Edam, Holland aboard our canal barge Burra Billa

In the last week, Burrabilla has been covered daily in autumn leaves, the trees beside the canals are now almost bare. The temperatures are dropping and the rain and grey skies continue. Not exactly the conditions you would choose for a canal barge holiday in Europe! Neverthless, like the locals we don our wetgear, hop on our bikes and wander the cobbled streets of Holland's many ancient cities. We've splashed through Gorichem, Montfoort, Gouda, Leiden, Haarlem, Alkmaar, Purmerend and many places in between. Today we are in lovely Edam, a bit late for the cheese festivals but nevertheless, a charming city.
Two things stand out for me in Holland. The first is how well the place seems to run. Not only does the country's infrastructure work exceedingly efficiently, but the beautifully maintained houses, farms and factories and the friendly and considerate attitudes of the locals in what is a very crowded country, all point to a strong social conscience. Behind the scenes there is no doubt much to dislike of course but to an outsider, it could be (apart from the weather), a good place to live and I believe the country is well-equipped for the future. I am also delighted to be constantly taken back to our time in Huis Ten Bosch, the Dutch village/theme park in Japan where we stayed for 2 years. Huis Ten Bosch re-created the “best” of Holland in a precise display of famous buildings, windmills, gardens and a million Van Gogh replicas. The Gouda Town Hall photo below could have been taken in either country. 

Town hall at Gouda

Dutch architecture behind a traditional bridge, 16th century?