Durgerdam

Yesterday we had a rest day in Harlem and explored a little of this interesting city. D visited the Cathedral for a Sunday seevice in Dutch. Sian and Ant visited an art gallery and an organ recital. D and I visited the Tayler museum which was founded by the will of a wealthy banker and has an interesting and varied collection.

I found the above picture rather disturbing as it looks as though a collision between the square rigger and the anchored paddle steamer is likely in the strormy weather.

Today we left Haarlem in a convoy at 9am and passed in formation under several bridges, and through a lock to emerge in the North Sea canal that joins Amsterdam to the sea.

There is plenty of barge and other traffic on the canal. After a long time motoring into a head wind we locked into the Markermeer and tied up in the little harbour at Durkerdam. In the evening we were entertained by speaches and a jazz trio. Tomorrow we are to have a contest where the boats tow painted clogs and the Dutch try to capture the English clogs  and vice- versa. We will see how that works out.