Say Cheese

We went away for a few days to see a site with many, many windmills, a few towns and a cheese market. The cheese market has the producers of the local cheese display their products on Friday which are then tested for quality and then purchased by local distributers. The cheese wheels sit it the market square and are carried to be weighted and carted to the storage area. This is quite the event with the market square filled with cheese and with people crowded around the barriers to watch the event. I was thoroughly embarassed when Marta had arranged that we would be some of the few who could sit inside the square and watch the events up close. I'm sure people were wondering who the heck we were and I was wondering myself what connections she had.

The continual driving, Dutch and forced march across Holland is taking its toll and I am becoming frustrated with the continual mothering. We have not been able to pay for much which I am thankful for but I also find it awkward. Our hotel for two nights was one of the nicest places in town - a few rooms in the back garden with homemade bread, meat and cheese for breakfast. The cost was 150 Euros for Cliff and I - over 200 dollars Canadian. There really was no need for the second night and many of the places we have been going have been picked for us.

I am grateful but not one who likes to be told what to do continually and have been resisting in my own way in order to keep my sanity. For instance Cliff was eating an apple and was told he should not eat the skin because of the pesticides. He proceeded to peel it. I would have washed it and then kept eating it. He likes the peel, is not worried about pesticides but is so easy going that it doesn't bother him to give in. Therefore he is asked continually if he has brought his sweater - I refused to take a sweater the first day and have not been asked since! First, we are from Canada and its pretty nice spring temperatures here - secondly we are not on blood thinners like our aunts!