A morning of pleasant motoring and waiting for bridges, heading southward we arrived in the larger town of Alkmaar around lunch time.

Situated in the land of Leeghwater, the town of Almaar is surrounded by peat bogs and reclaimed landscape.

During the afternoon, Bob and I motored the dinghy into the centre and wandered the township, camera – less this time, since I had somehow pulled a muscle in my back: until the unexpected deluge poured down from above for the fourth time in as many weeks! Whether the skies appear good or not, my coat is a fixture wherever I shall tread. My love, however, had not quite reached that stage, so it was a matter of taking shelter beneath bridges.

The two of us have well and truly entered Dutch cheese making country, and Alkmaar is known in the Netherlands as the ‘Cheese Making Capital’: more about that tomorrow after our visit to the Museum.

www.saycheesesayalkmaar.nl