Zaan banks/Texel loop

The Hague half marathon fell victim to the Netherlands' stringent Covid policies, so I was left with a spare Schipol flight. I finally got a small window in which to take it - so decided to do a half marathon of my choosing, fitting neatly into my London schedule. Staying in Zaandam, I ran up the west bank of the river - disappointingly constrained with desirable residences hogging the waterfront. Crossing the river at the Lassiestraat bridge, things improved considerably as I took the east bank to the famous Zaanse Schans, a well-known tourist attraction and a stereotypical Dutch landscape. It is actually slightly contrived, as the windmills (which are genuine) were moved here from around the region, but it was still delightful, and the watery polder landscape, superb cycling infrastructure and ultra-neat farmland all gave off the spirit of place I always seek. A long detour round the inlet of De Poel, then it was down the Kalf to Oostzijde, which hugs the Zaan back towards my hotel (24k, so a little longer than planned). After breakfast, I took the train to Den Helder and the ferry to Texel. I had expected this to be pleasant but it was a brilliant little trip. I hired a Dutch-style bike for pennies and had a wonderful afternoon on a gentle 36km loop around the south of the island, hugging the coast to Oudeschild, then through excellent bird habitat to the delightful village of Oosterend. From here I cut inland and crossed the island from east to west through De Waal and Den Burg towards the Duinen van Texel national park, mature dappled woodland and a delightful contrast. Then it was back via Den Hoorn, a wonderful tranquil atmosphere in beautiful warm sunshine. As everybody knows, Dutch cycling culture and infrastructure is remarkable - but it was brilliant to actually experience it. I have only ever ridden a heavy sit-up-and-beg bike once, and that was on Orkney last year (hard work with the hills!). This was simple and delightful, the obvious solution to so many problems!