23 May 2014, Haarlem, Netherlands

Ijmuiden, Holland, was our actual docking port, which – according to Captain Andre van Schoonhooven – sits in the middle of nowhere. Bordering on the North Sea it is the main port for Amsterdam as well, used by many ships who want to avoid the locking systems which separate Amsterdam harbour downtown from the sea. Holland America ships formerly docked right beside Amsterdam’s main railway station – however ‘logistics’ (meaning costs) made Ijmuiden a more advantageous option.

Instead of walking off the ship into downtown Amsterdam, one needs to take a shuttle to the terminal, then another shuttle (10 Euros) to Ijmuiden railway station, which is so tiny that is does not even warrant a station attendant to sell tickets hence one needs to use a ticket vending machine. Coins only, please!!

No one had coins to pay for the 30 minute train ride to Amsterdam (or the 10 minute one to Haarlem which was my destination for the day) and we boarded one of the frequent trains without this little required piece of paper. As luck had it, a ticket inspector made the rounds and advised that penalty ticket price would be 40 Euros (instead of the 2.60 Euros regular fare). After a little explanation in English to a Dutchman about us being ignorant foreigners without ready coin he waved the fine and let us carry on - this time only!

Layover in (what called itself in the Holland America Itinerary) Amsterdam was just long enough to allow all but about 48 people to disembark for good, and enough new passenger to board to bring the head count of paying guests to about 600 – about 2/3 full. For us die-hards staying on, just a little break to sniff more Dutch fresh air on land and wear out footwear some more. My two pairs of walking shoes are holding together by a couple of threads of leather, and they have to last another four weeks.

Haarlem is a mini Amsterdam, with similar canals and houses but without major museums and tourist attractions to draw armies of visitors.  Things were rather quiet here. The canals were peaceful, the market lively, the sights uncrowded, prices reasonable.

I spent the short stay strolling about; sniffing the roses so to speak, except the market offered hundreds of different kinds of Dutch scent free tulips and colourful peonies and freesias – its spring after all. It’s still strawberry and asparagus season, however local restaurants did not appear to embrace the 10 mile diet approach too much.

Haarlem, like all Dutch towns and cities, is bicycle country. No wonder, the country is flat, so exertion is minimal, convenience maximal and cost almost non-existent.

I bought a large chunk of delicious Dutch cheese and a huge bunch of flowers. Thus armed I secured a rail ticket at Haarlem station – large enough for a ticket counter where one may purchase tickets from a real person. Ergo my ten minute return to Ijmuiden was ‘legal’, and no pesky inspector made life difficult. My wonderful dry cabin took on a rather festive air, adorned with fresh Dutch flowers.