What is it like to spend autumn in Holland?

Our days started with views of colorful orange-purple morning skies, thank God for the enormous wide- glass windows from our bedroom that allows this view to wake us up.Outside is pitch black dark,chilly and foggy, but it does`nt bother me anyway.I put on my running shoes and off I go running. Slowly, curious of the new surroundings,keeping my usual pace.I´ve always look forward to running in a foreign place and this one here is no exception.It allows me to trust my bearings and keep my eyes alert for new things, new encounters, but having the same fitness goal.

My mind is excited looking forward to spend Autumn here since I´ve noticed that they still have colorful autumn foliages.The nature hike in the Sallandse Heuvelrug was really beautiful.I found unique mushrooms while walking in the forests which i will be writing in a separate post.

Also, we´ve decided to visit a cheese factory named Langoed Kaamps, which is situated in Deurningen. It´s actually very normal in this region to have many Langoeds where farm animals are grown and their produce are sold in their family-run businesses.While running, it made me smile to often see herds of sheeps, cows and horses, sometimes deer, goats and chickens.There´s a very big part of this region in Twente that looks totally far away from urban life , life is simple, quiet,basic, and I quite like that kind of life.Here in Holland, people love “Gezelligheid” –or the state of being cozy, doing nothing, warm, sharing a cup of coffee, having nice talks and just feeling comfy.No rush at all.

Driving in the countrysides of the Netherlands, the sights of a Molen (or windmill) is also very common. My husband found three new windmills in the nearby towns so he was kind enough to make pit stops to show it to me. Though I´ve seen it many times, seeing another kind is always special.

Most of these Windmills are really old, outdated but they still stood up until now.From looking at it,not all are operating but serves only for touristic purposes.Seeing them reminds me of the wonderful windmill town of Schaanse Schans with authentic Dutch countryside full of windmills, canals and beautiful dutch landscapes.

When we walked through the old town, we are greeted with warm autumn foliages.The trees with its colorful leaves amused us as we walked to the familiar areas near Gravenallee where we´ve also visited before when my daughter was still very young.The castle, the park with its fountains, and the flock of deers are still there.Nothing much change.

We drive then onwards to the farm where we see how cheese are being made.Growing up as a kid, cheese for me is a luxury, but here, it is so abundant.So many types, so many different flavours to choose from.I have tasted so many different cheese here in Germany, but when it comes to cheese , I prefer the Dutch Kaas more, our staple is Gouda.Langoed Kaamps is a cheese paradise indeed. Compared to the famous Henri Willig , it´s much affordable and artisanal as well.Their flavours are quite unique and I have tasted their Autumn flavours and can´t get enough of it.

Here´s the pretty video of this place if you are interested to see.I was totally fascinated by the science of cheese- making and the special cow milking.Dutch people are very proud of their nice houses and gardens but when it comes ro farming and cheese, Dutch can never be left behind.

Langoed Kaamps is really a perfect family destination because there´s something for everyone.The weather can be pretty unpredictable here so indoor attractions like this is really nice.There´s ample things to do for the children, a restaurant to enjoy a hot chocolate drink and a slice of their delicious apple pie,plus the tour of the farmhouse is very informative and worth for every euro.

There´s a cute petting little zoo with chickens, rabbits and goats.My daughter enjoyed it so well here.As we go inside the farmhouse, we were welcomed by the sight of rows of Dutch happy cows, greedily feeding on hay. I love seeing them! It would be nice to see them grazing in the meadows on summer but since it´s autumn, they are now being kept inside.

I lost count how many cows this farmhouse has but the stall is quite huge.What´s unique in this place is their robotic milking station.Looking at the built of these Dutch cows, they are producing quite a lots and lots of milk probably the reason why a Robot is more suitable to milk them!

Dutch Friesian or Holstein are the most productive dairy cows in the Netherlands and probably the best looking ones as well. I have seen many types of cows in many parts of Austria and Germany and most of them are ugly.Dutch Holstein Frisian cows can produce no less than 30,000kg of milk in a lifetime, which is unmatched worldwide.It takes approx. 10 liters of milk to produce at least 1kg of cheese so imagine how many liters of milk needed to make these giant balls of dutch cheeses!

I guess happy cows are the ones who produces more and more milk!They are simply milk machines!

I stood there for quite some time just gazing at the cows doing their business . They feed on huge amount of hay, laze around, got milked and then eat again and of course make their dump.One funny thing, there´s a robot vacuum cleaner that goes round and round to collect all their dump as well!I was really thinking how did the cows knows it´s their turn to go to the milking station? I have never seen a person inside the stall, it´s really crazy.It all goes automatic or these cows are just used to their daily routine!?

After a while, it´s time to enter their Winkel or shop.It was such a happy moment once I stepped into their shop. There´s a lot to choose from. From cheeses, pastes, pasta, baked goodies, dairy products, ice cream, jogurts, bread, they have it all. My mind was undecided which cheese to buy but then I ended up getting 4 variations to bring home.

Of course, our visit won´t be complete without a stop in their Brassiere. This quiet, very charming coffee shop is full of delectable goodies and warm drinks perfect for the chilly weather.Our visit won´t be complete without having a bite of their delicious apple tart and warm cup of cappucino.I wish we could stayed up longer but then a taste of this place is already a perfect memory to remember.

Cheese, Dutch cows, hiking, nature paradise, and warm family gatherings really makes a typical “Gezellig” moment in the Netherlands.It´s just perfect for me since I always love doing ordinary things!

When was the last time you had a “cozy” experience?

Until then,Tot ziens!