What Elly said. She has better photos, but here are some extra Bruce-ramblings:

I’d seen an aerial photo of a causeway crossing the inland sea, possibly the Afsluitdijk. We weren’t sure we could enjoyably cycle there, so we plotted to go and see the nearer Houtribdijk. Cycling conditions were fine, and I’d come to enjoy my bike’s low gears, upright riding position and ancient but well-maintained. There’s not the emotional bond that I have I have developed with Lev Davidovitch, but Rosinante (note the new name!) is fine for this area’s flat, smooth tarmac and brick cycle-paths. So we had a very enjoyable ride from Zaandam to Hoorn, then on to Enkhuizen (cyclemeter). Using Lev’s SPD/toe-cage pedals and above all the Netherlands’ flat roads make cycling here excellent.

Open road, lovely tarmac

The Zuiderzee museum could have occupied a full day. There’s lots to see but most of it can’t be photographed  Go there and enjoy it for yourself! I was taken by these lime-kilns’ shape and a necessary piece of kit:

This is where you should dump your calamities. I didn’t have any so I couldn’t test how well the depot works. Over to you again!

Dinner called us after only two hours, then we took a quick side trip to see the causeway (and fantasise about cycling across it to Lelystad, and then back to Zaandam. Not this year, but I will be able to next year!)

Enkhuizen from the causeway

Cycling all the way back to Zaandam would have been possible but not enjoyable. However, cycling back to Hoorn (cyclemeter), then taking the train back to Zaandam was fine.

My navigation-fu is not yet perfect, so the final half-mile to Hoorn station became around thrice that. Lights were needed by then – neither bike came with lights so I was glad I’d brought ours.

I only noticed I was tired when we got on the train. There have been other downsides. Elly hasn’t bonded with her bike, mostly due to its saddle. I miss Lev’s mirror and higher gears, and my back, right ankle and left knee grumbled when I stopped pedalling. My insides are not completely silent. I don’t promise to zoom around Edinburgh, nor do I think I’m anything but slightly battered lucky old gadge on an matching bike. Being overtaken by omas and opas, not all of them on electro-bikes, is slightly embarrassing. But no worries! That I can pedal at all, compared to how I was just weeks ago only adds to a feeling of joy. I’m back in the saddle, riding with my better half, where I belong! Yeehah!

The groups of road bikes we’ve seen are almost without exception piloted by MAMILs and MAWILs, including a few Lotto Jumbo and Etixx Quickstep fans with more grey than me.