I'm opening up a new thread here, as discussions of what happens or does not in Alkmaar should not be in a thread about Berti's tragic end.
My comments about limited English amongst the girls in Alkmaar represented my experience, all have been very pleasant, but the standard of English was such that it led to communication problems. Wim put it nicely when he said "it can often get chaotic there because of misunderstandings".
Perhaps read the thread below from Veteren Jim, he describes Alkmaar as he saw it on one visit, and as you can tell he is certainly a fan of the city.
http://www.ignatzmice.com/WWWBoard/PHPB ... maar#52788