Today we decided to give our feet a little rest and took a bus/boat tour to Volendam and Marken. Along the way to catch the bus we saw some damage to a grocery store window no doubt at the hands of the soccer hooligans from last night.
The bus tour began with a drive north of Amsterdam to the small village Zaanse Schans to see the Windmills and although a picturesque setting, not nearly as impressive as the Mills of Kinderkijk.
Also here, we were to see a demonstration of how cheese is made. What we got was a five minute explanation of the process followed by thirty minutes in the gift shop.
Next, we moved on to Volendam where we had some free time to check out the harbour front of this famous fishing village. We picked a pub right on the harbour for some lunch. Mmmm, apple pannekoek, large Dutch pancake. A little wander up and down another tourist trap.
We then crossed by boat to what used to be an island and the historical village of Marken. The once island is now connected to the main land by a causeway . . . you guessed it, reclaimed land.
One attraction here was to be a demonstration of how the clompen, Dutch wooden shoes, are made. Again, a very brief but well done demonstration and another over extended allotment of time for the gift shop.
We probably could have found a better use for our €34 each. This tour was very UNauthentic and Very touristy! We did, however, see some beautiful countryside once again and gained a few more tidbits of insight into the way of life here thanks to the Recorded Audio on the bus.
The bus tour began with a drive north of Amsterdam to the small village Zaanse Schans to see the Windmills and although a picturesque setting, not nearly as impressive as the Mills of Kinderkijk.
Also here, we were to see a demonstration of how cheese is made. What we got was a five minute explanation of the process followed by thirty minutes in the gift shop.
Next, we moved on to Volendam where we had some free time to check out the harbour front of this famous fishing village. We picked a pub right on the harbour for some lunch. Mmmm, apple pannekoek, large Dutch pancake. A little wander up and down another tourist trap.
We then crossed by boat to what used to be an island and the historical village of Marken. The once island is now connected to the main land by a causeway . . . you guessed it, reclaimed land.
One attraction here was to be a demonstration of how the clompen, Dutch wooden shoes, are made. Again, a very brief but well done demonstration and another over extended allotment of time for the gift shop.
We probably could have found a better use for our €34 each. This tour was very UNauthentic and Very touristy! We did, however, see some beautiful countryside once again and gained a few more tidbits of insight into the way of life here thanks to the Recorded Audio on the bus.
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