Ready to Cut the Cheese?

(Come on--you knew that I'd eventually have to write that living in the Land of Cheese.)

* The Dutch are often called "Kaaskoppen" or "Cheese Heads." There's a rumor that during the Middle Ages farmers used the wooden cheese molds as helmets, thus the enemy would see an army of "Cheese Heads" approaching.

* Over 5 billion liters of milk winds up as cheese annually.

* Holland was the world's first exporter of cheese. It exports over $2 billion of cheese annually.

* Our favorite Dutch cheese is Old Amsterdam. Ask for it at the cheese counter at Whole Foods (if they don't have it, they'll recommend something similar) and think of us. Or better yet, come visit and feel free to try all 150+ cheeses carried at the Kaas Specialist.

Alkmaar Cheese Market...

Every summer a few cities famous for their Dutch cheeses hold weekly cheese markets for the tourists. The girls and I went to Alkmaar with a friend in August. We could barely squeeze through the crowds to get a glimpse of the action that has been conducted in this same square since 1593 -- the carriers dressed in the colors of their guild have a peculiar waddle while running with wheels of cheese to the scales (each wheel weighs approx 44 pounds). This photo was taken when I went back with a friend to the final market in mid-September and knew where to go to avoid the crowds. The photo in the posting above was taken from the window of the Cheese Museum, which is upstairs in the 600-year-old weighing house.

Holland's Even More Liberal Than We Expected...

Yes, it's true. Not only are gay marriages legal in Holland, but apparently underaged incestuous marriages are also ok. If we'd only known, we'd have had the girls dress up.

During Open Monument Weekend (government and private historic buildings around the country are open to the public) we were wandering through the Leiden Market. In front of City Hall, a woman offered the girls balloons, then asked us to follow her into the building. Without any explanation, she brought us upstairs and into the main hall where a real Justice of the Peace was waiting for the girls with veils, flowers and rings. A small crowd gathered as they walked down the aisle. It was very funny and quite sweet. They are now committed to take care of each other for life. We'll let you know when their gift registry's set up, but in the meantime don't forget to hit that comment button to send your best wishes.

Punting on the Cam...

We finished up our holiday by exploring some of the cities near the base. In Peterborough, we enjoyed the history museum, but were disappointed in the railway museum. We found Cambridge quite charming and loved the Fitzwilliam Museum, the oldest public museum in England. This photo shows us settling into a punt before drifting down the River Cam while hearing about the history of Cambridge University. We spent our final evening in Harwich so we could be near the ferry terminal. There wasn't much there, but we found a great restaurant to have a final celebration before returning to reality the next day.

Valuable Lessons Learned in England while Staying at a US Air Force Base...

* When ordering a British beer, you'll notice that it's been imported from England through South Carolina. This might be normal for most US Air Force Bases around the world, but when you're actually in England it seems pretty wasteful.

* After spending time in London, one of the most expensive cities in the world, you'll be thankful for staying somewhere that accepts good old greenbacks. It was a strange place to see the new $10 bill for the 1st time.

* It's possible to do laundry while on vacation without complaining when you have access to full-size US washer/dryers for the first time in almost a year.

* Bowling starts looking really good when there's a lack of nearby entertainment. It's amazing how much your score can improve when you finally give in and start banking your ball off the alley bumpers set up for the kiddies.

A Bird's Eye View of London...

When we were in London in December 1999, we visited a month too early to go on the London Eye, which you may recall was built for the Millennium Celebration. We were excited about having the chance to go on it this visit and thoroughly enjoyed the ride. I've included this photo from the top so you can see how great the view was. On the right you can see Parliament and Big Ben and on the left you can see an approaching storm, which luckily didn't last long. The flight lasts about 30 minutes and is incredibly smooth. Unlike a traditional ferris wheel, it can hold 800 people at a time but only needs to stop to help the disabled on/off. It's definitely a technological marvel and an interesting addition to the London skyline.

More London Sightseeing...

No visit to London is complete without a visit to the London Eye, as seen here from one of several pedestrian bridges over the Thames. We also managed to visit the National Gallery (which was wonderful and had a great audio tour for the kids) and the Tate Gallery (too modern for our tastes). To make the most of the dry weather, we had several picnics from Marks & Spencer (it's amazing how finally having an assortment of wraps and salads available could make us all so happy). We also swung through the infamous Harrod's, which has just begun offering $7,000 weddings for dogs complete with a horse-drawn carriage for the bride's arrival proving that some people just have too much money.

Although I had previously said I was finished with big city holidays, we had so much fun over the weekend in London that the girls and I trained back in twice from Huntingdon while Jimmy worked during the week. We really enjoyed touring Buckingham Palace (the Queen was conveniently in Scotland while 1000's of tourists tromped through her home) and exploring the British Museum.