Travel Tips : Alluring Amsterdam (Part 1)

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Some of you have been wondering why there haven't been new postings in this blog for a while. Well, I've been travelling a bit further than usual this past fortnight. For instance this week I found myself spending a few days in Amsterdam so let me share with you some interesting aspects of this alluring city and charming country, in case some of you may be planning a holiday soon.

The Dutch have some very interesting cultures, lovely flora and awesome cottage industries. Most of us have seen pictures of wooden clogs, colourful tulip fields and loads of cheese. Also the capital of the Netherlands is well-known as one of the most liberal cities in the world (we will explore this later ... so stay tuned :). It was indeed quite an experience exploring it and the surrounding areas.

If this posting had a sub-title, it might probably be "Clogs, Cheese and Canals". There might be another C but since it is only appropriate for an adult audience, I'm still mulling over what and how to share :-)

CLOGS

Wooden clogs have been popular in the Netherlands for about 700 years. The wearers claim the clogs are warm in winter, cool in summer and provide support for good posture. The wood also absorbs perspiration so that the foot can breathe. Although in modern times, the number of clog wearers has dwindled as other kinds of footwear have been introduced, the wooden clog continues to hold its own as a popular item reflecting Dutch tradition. I visited a workshop where the production of such clogs was demonstrated ... previously the process was manual and time-consuming; now it is much speeded up by machinery.

Pic 1: Sample of the Dutch clogs

Pic 2: Demonstrating the process of clog-making

Pic 3: You don't think my very first clog's a wee bit big, do you?

Pic 4: A sample of the different clogs being produced

CHEESE

The Dutch have been making cheese since 400 AD. Not surprisingly, the Netherlands is the largest exporter of cheese in the world. Its dairy industry as a whole has an annual turnover of about Euro 7 billion. There are different regions producing varied types of cheese. One of the cheeses is Edam, so called because it originated from a small village called Edam, which I visited. It's a really quaint little place with only about 7,000 residents, but its product is world famous..

At the cheese factory I visited, there was a demonstration of how cheeses are made.

Pic 5: Some of the cheesemaking equipment

Pic 6: Standing in front of shelves of cheese being dried out

Pic 7: Free cheese sampling

Pic 7a: Cheeses in a shop in Amsterdam

CANALS

Amsterdam has been called the "Venice of the North" because of the more than one hundred kilometers of canals, 90 islands and 1,500 bridges. Here are some of them ...

Pic 8: One of the canals in Amsterdam

Pic 9: One of the many bridges within Amsterdam

Pic 10: Canals in the countryside

Well, that's it for "Clogs, Cheese and Canals". I had a good time in Amsterdam and its surrounds, and I believe that it is a good location for a relaxing short break.

I mentioned earlier that there may be another "C" I could expound on. I won't tell you what it is, except that you might make some educated guesses from the following photos ...

Pic 11: Self-Explanatory

Pic 12: Self-Explanatory

Maybe there will be a Part 2 ... just maybe ...