Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Try to time your trip for a Friday between
early April and late September so that you
can also enjoy the spectacle of the Alk-
maar Cheese Market, one of the country's
biggest tourist attractions. Taking place in
Alkmaar's cobbled main square, it fea-
tures a group of men known as “cheese
porters,” dressed in white uniforms and
straw hats with colorful ribbons. These
members of various guilds carry about
enormous orange wheels of cheese on
wooden barrows balanced on their shoul-
ders. Traditionally, the porter's role was to
bring buyers and sellers together, but
today the whole affair is just for show, as
Dutch cheese-making has been mass-
marketed since the 1960s. It takes place at
10am; get there early to beat the tour
groups to the good spots.
Holland Kass Museum,
Waagplein 2
(
&
31/72/515-5516;
www.cheesemuseum.
com).
(
Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (25km/16
miles).
L
$$$
Golden Tulip Hotel,
Arcadia-
laan 6 (
&
31/72/540-1414;
www.golden
tulipalkmaar.com). $$
Amrâth Hotel Alk-
maar,
Geestersingel 15 (
&
31/72/518-
6186;
www.amrathhotels.nl).
Food Museums
58
Alimentarium
Food for Thought
Vevy, Switzerland
food; it also offers examples of mealtimes in
various parts of the world, including a his-
tory of tableware. The last section, “Digest-
ing,” gives you the opportunity to gauge
your metabolism while learning about diet
and its connection to well-being. Food his-
tory is explored in special theme exhibits
like the one on the history of the potato.
And yes, there is one room that throws the
spotlight on the Nestle Company, which
paid for all this. This tribute to the compa-
ny's founder, Henri Nestle, is filled with
packaging and advertisements delineating
the evolution of the business that is now the
world's largest food company.
School-age kids can take advantage of
The Alimentarium Junior, an interactive
space designed for school groups as well
as individual children; it has its own
kitchen, a video game, and a giant walk
through a model of the digestive tract
(perfect for the “yuck” factor). Hands-on
exhibits let young visitors push buttons
that release food aromas, light up diora-
mas, and launch film clips.
Rotating menus in the cafeteria are tai-
Known as one of the “Pearls of the Swiss
Rivera,” Vevy has an enviable location,
with stunning views of Lake Geneva,
vineyards, and brilliant flower beds encour-
aged by a lovely, mild climate. The pan-
orama looks like something pictured on the
wrapper of a bar of Swiss chocolate—so
perhaps it's appropriate that Vevy is also
home to the Vevy Alimentarium, a museum
set up by the Nestle Foundation.
Far from a self-serving corporate show-
case, the Alimentarium takes on the ambi-
tious subject of food in all its
facets—history, methods of preparation,
eating, and even digesting. The approach
is sometimes scholarly, sometimes cul-
tural and social-historical, but the lively
interactive exhibits keep it from ever
seeming dull. The cooking exhibit, for
example, features a large kitchen where
visitors can watch and discuss the tech-
niques being demonstrated by profes-
sional chefs. You may also roll up your
sleeves and take part in a cooking work-
shop. The eating section of the museum
thoughtfully examines the symbols and
