Today I got up to go to the bus tour of the Dutch countryside. I chose the tour that included a quiet fisherman’s town, windmills, and a cheese factory. So, I boarded the bus this morning at 10:00am. Our first stop was the picturesque windmill village with typical dutch green houses. We stopped to watch a clog maker make the wooden clogs. That was interesting to see. We then went to a cheese factory where they showed us the way they made their traditional Dutch cheeses.. Gouda etc. We got to sample several flavors of the cheese, and it was very good. Also here, I met some of the other tourists, two in particular from Florida, who will be coming to grad school at UT next year. Coincidence, yes, and I’m sure there’s someone in common we must know.. haha. Anyhow, we rode then to a village called Volendam, that is right along the reclaimed sea. (North Sea that is). We strolled along the docks next to the water, and had some lunch. After that, we boarded a boat that took us to another town called Marken. This is the quiet fisherman’s town, where the people still wear the traditional dress. It was very nice, and I got some really good pictures. I’m hoping I’ll be able to post them sometime soon. Anyhow, after the visit in an old woman’s house (she explained to us about the dress of the Netherlands) she pretty much locked us in the house — a group of almost 30 couped up in this tiny village house, and she threw out a plate and said, “All tips are appreciated”. Gee, she sure learned that phrase in a perfect accent, wonder what happened to the rest of her English as she was trying to explain the traditional dress. Anyhow, it was a nice village, and the weather was just perfect for a day excursion like this. Now, I’m really tired though, and I’m trying to figure out what I should do tomorrow for my last day in Amsterdam!!
Country Tour – Windmills, Clogs, and Fisherman Town
