Edam and Heineken

Today, we headed out to the village of Edam for a morning in a more traditional section of Dutch life. We learned how cheese was made and got to try some of the famous Edam cheese. I really wanted some of this and was going back and forth on the practicality of trying to transport it but in the end, I didn’t get any.

After that, we learned how you create clogs. Clogs are a type of traditional Dutch footwear that many people still wear because they are extremely durable and can double as a hammer because they are made of wood. Also, when they do wear out you can hang them on the wall as a planter.

When we were done at the cheese and clogs, we went on a bike ride around the town. It is a small town so there wasn’t much to see but we saw the dike and the old windmill. It was very relaxing and our guide was very good.

We headed back into Amsterdam after Edam for the rest of the day. I went with a couple people to the Heineken Experience. It reminded me a lot of the Sierra Nevada Brewing factory in Chico, CA. Of course, the Heineken Experience was a lot more in depth and longer. It took about two hours for us to complete. It was a really fun time. They even have a beer “ride” that takes you through the beer brewing process as if you are actually being brewed. We got to have three 25cl glasses of beer as well, included in the price.

This was the last night with everyone on Contiki. This meant that it was also the last dinner. We paid an outrageous amount of money for subpar food at a beautiful restaurant. We went to the Sea Palace, which is right on the water and is a stunning view. I was really disappointed in the food though. It was Chinese and I thought it wasn’t that great, especially for the price. It was nice to say good bye to everyone though.

Here is a fun fact about Amsterdam. Many people probably think that the XXX on the flag of the city symbolizes the red light district or sex in general. In reality, it means something completely different. It is supposed to protect people from three disasters: fire, flood, and the Black Plague.