Edam

Hello Everyone,

Bec, Rosie, Sascha, Tamara, Sharni, Me, Jess, Rachael and Tara on the oversized clog outside the clog makers house in Edam

So from the Rhine Valley we travelled onto our first stop before Amsterdam, Edam. Edam is a beautiful, small town not to far from Amsterdam and is very famous for its Gouda and Edam cheeses. We arrived and immediately saw so many people riding around town on their bikes. That day we were going on a bike riding tour around Edam with a company called 'Bike a Dike' which I thought was a hilarious name. We got to the bike shed and I didn't want to be the last one to get a bike like in Austria so I quickly chose mine and headed outside before it got to crowded. When I got outside I realised that my bike had a flat tyre and I had to wait until everyone else chose their bikes anyway, just my luck!

This bike ride was just like a pictured it to be and it was much more relaxing and peaceful then the mountain bike adventure. We all had cool bikes with baskets, high handle bars and big tyres and we didn't have to wear any ugly helmets either so that was a bonus. The bikes had breaks which you had to peddle backwards for them to work and we were all a little wobbly as our tour guide lead us around the streets of Edam. Me and the girls were racing each other and trying to take photos whilst still cycling with one hand which was funny. We stopped at the highest point and also at the last standing windmill in Edam along the tour. Windmills here were only spun to warn the town of trouble and used as a sign for the women and children to hide as the men protected their town from intruders. I wished the bike tour went for longer because I really enjoyed riding around peacefully along with the locals through Edam. 

Contiki takes over the streets of Edam

Last standing windmill in Edam

Me and the girls just near the highest point in Edam

Me riding along the streets of Edam

Loving the bike ride in Edam

Me with my bike with the last standing windmill in Edam

Me all ready to begin our bike tour of Edam

We also visited a cheese farm and clog makers house which was famous in Edam called 'Irene Hoeve'. We listened to a talk from a young Dutch girl who told us all about the making of cheese and how it is stored at the cheese farm. Some of the cheeses can be stored for up to 6 months if they are not opened and Gouda is the most traditional cheese they make at the factory. We were then lead into the clog barn where we watched in amazement as a man made a clog from a block of wood in under 10 minutes. He was so quick and he explained that after the clog is made you need to blow into the wood to dry it out which I thought was interesting. He also gave us instructions on how to walk and run without sounding like you were an elephant in clogs and he was wearing his very own set which was funny. Lots of people on Contiki bought their own sets of clogs as did Jess and she was wondering how they would fit in her bag to get back into Australia. Tara and I bought slipper clogs this day as we though they were so cool and a very traditional souvenir to take home.

Clogs for sale hanging from the rood of the store

Me outside the cheese farm and clog factory

Matt blowing water out of the wood for it to dry

Clog making demonstration

Jess, Me, Tara and Taylor with our clogs!

After the demonstration we walked into a cheese tasting and souvenir shop which had everything to do with Holland and Amsterdam you could ever imagine! I got to taste and sample over 12 different types of cheese from original to Peri Peri. We started with tasting the mild cheese at the beginning of the line to the stronger cheese at the end, I think I enjoyed the original Gouda cheese the most. After the cheese tasting we also tasted Stroopwafels which are famous in Holland which are wafers which have a strong toffee taste. I then bought so many souvenirs as this was one of the last places we were going to be able to buy them on our trip. I got dad an Amsterdam hat which was cool and Ashleigh and Sally some mini clog key rings. I bought myself an Amsterdam beanie and two different magnets for the fridge at home, one of the red light district and one for Holland (Netherlands).

Stroopwafels

A cheese shop in Edam

Me at the cheese tasting in Edam

Irene Hoeve

Me and my Stroopwafel

My favourite cheese at the tasting-Gouda

Cheese making demonstration

Piri-piri cheese at the cheese tasting

After we had bought our souvenirs we all posed for photos in a huge, over sized clog which was at the back of the clog farm and then got back onto the bus all excited for our final stop Amsterdam before heading back to London.

Me in the huge clog outside the clog maker's house

Love The Clog Wearing Backpacker

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