Alkmaar: Cheese Market and Cheese Heads

The Cheese Market at Alkmaar, something I had read about and wanted to see. Bob & Miriam were kind enough to offer their car for the trip so we headed out on the Dutch highway system (A1 to A6 to A10 to A8 to A9). We didn't get the early start I hoped for, oh well, I continued to repeat our mantra to myself, after all we are on vacation.

We arrived at the edge of town not knowing how to get to the cheese market. With a little guess work (that says Centrum, must be the city center . . . let's follow all those cars, bet we're all going to the same place) we parked in a parking garage and walked over to the Waag plein/ weighing square. A big crowd had already gathered before us but there were metal stands for people to stand on and there was room so I got up on the stands with the family following. Men were dressed in white hauling the large round cheese into the square on sleds with ropes. The men operated in pairs, one in front, the other in back of the sled. The ropes were strapped like harnesses over their shoulders and they ran in rhythm. It was clear they had done this many times, they talked to the crowd, they shouted to each other and generally seemed to enjoy putting on a show. The large wheels of cheese were being taken from cheese makers to be weighed and then sold to buyers. Here is the wikipedia link which gives a good account; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_cheese_markets

We got down off the bleachers and went around the square to the back where the cheese museum shop was. It was busy. Eventually we headed down the street into other parts of the city, actually to find bathrooms (the trip took its toll). I have become used to paying 50 cents for access to bathrooms private and public. It was hard to do at first for a North American but when ya gotta go . . .

Alkmaar is another old city in Holland (here's another link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alkmaar). A short reading of history shows that it was often at war with the Frisians. It was also a principle city during the times of the Spanish attempts to control the low countries and later during the Napoleonic Wars. The city is clean and orderly, cobble stone streets and high narrow houses facing the street front. As with all cities in Europe there is a large church/ cathedral in the center of the city. We walked the city streets with a tour map and started to learn about the city and it's history.

That is until the rain started. The rain was only spitting when it did come down (except for one down pour, but it was over lunch time when we were in a Greek restaurant) but the gusts of wind added to the coolness and soon my little family was complaining of cold. So we cut short our walking tour and headed back to the car.

By now my North American readers will be asking, so what does cheese heads have to do with Alkmaar? Just this, back in the day when the Frisians (or was it the Spaniards?) were attacking the people of Alkmaar the men would wear the wooden cheese molds (you know for the big round cheeses) on their heads during the attack for protection, which led to the rise of the nickname 'cheese heads' in Alkmaar! And now you know the rest of the story . . .