A short flight over the North Sea landed me in Amsterdam airport, where it’s easy to get a train into the city. Will met me off the train with a big smile and huge hug. The houseboat we rented for the weekend was near where we stayed last spring. It’s a great neighborhood to explore, near to beautiful Westerpark and good local food. Will and I watched the occasional boat float by us through our large windows and enjoyed the beautiful details of our floating abode as we spent the weekend catching up on 4 weeks of life in different countries. 
It was pretty grey and rained a few times (including when we left Monday morning), but Amsterdam’s charm still came through. We took a late morning train Monday north to Den Helder where we got a ferry to the island of Texel, on the North Sea. Our short stay there last April convinced us we had to go back to do more biking and exploring, especially since their National Park there is dunes all the way up the north western side of the island. We rented a small newly built house that was on the edge of a farm, giving us sheep, goats, and chickens for neighbors- and the beach was less than 2km away. The North Sea sky welcomed us with huge clouds and the sun setting close to 9:30.
Our first view of the dunes was with the heather in bloom as we biked out to the beach. So gorgeous, AND windy. Once again, I was grateful for Will’s foresight in renting us e-bikes for the extra boost against the winds. The wind is really fierce.
Down the street the other way, I discovered a ‘cut your own’ field of dahlias.
When we’d been here in the spring, I’d wanted to cut tulips but had no place to put them on our brief stay. This time I happily paid the .15 per bloom and came away with an awesome bouquet. I placed the vase on the map of Texel to shoot this photo.
The bike paths run beside the roads mostly all over Texel, although sometimes off through the woods or dunes. Our bikes had saddlebags that could carry a lot, including the rain gear we needed often for sudden showers. It’s funny how it could be warm in town or in a sheltered place, but for biking I really bundled up with sweater and wind proof jacket. Will and I even wore thin wool hats on the cooler later afternoons and evenings when we biked home with lights on .
This is a panorama photo I took that shows how the bike path runs alongside the road, which hugs the field where the hay has been cut just recently. So many of the views as we rode were just fields with sheep, cows, horses and dunes; the sky and views changed with the wind and light rapidly. Farmhouses in the middle of fields like little oases. Then we’d get to a village and ride through streets with shops, ‘town’ homes, galleries and restaurants. We ate really well, everywhere, from local cheeses, bread and fish/meat. And I love their fresh ginger tea with orange or lemon. The cone bag is mixed nuts from a local shop, good snacking.
The sheep were everywhere, and we saw products from their wool in many places.
It was hard some times not to keep stopping to take photos.
We stayed in Den Horn, a small village not far from the dunes, with a sweet little ‘main street’ where the houses’ gardens were visible in some places. Lavender was in bloom in front of several houses; and others had vegetables or flowers out for sale.
The tulips we’d seen blooming in the spring were now being sold as bulbs in markets or near bulb farms.
So many people grow hollyhocks, and they were consistently taller than any I’ve ever seen.
Texel is 40 km long, has 7 villages, many farms and farmers with various animals, and birds from all over the world. We loved seeing many ‘V’s of geese in the sky coming in to land on the fields or wetlands as we biked. We biked everywhere we went, so we often rode 15-20 miles/day.
One day, we did a long ride up to the top end of the island, along dikes, through villages, fields, and long lanes with trees, to the lighthouse and a great restaurant beside it. The restaurant has a wonderful casual feel to it, sand on the floor and on the windowsills – and good food. We could see the beach as we ate, out of the wind, and watching so many dogs run miles in circles.
Thank goodness it stays light so late there- sunset isn’t 9:15 or so, darkness not til nearly 10.
It was a long ride home, with good lights on our bikes to help; Will’s battery died 2/3 of the way back, so I was the leader and he was on his own power completely against the wind on the final leg.
We watched spoonbills another day when we biked along a dike and the wetlands nearby. They’d stick their bills in the water and looked as if they were suctioning up the bottom from under their feet.
We were very fortunate with the weather. The farmers were happy too to get their hay cut, and formed them into these geometric piles in the fields, making them seem more artistic than practical. The forecast had rain in it for most days, but it seems like weather moves quickly there with the strong winds. Our last day started out mild, but it poured hard as I biked up to the beach near us to meet Will-he’d gone running up earlier to swim in the ocean one last time. I wore rain gear as I headed up against the wind.
Then the sky cleared and the sun emerged to make it a warm and beautiful day.
The week was full of small and large magical moments. Both Will and I loved being outdoors for so much of our days, no matter the weather, and seeing the ways another island culture lives and thrives. We saw artwork that reflected their environment and inspired me. 
So many people were kind to us when they realized we didn’t speak Dutch or German (the primary visitors there), and applauded our bungled efforts to speak Dutch. Yikes, it’s a tough language to speak. Reading it begins to be a bit easier when you realize some of the words resemble English. I’m so glad Will and I could get back to such a spectacular place to cap off my summer adventures. Home on Tuesday. Thanks all for reading.
Birdgirl’s travels 