Our Thursday bus tour continued with a tour of a cheese factory and shop.
We then continued by boat to the traditional fishing village of Enkhuizen. This village was one of several on the edge of the Zuiderzee whose economies were ruined when access to the North Sea was blocked by construction of a dam in 1932. The water behind the dam was gradually converted from salt to fresh. The only major sea life that survived the change was the eel. As a result, eel is commonly smoked, sold, and eaten in these villages. Kathleen enjoyed an eel sandwich on the way over but I was not able to work up the courage to try it. The economy of Enkhuizen recovered when the Zuiderzee Museum was opened to attract tourists interested in the traditional fishing life that existed there once. Several rescued homes were renovated to create a typical Zuiderzee village for tourists to enjoy. The old fishing harbor then was converted into a yachting marina. The picture below shows the kitchen interior of a renovated fisherman's home in Enkhuizen. Note the delft tiles.
The modern residences further inland were also quite charming. The ducks were incredibly tame as we walked alongside the canal. The homes waste no land on lawns but small gardens are very common.
I was, unfortunately, not surprised to find that American pop culture had invaded even this charming hamlet. This little Dutch boy was walking the streets wearing a Power Rangers costume.
We were glad when the bus tour was over. We always take at least one standard bus tour when we travel because they cover a lot of the essential sites. It is not the most charming or leisurely way to see a country but it helps when time is at a premium. We returned to Amsterdam in the early evening and found a nice Belgian restaurant with wonderful asparagus soup. If you travel to Amsterdam be prepared for slow service at most restaurants. Just relax, sip your drink and remember you are on vacation. Also, if something isn't right, be extra polite when you point it out to the waitress. The Dutch are not terribly receptive to complaints.