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Brennin woke up early and made a large card house construction. After breakfast we biked into Alkmaar.
Biking into Alkmaar we noticed things were abuzz with activity. It was market day and the main streets were filled with people and vendors of all types. An old style organ played while people studied the mechanics of it.
Tim was excited to show the kids a "food in the wall" vending machine. They bought croquettes which happened to be the kids' favorite croquettes in Holland. We window shopped on our way to the cheese market that Alkmaar is famous for.
We found Waagplein, which means "weighing square". Trading cheese here may have began as early as 1365 when only one cheese scale was owned. 1593 is the official start of the market. By 1612 the city owned four scales. In 1619 the cheese carriers guild is mentioned in the archives. From that time many traditions regarding how cheese is bought and sold came into being. Throughout Alkmaar's history farmers brought their cheese into town and had it weighed and displayed by "cheese carriers". The cheese carriers used sleigh like apparatuses called "barrows". A carrier on each end with straps over their shoulders attached to the barrow carries the heavy wheels of cheese. They move swiftly, at times jogging around the square. Buyers typically sample cheese and negotiate prices using a system called "handjeklap". Buyers and sellers clap each others' hands and shout prices until a price is agreed on, and then the cheese is taken to be weighed in the weighing house.
We found the market a way to look back in time. The weights are original and interesting to see being used. Clock bells rang out a song and we wandered through the market. We stopped by vendors and sampled cheese enjoying every bite.
For lunch we savored a Dutch favorite - uitsmijter. A fried egg on bread with ham and cheese.
We went the movie theatre hoping to see Despicable Me 2 but unfortunately it only played in Dutch. Adult movies are in English with Dutch subtitles, but kids movies are Dutch only.
When we returned home Brennin and Belia went for a bike ride and found a windmill. They were excited to bring us there. The nearby windmill was called De Gouden Engel which means the golden angel. It is a newly built windmill that works and sells flour. We toured the windmill climbing various steep ladders and watching the massive cogs turn. Flour came down a chute after it was ground between giant grinding stones. The man showing us around had a lot of pride regarding his trade and the history behind using wind power. His enthusiasm made the tour memorable. From the viewing deck we could see over the trees and down the slootje. Small brick homes with a combination of tile and thatch roofs lined the waterway. We descended back to the main floor and purchased pancake mix. The kids rode their bikes home and Tim and I stayed for a coffee in the windmill's cafe.
Back at home Tim and I took the rowboat out. Tim rowed while I took pictures of the floating lillys. Birds swam in and out of the bull rushes, horses grazed in the field next to us and the sun sparkled in the water. Being out on the slootje was very relaxing.
We came home for supper and then Belia and I had a girls night at home while the others rode back into town to see a movie.
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