Well, I guess I’ve got time to update the blog. Gouda was a good bit of fun, but today I’m making my way to Amsterdam—and just found out there’s a train strike on all day across the Netherlands.
A very friendly gent stopped me on my way to the station to break the bad news. He helped me download the public transport app, find an alternative route, and gently suggested I shouldn’t travel today, as the journey would take around three hours. I thought that was kind of cute. I shook his hand, thanked him, and made my way to the bus station anyway.
So now I’m taking four different buses to get to Amsterdam—and who knows how I’ll get to the hotel once I arrive.
Anyway.
Gouda was great! I did a cheese factory experience—which wasn’t actually a factory, more of a walk-through exhibition about the history of Gouda cheese. The most interesting thing I learned was that in the marketplace, they used to settle on a price by playing some kind of hand-slap pattycake game. Confusing, yet amusing.
I also got to sample all the different ages and types of Gouda, so the tour was totally worth it. I took a few strolls around the small town, which everyone describes as a “cute village”—fair enough, I reckon. The ornate city hall, the weigh house (where they weighed bulk cheese back in the day), and St John’s Church were all standout sights. The church looked impressive from the outside, though it was a bit too expensive to go in. The canals and cosy restaurants really gave the town a nice, relaxed vibe.
I also got to try the original Siroopwafle from Kamphuisen. Also called Stroopwaffle in other places, it’s a wafer biscuit with syrup filling. Super sweet but quite nice.
Not much else to report—a very low-key cheesy stay in Gouda.
