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Trip Leader: John Garner
This was a first for the Miami Ski Club; one in which the accommodation comprised an original and tastefully converted Dutch barge, which we met in Amsterdam after our overnight flights. The barge was fantastic; clean and comfortable with a shower and toilet in each cabin. There was a bright airy salon which was the venue for our evening meals and a great place in which to relax and have a drink at the end of the day.
Another first for the Miami Ski Club was our delight at the lack of snow. In fact the weather couldn’t have been kinder with bright sunshine every day and just a couple of days when we were challenged by some interesting headwinds.
Every morning we enjoyed a breakfast buffet and also facilities were provided for us to make our own sandwich lunch. Each evening our chef, Baz, provided a wonderful four course meal and expertly took into account people’s dietary preferences, whilst still delivering first rate food for hungry passengers.
The cycling company provided us with brand new bicycles. Everybody went at their own pace and at the end of the day’s exercise met up at a pre-arranged point, usually around about mid afternoon. For those people that didn’t want to cycle quite as much, our excellent tour guide, Maria, arranged alternative routes combining cycling with public transport. And of course you had the option of simply sailing the whole way if you wanted a day off. Maria did a fantastic job of ensuring that our routes were interesting, picturesque and at the same time stayed away from the traffic. During the ride itself, we had the opportunity to visit the cultural side of Holland, such as museums, botanical gardens, factories including Delft pottery and of course various purveyors of original Dutch alchohol. We also saw windmills galore as will be evidenced by the picture show we’ll be distributing shortly. No question, Holland is one of the most bicycle friendly places on the planet and the intimate atmosphere, good service on board and the magnificent scenery all served to make the holiday even more memorable.
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