Gouda

In early December I traveled to The Netherlands for a week and stayed in Gouda, a very small city about an hour by train from Amsterdam.  There isn't much in the way of sightseeing there, but there is a beautiful Gothic 15th century city hall.

I had a few good meals while I was there and had a couple of opportunities to try Gouda's famed cheese soup.

Restaurant Heinde & Ver
I had a really good veal chop here, but the menu was a touch pricey for what it was.  It usually annoys me when restaurants charge for bread, but in this case it came with a lot of delicious spreads and a tiny serving of cheese soup.  They presented the check in a green wooden clog, which was a cute way to end the meal.

L'Angolo Divino
The Mediterranean sea bass was delicious, as were the sides it was served with.  My coworkers got pastas, which they really enjoyed.  The food was worth putting up with the service, which was decidedly unfriendly.

Koeien en Kaas
This restaurant came recommended by a coworker and with a name that translates to "steak and cheese" I knew I'd enjoy the meal.  Everyone ordered the same thing - cheese soup to start and the "daddy steak."  The cheese soup was incredible and the steak was cooked to perfection.  While not inexpensive, I thought the food was reasonably priced.

When I left, I flew out of the Rotterdam airport, which was surprisingly nice.  Geared at business travelers, the entire airport is styled like a sleek, modern hotel lobby.  There's unlimited free wifi, plenty of comfortable seating areas, and lots of places to charge your laptop.  If you have a chance to fly though here, I recommend it.