal hub gears and solid touring bikes with a rear rack. All come with an integral rear wheel bike lock and heavy chain lock. Renters are advised to always lock bikes in fixed bike racks, not to poles or railings, as public authorities occasionally remove them. Bikes outnumber humans 3-to-1 in Amsterdam. Oddly, bike paths are open to e-bikes, motorcycles or mopeds with a top speed of 45 KPM, and the occasional micro-car. We are still adapting to traffic signs. Intersections have separate but not always obvious signals for when pedestrians, bikes, and cars can cross, further complicated by tram crossings.

I used Organic Maps while Kevin used Google Maps to guide our route to Haarlem, about 12 miles. The routes differed. With so many bike paths, multiple routes are possible. Perhaps we will see more consistency outside dense urban areas. On my prior Netherlands trip with Nancy in 2000, we noted red and green routes. The red routes were more direct while the green routes meandered through green spaces.

Haarlem Saturday market

Vending ginger drinks, regular and spicy.


Dog of the Day

Haarlem's indoor, secure, bike parking garage.

Up-market family cargo bike. This model features a light-weight carbon fiber cargo box.

Commercial urban street transitions to a tree-lined residential street.

Haarlem, originally a major seaport, is much older than Amsterdam. After levee construction and land reclamation, the coast is now 5 miles distant.


We occasionally encounter these micro cars on a bike path. Not sure why unless they cannot maintain 45 kph. Melissa liked the color.


Central Haarlem canal. The captain was slowly making a 180-turn in the canal.

Family transport. Older son has his own bike. Dad takes two in the cargo box, a cycling SUV.

The Grote Kerk or St.-Bavokerk is a Reformed Protestant church and former Catholic cathedral located on the central market square in the Dutch city of Haarlem. Nine distinct roads meet at the Haarlem town square, with the Grote Kerk in the center beside the town market.



Haarlem Windmill. De Adriaan is a windmill in the Netherlands that burnt down in 1932 and was rebuilt in 2002. The original windmill dates from 1779 and the mill has been a distinctive part of the skyline of Haarlem for centuries. So, while not original, it's now a tourist attraction with a 7.50 euro admission charge.


Party Boat

Melissa's first cycle tour. 25 miles is a good first ride with zero practice. After returning to Amsterdam, Kevin and Melissa returned her rental bike, then Melissa rode double behind Kevin through the teeming Volkspark. Riding on a rear rack without any padding was not a comfortable experience.

Cycling miles: 28 today; 63 total.


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