Gouda, Windmills and Wooden Shoes

Wooden shoes, windmills and cheese were the three things that were on the kids' minds when we put Holland on the itinerary. We headed north from our hotel to the Alkmaar cheese market, which only operates on Friday mornings. We watched as cheese was whisked from a wooden storage area under the town clock. Men ran the rounds of cheese on wooden sleds onto the market square where professional buyers burrowed deep into the cheese with a small tool to remove the core of the cheese for tasting. After tasting and feeling the cheese for texture, they placed their bids. 

 Not only were we able to watch this traditional practice, but the kids were also able to taste the cheese from the cheese stands and  weigh themselves on the cheese scales.

 We then wandered a few picturesque streets and tried on wooden shoes at a shoe maker's stand.

We hadn't quite had enough of traditional Holland, so we spent the rest of the day at the Enkhuizen open-air historic town. There we found a wooden shoe factory. We watched as shoes were carved from  blocks of wood in the traditional handmade method and by use of a machine. We then picked out our favorite shoes to try on. Mia was the only one who brought home her own pair. I simply couldn't part with a light pink polka dot print clog for her. 

 We wandered the town and toured more windmills. This time we found mills that sawed wood, crushed spices, created chalk and paint and milled corn meal. The windmills were just as interesting inside as they were beautiful outside.

Enkhuizen also provided us the opportunity to observe regional crafts being made, visit local animals and play with children's games and toys enjoyed in the area. Understandably, the kids fell in love with The Netherlands.