We are a family of four with two teen-aged kids. We had a really lovely nine night stay in this house. It is ideally situated for visits to the beach and a day trip to Amsterdam, half an hour by train. However, Alkmaar itself is just such a great place to be! A short walk up the street from the house and you are in the centre of the old part of town, which is full of eclectic shops and a buzzing café culture. There are plenty of waterways to explore by boat and there is, of course, the renowned cheese market. We also discovered the Sint-Laurenskerk, Alkmaar's main church which, while being very beautiful, also boasts two world famous organs. We're not normally church people, but we happened to visit on a day when the organist was practising and were treated to some pretty impressive acoustics!
The house itself was ideally situated. Right on the canal and so close to the old part of town it was perfect for visiting the sites and also watching all the boats go by. Being an old house it has plenty of character but is also equipped with all of the things needed for modern living. It also comes with a nearby private parking garage and Simon was good enough to allow us the use of his parking permit so that we could park on the road outside of the house too. All in all, we had a very enjoyable and relaxing time here, highly recommended!!