So, last week I talked about going to Amsterdam over Spring break, but that story is not over. On Thursday, we took an all day trip to Volendam, a fishing village on the coast of the North Sea. About a 35 minute drive from Amsterdam central, this tiny village specializes in cheese production and windmills.
The harbor is a main tourist attraction mostly because it has retained its original culture in everyday life. Kind of the same thing as the Amish, the women and men of the town can be seen semi-frequently in the traditional garb of the Dutch people, with high, pointed white bonnets and wooden clogs.
It is also a very cold and foggy place.
Although the weather was kind of awful, I could tell this place would be adorable to visit in the summer. Since it’s basically marshland, there are bridges and walkways everywhere, and quaint little houses and shops on either side.
Throughout the day, tourists had been asking me for directions and details about the history of the place, and they looked really disappointed when I would shrug and claim ignorance. This did not mean anything to me until a tour guide walked up, shook my hand and said:
“You must be the new hire! Nice to meet you!”
Only then did I realize we were dressed in identical red parkas and jeans, and she thought I was a fellow tour guide. Ha.
Anyway, we also went to a huge cheese shop where they had every sort of cheese you could imagine. They even had coconut cheese, which I did not try because that just sounds gross.
The fog was so thick, though, it was hard to tell that there were miles of marshes right in front of our faces.
Anyway, we took a tour and learned a lot about windmills from the people who actually live and work in them. There was a line of windmills like these that each produced something different. Some moved water to produce steam for various things, while others churned oil to make paint.
Also, these types of shoes are actually worn by locals to walk on the marshy land. While we were waiting around in a gift shop, I saw this random man standing in a large pair meant for decoration, so I casually went and stood next to him. He was a little weirded out, but didn’t ask any questions and allowed himself to be photographed.
Thank you for the candid, ye nameless man.
I was also caught rather indisposed in the throes of a thorough yawn… Enjoy. 
No comments:
Post a Comment