Say Cheese - Euro Trip 6


 
The next day I woke up early and got ready for a big tour of Holland. R helped me to book a one day guided tour to country side. R was quite busy with work so he couldn't accompany me, plus I had a professional guide for the day so I was fine. By then, It was already my third day in Amsterdam and I was quite comfortable going around by myself. People were very friendly and I was always greeted with smile and given directions when asked.

A ductch house turned to souvnier shop
From Central station the bus, loaded with handful of tourists started to the Old Dutch city-" Zaanse Schans". The guide spoke with thick accent and I had hard time understanding him sometimes. He was very funny guy though, once he commented on the smoke from passing by factory as “this is how we make clouds in Holland”.

Cheese farm- Zaanse Schans, Old Dutch City
First we visited the cheese farm of Old Dutch city. I got down from the bus to this fascinating and calming sight, away from hustles and bustles of city. A place that looked right out of wall hanging.

It had breathtaking landscape of Old Dutch houses, sheep, cows, waterfront and windmills! All I wanted to do there was, sit down and paint. I wonder how it has managed to escape from Indian directors for red saree song sequences.

A countryside holiday cannot get better than this!
When I was shuttering the landscape, a girl from our group approached me and asked whether I could take a photo for her. I obliged with a smile and also asked her to stand in different way so the lighting would be proper. She was happy with the result and offered to do the same for me.

Miss Smiely by the pond
We started talking and became friends instantly. She is a Lebanese origin, working in Dubai and here on holiday alone, just like me (lets call her miss smiley).

We both had many things in common and she was so much fun to be with. We were very glad to have found company, to share the fun and take photos.

It took 10 littler of milk to make the cheese on those stands
We went inside a small house where the cheese is still made in the traditional way. The Dutch are world-famous for their long history of cheese-making, the famous cheese here are Gouda (pronounced "KHOW-duh" not "GOO-duh" I was told) or Edam both are named after Dutch towns. A lady in traditional outfit explained to us how cheese is made with so many minute details like temperature and preservatives.

After this the cheese (called baby cheese) had to be stored for 3 months before usage.Then as the years go by they would become harder, it would take more than hammer blows to break them then. I tasted at least 10 different type of cheese with chillies, spinach & other herbs. Most of them tasted delicious but I couldn't stand the smell of few.

The cheese brought here can be kept up to 3 years without refrigeration.
Later we walked around taking photos of the Old Dutch city and Windmills.

These guys still rocks!
I was dumbstruck to learn these handsome hunks are still working and used commercially.

We talked about each other on the bus to our next destination. She was quite excited to point out to me this herd of horses in the ranch and told me about her passion for horse riding. The weather, sights and the day seemed perfect .We kept laughing at each other jokes, but we had no idea about the astray that afternoon held for us.

p.s:  Happy Diwali to everyone.  " Manse raavan jo nikaaley Raam us ke man me hai" - The person who throws demon out of mind, make room for god in it.  Wishing you all a bright life, brighter than 1000 lamps of Diwali.

Comments

me first.. now i will go read the post
sri said…
yes take the cheese :)
the cheese farm snap is awesome..miss smiley sounds like a fun travel companion.. the cheese making routine had such an old world charm to it.i liked the last snap as well.. very picteresque set up.. Holland really is beautiful..

" Manse raavan jo nikaaley Raam us ke man me hai"- absolutely..

Happy Deepavali to u too Sri..
Anonymous said…
me second :)
Anonymous said…
Am sure your charm and attitude for life will earn you friends in any deserted place :)

//A place that looked right out of wall hanging.//

What a way to say that? And I can see the picturesque view...

the cheese are cheesy yummy!! Enjoyed Sri!!

Have a diwali blast!!
Anonymous said…
the reflection of the dutch house in the waters (pic 3) is aweseome!!
gils said…
karuppu sokka aaantie...sooper smile :) holland tulip farms famous illayo?? angalaam polia?
sri said…
@ gils

dubakoor kanna, adhu auntya ? Tulips season eppo ellada
sri said…
@ AJCL

Yes its very beautifu! :) Thanks for the wishes.

@ Savitha
//Am sure your charm and attitude for life will earn you friends in any deserted place :)//

Flattered :) Thanks for the wishes, same to you :)
bittersweet said…
Holland is beautiful! Exactly my kind of place.

I love cheeses, but like you I can't stand the smell of some.

You visited Belgium right? I'm looking forward to hearing more of your fun travels.
sri said…
@ Mybittersweetkoreanlife

Yes Emma, I didnot had heart to leave that place.

Nope, I went to Germany - Koln :)
would write about that as well.
starry eyed said…
Now I definitely want to go to Holland. That cheese farm photo is surreal!
Swaram said…
Ayyo :( nt even in top5 :(

Wil b bk to read :P
Prats said…
Wow this is very beautiful. Specially the cheese farm snaps...

I hope to see them sometime myself.

Ps. Happy Diwali
Aarti said…
Wowww, the buildings, the windmills.. gorgeous!!! Amsterdam moves up in my list of places to visit....

Cheese looks divine.. did u bring back any???? i remember granpan uncles bringing home apple cheese n wot not when they returned from europe trips!! Nice!! :)

Always fun to meet others during travel n spend time.

Happy Diwali to u too Sri!!
Ratzzz said…
hey... the pics are so cool!!!

and yeah i need cheese... no cheese for this rat?? :(

Happy diwali..

Psst.. sorry for not paying a visit before.. ll come n read over weekend.. deal??
Ratzzz said…
drooling over all the cheese.. cud u supply me a pic of cheese if u have one for me blog??

and one without any faces plz....
Swaram said…
The countryside looks just out of some fairy tales :) Awesome pics Sri ... loved the cheese farm one and the windmills :)

3 yrs! - Man! Thatz interesting info :)

A very happy Diwali to u too :) Nice wishes there :)
Ramesh said…
Lovely old Holland. Nice pictures, nice friend, no wonder you didn't want to come back.

Happy Diwali to you Sri. Make some yummy food; click an awesome picture, write a great post, think of your love and the world couldn't be better.

What happened in the afternoon, I wonder. Waiting for the next instalment.
Karthik said…
its indeed breathtaking.. and the cheese making part was so nice.. wish the series never ends.. :)

happy diwali sri!
Vidya said…
WOW!! What a beautiful countryside?
Vidya said…
And happy Diwali to you too! How nice that people from different parts of the world are converging on this post to wish you for Diwali! :D
jehan said…
hi Sri! sorry i was so busy lately... or maybe it's my poor time management again? haha..

i love this article. it's timely for my Holland Cheese spread purchase, haha! my newly found friend and I just went to the Incheon Global Festival and bought Holland Cheese spreads for hubby from the European Life Hall part of the Fest...
sri said…
@ Starryeyed
I want to go again too, one visit wont do to take it all into me.

@Swaram
haha its , take it easy

@ Thanks Prats

@Aarti
I did not bring them, I hardly eat cheese :) atleast at home I would say. Yes it was fun finding a friend there.
sri said…
@ Rat
Welcome! let me see most of the pic are with humans :)

@Thanks swaram, Yes even I was wondering about 3 years, its so hard, she infact threw it on the floor and it made loud noise but didnot break!

@Thanks Ramesh, this time its quite diwali :)

@Yes Karthik it was so beautiful, Thanks for the comments
sri said…
@ Thanks vidya

Yes its quite interesting, the blogville made us cometogether, isnt it amazing ?

@ jehan
I understand no worries :) wow you brought holland cheese spread ? your timing cant be better hehe :) I didnot buy cheese from the farm though :)

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