Hence if you would see the Volendam fishermen in their greatest strength the time to visit the little town is at the end of the week or on Sunday.
The day for Purmerend is Tuesday, because then the market is held, in the castle plein, among mediaeval surroundings.

To this market the neighbourhood seems to send its whole population, by road and water, in gay cart and comfortable wherry.

According to my unfailing informant in these regions, the Purmerend stadhuis, in order "to aggrandise the cheese market," was in 1633 "set back a few meters by screwing-force".
The excursion to Marken and the excursion to Edam and its neighbourhood take each a day; but between Amsterdam and Zaandam, just off the great North Canal, steamers ply continually, and one may be there in half an hour.

The journey must be made, because Zaandam is superficially the gayest town in Holland and the capital of windmill land.

In an hour's drive (obviously no excursion for Don Quixote) one may pass hundreds.