Gouda

It was a frustrating day for so many reasons. A combination of time, money and people. Even though I pushed through the day to visit interesting sites, I just felt down.  Leaving Kenya was weighing on me. Not every vacation day is a happy or content one.

Anyway. HOW-dah. That’s how you pronounce Gouda. Not Goo-duh. How-dah. 

I rode the train for 2 hours mainly for cheese but saw some cool things on the way to smelly cheese bliss. 

First stop – Church of Sint Janskerk (aka St. John the Baptist). Fifty percent of stained glass windows in Holland are in this church. It’s also the longest church in Holland. There’s also tombs in the church. Several. Many with elaborate carvings and covers. At one time it was common practice. 

Stop #2 – Museum Gouda (How-dah, keep practicing). This place had a funky layout. Lots of little rooms off the main exhibit wings and dead ends that interrupted the experience. It didn’t feel very cohesive but contained some cool items. 

Like this gold leather wallpaper. Uh gold wallpaper…yes. Leather wallpaper? Like cow-skin wallpaper? Maybe not. Looked beautiful though. 

The real winner was the pottery. Some minimalist and ready to come home with me. Others ornate and colorful. Again, I need them in my apartment. 

Finally, a gouda cheese shop. Italian. Truffle. Fenugreek. Walnut. Rosemary. So many flavors. All lekker (Dutch for delicious). And inexpensive!