2026 - 07 Malle is only once a year...

 April 27, 2029 Monday 

Monday is King's Day. And this is the quintessential national holiday in the Netherlands. So, we first secured our spot until after Monday to avoid any awkwardness. Additionally, such a celebration in a big city like Alkmaar is certainly more noticeable than anywhere in a holiday village.

Then, we read online what the day means for the Dutch and how it is experienced. Goodness, something is coming our way….

But we still have three days until Monday.

And those days are flying by in the beautiful sunny weather. One day of shopping in Alkmaar with the cheese market, one day of beach life in Egmond aan Zee, and another day of chilling and eating at the beach bar “Zeezicht” in Castricum aan Zee – the name says it all.

And here we go already with King's Day. It's Sunday evening, and tomorrow is a holiday. All the families go out for dinner. We can only eat before the rush until 6:00 PM, which works out relaxed – the calm before the storm.

By the way, our plan has completely worked out. Not only did the campsite “Het zonnige Veld” turn out to be a jackpot.

 The weather and temperatures have also been nice to us. Every day, the sun shone brightly, and the temperatures even allowed for a nice sunbathing in sheltered spots.

At the beach, some daring souls even plunged into the North Sea waves – but only for a very short time. It was still too chilly for that and I didn't even think about it.

But the beaches and dunes in this part of North Holland are truly a gem. The dune landscape stretches from Wijk aan Zee (before the North Sea Canal, which connects Amsterdam with the open sea) to Schoorl (Schoorlse Duinen) over a length of about 20 km. It is one of the largest nature reserves in the Netherlands, which is accessible to the public on designated hiking trails and bike paths.

Through the dunes, you can reach the sandy beaches at selected points, all spacious and sandy with beach bars, beach houses, and water sports.

Because there is always a decent wind blowing here, kite surfers are drawn here as well.

It’s quite bearable.

And then comes Monday. The party actually starts the evening before. You can see that quite well in Alkmaar. When we arrive around 2:00 PM, everything is still quiet. The access roads and the city center around the church are lined with flea market stalls of all kinds. Here, both children and mothers sell their discarded clothes and toys. There are also larger stalls with a wider range of clothing and useful/useless items lining the street.

At the hotspots in the city, stages are set up and DJs are already warming up the speakers. But everything is still quiet, and people are strolling through the streets.

Only the trash and remnants of the previous evening are still present – and that did not come from the children's flea market or the early Saturday beer sessions.

Almost all Dutch people have put the national flag on their cheeks; the color orange is ubiquitous. Everyone has found an orange piece of clothing, some more, some less. But wherever the crowd gathers, they are all waving in orange.

The streets are full of people. Actually just as full as on Friday during the cheese market.

Today, hardly any shops are open, only the pubs – and they've wisely banished all their inventory to the outdoors. This way, more people can fit in when the party moves from the outside to the inside.

In the courtyard of Sonoy, we find a spot to sit and chill with a cold drink and a plate of Borellhapjes (fried snacks).

As we set off again and stroll through the streets, the atmosphere has changed. People are more excited (or drunk) and rush to the stages. Many young people rush through the streets recklessly, shouting at each other loudly. Crowds gather at the stages, making it difficult to get through. Everyone has a beer in hand and is singing at the top of their lungs. The DJ or live band is pumping up the energy.

The bar streets and pubs are now really busy. Drinks are only served in plastic cups (because that's evidently better). The young people, especially the girls, all have a can with unknown contents in their hands. It seems to be particularly trendy, as everyone is carrying them around in their bags.

And the cans? In the Netherlands, there is a 'Statiegeld' on drink cans (0.15 €). That's probably too little – the cans end up in the corners of the streets (good for the deposit collectors) or in the waters of the canals (bad for the deposit collectors and even worse for the environment).

Before everything goes wild here, we settle down at a pizzeria by a canal and have just that. It's wonderful to watch the people passing by.

They are all infected by the national fever and express their allegiance through clothing and face tattoos to their country (and perhaps also to the royal family, since it is their birthday after all).

Is it the same for us on October 3?

The unity celebration is taking place in Bremen this year. So we can compare.

On the way back to the bike, we have to pass through a party zone. And there, the bear is dancing. We try to push our way through. After just 30 meters I give up – I don't want to go through that. The crowd is in party mode, Balearic culture in its purest form. Everyone is drunk and singing loudly – consideration for others is non-existent.

I would love to show 1 – 2 video sequences, but unfortunately, I can't upload them at Vakantio.

We have had enough and cycle back to the peaceful campsite. When we arrive around 7:30 PM, the sun is already mostly gone and it is getting cold. So, we hop into the Laika and start reporting.

Tomorrow the journey continues.