Sunday May 10, 2015 - We woke up to blue skies and warm sunshine! It is bus adventure day today. For $10, you get an all-day pass to use on any of the many bus routes between towns. We are again heading north, but not so far. Our towns will be Monnickendam, Marken, Volendam and Edam. Monnickendam, our first stop. It is a very quiet cozy fishing village, now mainly recreational boats. We made a loop around the main square and the harbor. There seemed to be a bike race going on in the whole area today. It is the first time we have seen anything besides one speeds. The bikers were wearing U.S. style biking clothes (spandex and helmets).

The next town Marken, had been an island. The houses were still situated as they had been when cramped on the small piece of land. After the dikes were built the town lost its purpose and was abandoned. They it became a popular tourist area and had regained life as such. This island, small as it was, divided in to the harbor half and along religious beliefs! All of it was quaint and beautiful.

Volendam was a ferry trip away. It is a beautiful day and we are able to sit on the top deck of the ferry and enjoy the sun and view. The water is dotted with sailboats of all sizes. It is about a 20 minute crossing.

The harbor of Volendam was teaming with people. We walked up and down the harbor several times watching for an open seat in one of the many restaurants that spill out over the sidewalk and look out to the bay. The crowd was compact. We found a seat in one restaurant but waited an hour for a beer and that was long enough. We were not yet on harbor time, we were ready to move on, the fish and chips smelled wonderful though. As it was, it was good we left the restaurant; right across the path was a wagon selling frikendels. Geoff had not seen any and the only place I have seen them is in the train station in a vending machine. I remembered them from my time in Limburg Provence 40 years ago. I had a frikendel special and it was exactly how I remembered it! It looks like a hot dog but it is more sausage-like. Then it is covered with ketchup and mayonnaise and topped with onions. We then left the harbor, and suddenly no people! Just turned the corner and the people were gone! Deserted streets! A huge square and no one to be seen. Made the walk to the bus easy and such a break from the bustle of Amsterdam! We reached the corner of the bus stop at precisely the same time as the bus arrived! The one to take us on to Edam.

We enjoyed Edam. It was larger than the other “old area of town”. Volendam was just the area along the harbor, but Edam seemed to be a much larger area. We just roamed the streets for about an hour. It was like Amsterdam without the people. Full of beautiful historic buildings, canals, flower gardens, and bridges. But enough quaint. We were ready for home. Back on the bus and Centraal Station and our walk home.