From our quiet village, the train drops you off in the heart of Amsterdam in only 25 minutes. So you can enjoy all the riches of this beautiful city while escaping the smelly crowds. You may like to alternate your city adventures with cycle rides to the beach (30 minutes), or take an evening stroll through the woodlands and meadows (10 minutes). In 15 minutes, you can cycle to the charming medieval city of Alkmaar, with its famous cheese market. Interested in nature? We have some unique and extensive sand dune ecosystems on offer (30 minutes by bike). Or you can take a train and boat trip to the island of Texel (2 hrs). You may also like to visit the famous artist's village of Bergen, with its beautiful architecture and mundane cafes. And if all of this has worn you down a bit, just relax at home with one of our 3.000 books.

Our house was built in 1935 and still has some authentic details, such as the colourful 'jugendstil' glass sliding doors. Downstairs we have a living room and adjacent conservatory, kitchen and library and a lavatory, upstairs one bedroom with double bed, one with a single bed, a study and a bathroom. We usually keep the study for storing our own personal belongings, to leave more room for you. But if necessary we can use the attic for that and fabricate a fourth sleeping space in the study. The rooms are not big, but cosy and comfortable.

We have a sunny cottage garden with lots of flowers and even a little rooftop terrace for sunbathing. Have a look our garden through this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzwsVXFexmo.

Some caveats:
- We love pets and will be happy to look after yours, in return we ask you to water quite a few plants.
- We do not own a car, so we cannot exchange one; you can do very well without a car here if you have healthy legs (or rent an e-bike). Conversely, we need access to public transport at our home exchange address. The good news is that if you do come by car, there's a free parking lot across the road.
- That wonderful train that takes you to Amsterdam in a jiffy actually runs near our house, you can hear it go by.