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Published: November 6th 2016
Prior to flying to Amsterdam I had booked a full day tour with "That Dam Guide" visiting the area just north of Amsterdam. It is an area of dijks (dikes), windmollen (windmills) and kaas (cheese). Our first stop was Ransdorp on the polders on the outskirts of Amsterdam. Polders are land reclaimed from the sea. The Dutch waged a centuries-long battle with nature to win this land back from the sea, and boy was it worth it. The landscape that inspired many famous Dutch painters is spectacular.
We than visited the charming fishing village of Monnickendam and walked the history-lined streets. I could have spent all day here exploring the town and taking advantage of all the photo opportunities. We stopped off for coffee and Dutch apple pie at a historic orphanage, which is now a lovely café. The pie was the best version of Dutch Apple Pie that have experienced which is as it should as we were in the the Dutch home country.
We passed through the outskirts of Edam, through Oosthuizen, stopping at a combination dairy and potato farm. It was interesting to see the totally automatic milking machines. I had no idea they existed. No
more early mornings for dairy farmers. Pat enjoyed meeting the farm's very friendly dog.
From Noord it is less than 4 kilometers to Schermerhorn and its windmill and museum. It’s a fully working windmill that dates from about 1612 and we got to explore the inside. Fortunately it was a windy day and the machinery was fascinating to watch, especially the water turbine.
There were some picnic tables set up in a room adjacent to the museum where we tasted 4 varieties of their beloved
Beemster brand.
Beemster cheese gets its name from the region of the same name, a UNESCO World Heritage Site The cheese tasting was accompanied by a nice glass of locally produced wine plus some fruit and cured meats, also of local origin.
The Dam Guide company limits the tour to 7 participants in a van that can go places the big buses cannot., we had 6 and it made for a pleasant experience with our very knowledgeable guide, Rory.
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