Alkmar
Warning: We are not going to get into any touristic information or set out in detail any of the following places.About this information please check our section "The World of the Travelling". In this present section we are going to give personal information such as our own experience from our trips, anecdotes, recommendations,etc; the sort of useful information you search for before beginning your trip on, but impossible to find in any touristic guides.
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HOLAND
Alkmar
The best season to visit this country is summer . Due to its flat orography, rain is frequent
But necer lasts much; summers are rather cool and winters are moderate. The official language in Holland id Dutch, although most people know English, French or German. Its currency is the Dutch florin (guilder). Credit cards are accepted everywhere in the country; there are not many tellers. Visa card is not as broadly accepted as Mastercard ( so, we advise you to obtain a Master card).
Two fifths of Holland ground are placed under the sea level. That´s why the importance of the "polders" (dikes). Do not miss the visit to the Norther Great Dike.
Holland is one of the richest countries in the world, productive lands, cereals, potatoes, flax, vegetables, and flowers, above all. The stockbreeding is very important because of the later production of milk, cheese, etc. (An obligatory visit to its factories). As a curiosity, we will tell you that although sheep meat is very important in Holland, the Dutch do not eat it but export it to the rest of Europe. They only eat bovine meat.
Another thing it might be odd to you is the main function of the windmills, as rather than being used for milling the grain or producing electricity, they are used for pumping the water and draining.
The Dutch are very hospitable. We found very amazing the layout of their houses, whose gardens are open in the front, and hardly fenced and moreover, their windows have no blinds or bars. Their feeling of privacy is very curious as only some embroidery or laces ( as a mere net curtain) cover their windows.
Dutch people are believed to be tolerant, cosmopolitan and welcoming (they welcome a high percentage of immigrants).
Once you are in Amsterdam, you have a great variety of things to do. We advice you to go to Dam Square, a very interesting place you cannot miss. In this square there are important agencies such as "Keytours", "Holland International", where you can find many tours, in many languages.
With these tours around the city you can get a general idea of the city and later, you can visit the things you have liked most in detail.
We recommend a canal tour by your own. Amsterdam could be properly called " the Venice of the North", in the same way that Brujas or even St. Petesburgh are so-called too.There are innumerable canals throughout Amsterdam. We advise you to get on the boat as its terminal , at the end of the Singel canal (as a referential point you have the central station). It is advisable to repit the crossing at night, to perceive another prespective of the city. This cruiser at night is known as "the Candlenight Cruise", very romantic , which includes dinner. Once you have finished the cruise you can visit the "red district", very well-known over the world. Nearby this district there is the only museum devoted to "drugs", though in a scientific way. It is shown the "cannabis´ growth " , the preparation of the white powder and its different varieties. Holland is one of the most tolerant countries as drug regards.
And talking of museums, do not miss the following ones: Van Gogh, the Rijkmuseum, the Estedellijk and Ana Frank´s museum (such museum is the same house where Anne used to live), the Rembrandhuis, and the Amsterdams Histprich Museum.
A suggestio: You can take advantage of your morning canal cruise to visit these museums, as these cruisers make seven stops, doing a route museum. If you show the cruiser´s trip ticket, you will get 50% discount in the museum tickets.
To go shopping, we recommend "De Bijenkorf" department store; and as antiques is concerned, you should go by "Nieuwe Spiegelstraad".
Also, it is very popular to visit the diamond factory ( a mundial centre in diamond cut), where you can observe how they cut and shape diamonds. You will be invited somehow to buy them, we recommend you to buy them by separated and mount the jewel any other place. It is better, anyway, to buy the diamonds in the museum rather than buying them in Shiphol Airport´s shops.
Amsterdam has a lot to offer to the tourist. We suggest some places:
Rotterdam : This city was very punished during the bombing in the Second World War. It is a new city as it was built on its remains. The most interesting thing to see is its harbour, one of the most important world-wide.
La Haya : There are big extensions of parks, gardens and palaces. We find the Dutch Royal Court and the Government House there. Do not miss the visit to the city of Madurodam in miniature.
Alkmar : Do not miss the "cheese" city. There you can find the biggest cheese world-wide auction . Cheese producers from many different places arrive in the morning and start piling up the lots of cheese. At ten o´clock the auction starts. The experty, called "Tostam" introduce a stick in every pile´s cheese, they smell it, and decide a price according to its quality. Then, cheese manufacturers and buyers haggle until they they agree on a final price, shaking hands. On the other hand, we find the "Kaasdragers", the cheese carriers, dressed in white, wearing a straw hat with different colourful strips. There are four different companies of carriers: green, blue, red and yellow. The "Kaasdragers", in couples, move the cheese with the help of a gondola-shape shelf carried on their shoulders, hanging on big strips to the scales to weigh them.
It is an amazing show, full of colour.This custom goes back to the XVII century.
Warning: This cheese market is only opened on Fridays.
Do not miss the mundial flower market in Aalsmeer, very near of the Shiphol airport ( from where many planes carrying flowers all over the world take off every day). It is incredible, you can see immense naves, 630,000 m2 (100 football fields), where little trains come in with flowers. There are five halls as big as amphitheatres, with a capacity of 300 people, where the buyers are comfortably seated in front of their computers (The buyers bid and aquire everything electronicly). In every hall there is a chairman/woman who sometimes acts as a valuer. The visitors can see all this from some footbridges placed strategicly. An 80% of flowers sold all over the world come from this place. Every day 15 million of plants and flowers are sold out. 1,600 people work at this flower factory.
Museum of Windmills of Zaanche Schans
You go back to the XVII century visiting this place. You can visit the shoe factory (wood shoes), which are hand-made.
Volendam and Marken
It is worth seeing both places. Their inhabitants still wear the ancient typical Dutch dress, which has become a truthful symbol of Holland throughout the world. The men´s dressing consisits of wide black trousers with silver buttons, stripped shirts and short jackets, and round, quite cylindrical hats. The women´s dressing consists of a black skirt and a stripped apron, a flowered shirt on a short-sleeved black dresscoat; then, as accessories, a coral necklace, and a white cap. Both, men and women wear typical clogs.
Holland is a country devoted to tourism. You can find cheaper souvenirs in Amsterdam city, but if you see something you like when visiting these towns around , just buy it. This is a general rule at the time of travelling, " it is better to buy something when you like it in case you cannot find it later on".
