Keeping Busy On A Sunny Day!

We went to a park, then Brooklyn learned to ride her bike. It took her about 2 minutes to get the hang of it. She even practiced her signaling!

Gouda

Last Saturday, we decided to get out of the house for a while so we drove to Gouda. When you hear the name Gouda, the first thing most people think of is the cheese. Of course there is plenty of cheese available (like in most Dutch cities) but Gouda had a lot more to offer. The first thing we noticed as we got closer to town square was that there were people on bikes everywhere. This was our first trip to a "medieval" city. When you think of a typical Dutch city you picture bikes and canals, mix that with gargoyles and old gothic architecture, you have Gouda. When we arrived we sat down to have lunch. The kids and I had Toasties and Poffertjes, while J enjoyed an eutsmijder (open faced egg, ham and cheese on toasted bread). Then we walked to town square where they had their market day set up. You can buy just about anything during market day. There are vendors selling fish, bread, cheese, fruits & vegetables, Stroop Waffles, nuts, and any other food you could think of. Then there are also vendors selling purses & bags, clothes and linens. The only disadvantage I found being there on market day was that I could not get a good picture of the Town Hall.

As we walked away from the city square along the canals, there were various shops and cafes. You find old churches and buildings dated back to the 1400's. Gouda has one of the oldest gothic city halls built between 1448 and 1450. Gouda also holds St. Jans Kerk, the Netherlands' largest cross-shaped church. There are gardens to walk around, which being late winter, added to the gothic feel of the city. We had a very enjoyable day, and the drive is less than 30 minutes from our house. This will be a new destination to show anyone who wishes to visit us.