Day Trip To Gouda, Netherlands

This roadtrip started because I found a bamboo baby bouncer on facebook marketplace but their home was in another city. We decided to make a fun trip out of it so on Saturday, we booked a rental car. We live in Haarlem and within a 2 hour radius there are so many incredible places to explore.

After we picked up the bouncer in Oud-Beijerland, we stopped at a cafe called Meiden Van De Keuken. They had incredibly delicious handmade pastries. I got a pumpkin cake that I’ll be thinking about for awhile!

There were many customers there enjoying high tea with tiered platters of all sorts of delicious little bites. I’d love to make a reservation and go back for that in the future! It would be so fun with a small group.

Then we went to the city that Gouda cheese is named after 🤓 The city is almost a thousand years old so it was very charming. Of course we had to go to the market to sample a bunch of cheeses. We filled my tote bag with cheese to bring home.

It was around lunchtime by this point so we got a baguette and sat along the canal to enjoy our lunch. There was a guy playing the guitar and singing, the weather was perfect and it was just lovely. Look how pretty the leaves are!

An unexpected highlight was stumbling upon this gorgeous baby boutique. The owner was working and she designs AND makes all of the items herself. You can tell how much love and intention was poured into her brand. We ended up having a really delightful conversation with her about home births. I got a cozy chocolate brown sweater for Hayes as a momento.

Then we ended the evening in Utrecht to watch the Sint Maarten parade which features a bunch of kids with lanterns.

All around, it was a very wholesome day and a good reminder that mini day trips to nearby towns / cities are a great way to get out of your bubble without much planning, effort or expenses.