Alkmaar

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On August 17th, we visited Alkmaar, the cheese town to end all cheese towns. On every Friday during the summer, tour buses roll into town so that tourists can watch a "traditional cheese market" in action. Let me let Wikipedia explain:

It is one of only four traditional Dutch cheese markets still in existence. The traditional fare of this cheese market are those cheeses made in the local area, as opposed to the well-known brands of Dutch cheeses, i.e. Edam cheese and Gouda cheese. It is not actually possible to buy cheese at the market itself, which is really only a demonstration of how this merchants' market operated in times gone by. However, the demonstration, which takes place in front of the medieval weighing house, is surrounded by many specialized stalls where it is possible to buy all kinds of cheese (and non-cheese) related products.


And buy cheese, we did. The market itself was way too crowded (My friend, Nicole and I had to throw an alarming number of elbows to get to the front of the mob) and watching men in costume, weigh cheese, transport cheese and then transport cheese some more is not as entertaining as it sounds, but for cheese sampling possibilities, Alkmaar can not be beat.

Comments

  1. RamblingRolandOctober 8, 2007 at 2:58 AM

    October seems to be a very prolific month for you, what will all the blogs combined. Enjoyed reading your stories, and I might just do some editing to your beautiful picture spoiled by the moth (or was it, bee?);)

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousOctober 9, 2007 at 10:11 AM

    Berti!! I am amazed and a little overwhelmed by all of your beautiful photos and wonderful writing! I am now so hungry for cheese that it's ridiculous. Thank you for blogging all about the Netherlands _ now I really really want to go to Utrecht and am so sad that I didn't come and visit you while you were in Amsterdam! Arrgh! I can't believe I've been pronouncing Gouda wrong this whole time, too. Thank you for the cheese and beer envy you have created in my soul.
    Love,
    Julie

    ReplyDelete

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