Cheese Town: Alkmaar
Alkmaar is the cheese town of the Netherlands where the famous kaasmarkt [cheese market] is held every Friday mornings, 10AM to 12Noon, from the 1st half of May until the 1st half of September, every year. The kaasdragers [cheese carriers] in action by the Waagplein town square in Alkmaar. Those cheese rounds can be used as weapons, they are heavy! The cheese carriers carry not just the cheese but the kids too! The cheese market is an Alkmaar tradition since 1593 and is the prime tourist attraction of the city. About 100,000 tourists every year come to witness the cheese trading show in the Waagplein square. So last Friday, my last day of vacation freedom, I went - even though the weather was having a strike. It didn’t cooperate with my little travel plan. It was raining the whole day. In fact the rain never stopped... until today, lol! Autumn came too early. The cheese museum called Waaggebouw [Weigh house]; an old Dutch woman dressed in a traditional dress selling the small version...