Today Ned and I headed our separate ways. Ned spent the day at the meeting that is the reason for the whole trip. He discussed sustainable maritime navigation with Arnaud, Jacques, Rolf, and Geert for a few hours (in English, thank goodness) before touring the port of Rotterdam, land of windmills. I headed towards Gouda, a land known for cheese. It should also be known for candy and sweets, as there were countless bakeries and confectionaries, which I visited after touring the 15th century stained glass windows at St. John’s Church. (They didn't allow photos, so check out the link.) The church was originally a Catholic cathedral, but was ceded to the Protestants after the Netherlands ousted the Catholics in 1573. The windows are famous, and have lasted all these years in part because they’re removed every time disaster looms. They were stored for safety most recently during World War II, when the church hid the glass in earthen bunkers normally reserved for aging – you guessed it – Gouda cheese.
Ned loved the windmills. I loved the candy stores, as you can tell from our photos.
Love the windmill picture!!! Eat as much gouda as you can! And you should try some haring while you're there - it is supposed to be typical of the area... just sort of raw and in one or two bites ;)
ReplyDelete