Beautiful spots in Amsterdam North & the Amsterdamse Waterleidingduinen

02 August 2021 20:00

We have camped in different places in the past, because we got a new floor. For example, in Amsterdam North we were at the city camping site 'Vliegenbos'. Great to be able to discover your own city from a different perspective. The Vliegenbos is really beautiful and in the morning we saw the sun rise in the nature reserve 'het Twiske'. How beautiful our country is! I have also been able to add a few beautiful streets to my list of favorites:

  1. Landsmeerderdijk
  2. Buiksloterdijk
  3. Nieuwendammerdijk
  4. Schellingwouderdijk

The Nieuwendammerdijk

What beautiful houses you can view here. We saw an elderly couple on Nieuwendammerdijk and I complimented them on their beautiful home. It was her birthday, so congratulated her and asked how long they had lived here. Sir lived there all his life. At least he's moved a few times from the house to their left to this house and vice versa. The house on the left was his father's farm. Bought once for 4,000 guilders and the last time they moved from left to right she paid 28,000 guilders. Unbelievable when you consider what these houses cost now. We said goodbye and told them to stay here for a long time to enjoy this beautiful place. The personal story appealed to us very much, so we also took a good look at the old farm.

Sunrise and hiking tips

In the morning we saw the sun rise in the nature reserve 'het Twiske'. How beautiful our country is! And if you work all day at such a campsite, a lot will pass you by. From behind my laptop I saw three ladies with a real backpack for hikers walking towards me, so I can't resist talking to them. One of the ladies turned out to be a walking coach and the other an avid walker, so I was happy to receive tips about walking and equipment. I am happy to share the tips with you here:

  1. Buy A or B shoes;
  2. Buy a pair of waterproof ones;
  3. Buy a pair of non-waterproof ones;
  4. Put on your walking shoes for an hour every day so that your feet get used to them;
  5. Alternate your shoes when exercising;
  6. Low shoes for this pilgrimage are fine;
  7. Walk for an hour every day;
  8. Make sure you also alternate your workouts with intervals of different tempos;
  9. To make sure your hands and fingers don't get too fat;
  10. Do not use blister plasters, but Fiomull tape.
  11. Stick the tape in place with the slightest feeling.
  12. Use an app like Komoot, Strava or Mapmywalk to navigate.

The Amsterdamse Waterleidingduinen

After these great adventures in Amsterdam North, we moved to the St. Lucia Monastery in Bennebroek to look after my brother and his family's house and cat. I'm from Noordwijk myself, so I thought I was fairly familiar with the area. But nothing could be further from the truth, because I can't remember the Amsterdamse Waterleidingduinen from my childhood. What a beautiful area. Besides extracting water, there is a lot to see and do. You can especially enjoy walking, because bicycles and cars are not allowed in the area. The area is extremely varied. You can spot a lot of wildlife, you can take a lovely walk in the forest, but you can also stroll through the dunes towards the sea or along one of the many ponds with crystal clear water. We saw fallow deer, rabbits, swans, birds and even came face to face with a fox! And from mid-September to mid-October you can hear the primordial sounds of the dune here. It is the time of the fallow deer's annual rut. The males show themselves from their best side. Everything is aimed at pleasing the females and bluffing the other males. The strongest have the most opportunity to mate and thus provide for offspring. I know where I'm going in the fall!

Click here for more information about the Amsterdamse Waterleidingduinen

By the way, our floor turned out beautiful!