Dat Monnickendam is a cute village and worth a visit just because of its location on the water, has long been beyond dispute, but Strandvier, a just-right beach bar by a lake, is one of the reasons why we prefer to go even more and more often. Strandvier (yes, you write that together) is located in the Hemmeland, a large piece of greenery right next to Monnickendam, and was built entirely by the owners themselves. A real labor of love, if you will. The products the chefs work with are largely local and attention is paid to sustainability: no large-scale products here tourist trap but a delicious place with Mediterranean food from the Argentinian barbecue (which was also built in-house, it couldn't get any crazier).

Take a day and instead of going to the well-known city beaches like Blijburg, which are bursting with people so you can barely get into the water (Amsterdammers, we're looking at you), go to this heaven on earth, only about ten kilometers away above.

Oh, and if you're thinking... Huh? I'm here, right? Where you have to park your car. But I don't see anything? Beats! You have to walk a little bit and there you go real life oasis. Typical case of small effort, big result. Then sit on one of the wooden chairs on the veranda and look out over the Gouwzee, or use it as a resting point during a day of sailing. Either way, you'll leave happier than you came.