The real interest of Zaandam is not its connection with Peter the
Great but the circumstance that it was the birthplace of Anton Mauve,
in 1838. He died at Arnheim in 1888, Neither Zaandam nor Arnheim
honours him.
Chapter XIV
Alkmaar and Hoorn, The Helder and Enkhuisen
To Alkmaar by canal--The Cheese Market--The Weigh House
clock--Buyers and sellers--The siege of Alkmaar--To
Hoorn by sea--A Peaceful harbour--Hoorn's explorer
sons--John Haring's bravery--The defeat of De Bossu--Negro
heroes--Hoorn's streets--and museum--Market day--and
Kermis--Nieuwediep--The Helder--The Lighthouse--Hotel
characters--The praise of the porter--Texel--Medemblik--King
Radbod's hesitancy--Enkhuisen--Paul Potter--Sir William Temple
and the old philosopher--The Dromedary.
If the weather is fine one should certainly go to Alkmaar by canal. The
journey by water, on a steamer, is always interesting and intensely
invigorating. It is only one remove from the open sea, so flat is
the country, so free the air.
Alkmaar's magnet is its cheese market, which draws little companies of
travellers thither every Friday in the season. To see it rightly one
must reach Alkmaar on the preceding afternoon, to watch the arrival
of the boats from the neighbouring farms, and see them unload their
yellow freight on the market quay.
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