We joined our vessel the Jelmar at around noon. After being shown to our cabin, we unpacked and joined the other passengers on deck. We are a small group; only 12...one from Spain, two from Italy, two from the US, three from Germany, and four Canadians. Our guide is from France, our skipper from the Netherlands and our cook who is also the deckhand is also from the Netherlands. The common language is English so that is the language that will be used throughout the trip.
It took a long time to get out of Amsterdam as we had to wait for many bridges to open, lots of traffic in the canals and even a lock to go through. The boat ride through the canal and on the Amstel River was very interesting. We saw some gorgeous houseboats, beautiful gardens and lots of people out in boats of various shapes and sizes out for a Saturday cruise.
We docked in a small town called Kudelstaart. After dinner we got fitted on our bikes and went for a short 10k ride to make sure everything worked well and that everyone could keep the pace and follow the leader. We stopped several times for minor adjustments, but other than that, everything went smoothly. We rode beside fields of sheep, cows, flower greenhouses and quaint homes with thatched roofs.
Everyone is heading to bed early tonight as we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow, about 55k.
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