Day 5 - Say CHEESE!

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What a great day! We headed off to Edam - guess what it is famous for? So, we sampled all sorts of different cheeses (pesto, smoked goat, aged edam, mild edam, regular edam) and then bought some. We then sat on the edge of the canal and ate fresh cheese, baguette and apples for lunch. Delicious! They did demonstrations of how cheese markets functioned up until 1922, with people in costumes and all. There was bartering, boats bringing in the cheese to sell, families bringing in their cheese by carriage to sell it, and bands playing music. Very entertaining.

Then we came home and decided to go back to Henschot meer which is the lake near our house (about 15-20 minute bike ride). I (Lori) went for a run along the bike trails (and didn't get lost since I just stayed on the same trail) and then joined the rest at the beach for some swimming and sand castle making. The lake is so warm! I never really expected I would be lying on a beach in the middle of Holland by a lake on this vacation!

Rode home and picked up some groceries on the way to make dinner and then relaxed in the back yard.

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Photos

Slap on it
In the Kassmarkt (cheese market) the buyer and vendor slap hands back and forth as they haggle over price. That way, as the pain intensifies, the negotiation must close at some reasonable point.

Pay the ferry man
They simulated having families come in by 1922 Ford, horse & carriage, and of course by canal. This farmer is brining a boar load of edam cheese (literally) to barter for sale at the market in the town square,

Calliope
See the steam calliope in the background chanting out tunes.

We bid you farewell
At the close of market all the villagers gather to sing us the official song of Edam.

Canals everywhere
In keeping with Holland-style (Hollandaise?) we saw 10-12 canals even in the teeny town of Edam

Comments

[Don]

Edam
CHEEEEEESEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!