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Holiday homes
around Alkmaar |
Alkmaar is a small town in the province
of North Holland, 40 kms north of Amsterdam. Alkmaar is a popular
destination for tourists, with lots of small canals and drawbridges,
and of course the famous cheese market attracting thousands of
people from all over the world. The market, a tradition since
1593, takes place in Alkmaar's main square every Friday morning
between April and September. The Alkmaar cheese carriers’
guild is responsible for moving and weighing cheese during the
market. The guild consists of four groups with seven men in each
group. Each group (called a veem) has its own colour: red, yellow,
green or blue. The head of the four vemen is the 'cheese father',
i.e. supervisor, who carries a black stick with a silver knob.
The cheese carriers wear the traditional costume: a white suit
and a straw hat with a ribbon in the colour of their own veem.
It is a colourful sight so take your camera! |
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