Have you ever been to a Free Tasting Event? In the Philippines, I go to the World Trade Center in Manila or Shangila Hotel or Mall in Edsa to experience some of these events. Here, they're almost everywhere - you just have to find out. It's part of the Dutch culture to give a free taste of their products or a sample of their service without that pressure feel that you have to buy it.

They love freebies and samples here and entrepreneurs are very generous to give them the pleasure, too. I love that part of the Dutch culture. If you come to Holland, and go shopping in any store, don't be shocked if you see free tastes on a bread corner, cheese corner or fruit corner.

Groceries which @everlove feature in a post where they collected old products that were supposed to be waste have their own branch chefs to give a sample of dishes you could make out of any product that is on sale that day. No wonder the Dutch are so well off economically speaking. I've travelled several countries in Europe and not all of them have such a culture. Germany comes close but then I haven't been to all of these countries so I can only say that based on my experience.

Last Sunday, hub and I went to a Free Tasting Event in the place I once featured in this post. We found out about it when we went there on our regular stroll in winter. Just in case you also believe in Global Warming - here's what it looks like on the way there.

They were just melting - it's been here since the last week of December 2016. It's February and the last pile of ice has just thawed in front of our house and the White Christmas feel has finally bid goodbye. It's unusual. I think we're really heading for ice age but am not a weather expert nor a CTheorist so let's get back to that Free Tasting Event.

We got there thinking we still had an hour and a few minutes but we were wrong. The event was cut an hour short so we were left with not much time. Anyhow, I saw a Steemiting opportunity and grabbed it. I asked every table to let me write about them and they gladly said yes. The best part .. I got to take a few interesting faces for you to see.

First stop : COFFEE: Simon Levelt, which is also our coffee at home just cause they're organic - gave us both a sample of their Guatemalan Coffee - in a wineglass - which I forgot to take a pic of since I just indulged and took a sip as if it was wine. Light, coffeelicious and subtle not like the intense Arabic coffee pads hub takes every day. Just the way I want it - black. The guy asked us if we'd like sugar, honey or milk but we sipped it up so we just smiled and he smiled back. I got two - 2 euro discount cards the next time I buy some coffee amounting to 10 euro.

Ever grateful cause I'm running out of the the instant granules am taking since my body finds the coffee pads here freaking strong (now you know why it's always a latte macchiato :)). The very same table offers organic dried leaves tea. At the same time, I found some interesting Asian tea ceremony props in the very same table. I asked if they were selling them, too - and the lady said, not in this event. It's just that they have teas from Japan, China, India, herbs flavored and fruity ones - so there.

This is the elegant Lady Earl Grey who gladly struck a pose for me (Yes, she gave me permission to post this picture in my article). It was her we took notice of outside the place so we thought we were on the wrong venue and that - it was some private party. Well, I didn't know that there's a diversity of Earl Grey tea. Some are soft and fresh, subtle bitter, fresh and smokey, fruity, and even flower scented. They have those out there to taste but I didn't indulge cause coffee and tea in a full stomach that just had grilled chicken isn't going to be a great party in me tummy.

The Dutch always takes something with their coffee - either a cookie or chocs. Just beside Simon Levelt chocs are Madecase Chocs. I tried the one on the right - it was red beets chocs and the guy didn't have to tell me what the flavor was - I could tell the moment it melted in my mouth. There was more red beets in it than chocs. Guess who I get reminded of with the 2nd picture?

...yes, the pepper lover twins - @meesterboom and @papa-pepper. Unfortunately, guys, I couldn't buy anymore - he tidied them up while I got busy with Lady Earl Grey. The chocolate escapade didn't end there - cause there were more of them in the other room.

What? There was gluhwein? Yes, hub missed out :D

For the love of truffles and freshly whipped cream, I bought me these Truffles Coated Whipped cream after I got convinced it wasn't freaking sweet. And I bugged the guy tending them to show me how they made it and he did - which I had to pass after having tasted freaking much chocs since this one has a whipped cream in it - it'll surely sprout a volcano on my face - so I passed on the 2nd piece but hub didn't. I envy hub's skin - he's freaking smooth I sometimes wish we could take our skin off and lend his so he could be tan for a day and I pinkish for a day... but then mine would be too tight to stretch for him and his would be too loose for me - we'd be like horse and cow plus I only want his skin on the forehead minus the wrinkles.

Speaking of wrinkles ... these wine assortment featured in that event could probably take care of that. One glass a day guys ;) - drink in moderation. I'm not a fan of wine cause I don't have the enzyme the body needs to process it. However, for the love of the uniqueness of the flavor these wine have I took their pics just to show you a few. Very creative eh?

This event was not just for adults, the kids would have surely enjoyed it. Not just cause of the free chips, chocs and bread to taste but what the kids' party tents offer.

Who do these couple's outfit remind you of? (Yes, I got permission to feature their faces here, too)

Yes, I also thought of @roelandp's out fit during the First ever Steemfest. 'course they aren't totally the same. They are the owners of the Party Grime store in the city and these two are not only doing face paintings for children which I'd rather not show here but they surely are freaking beautiful and these colorful outfits for fun parties or mask parties. Yes, those masks below are from Venice. The best part is - we may pay their costumes and masks with btc.

Though there were more shops to see, the forest robbed me of the light I needed to take good pics of them.

Later on, 5 minutes before they all wrapped it up - hub and I headed for the door to take a leak at the hotel. Just so you have an idea how much ice we had this year and they aren't all thawed here yet. This is in the middle of the woods so that must have done it.

We headed back to where the event took place to take a stroll. This is where it all happened.

Yes, it's kind'a slopey sorry about that - it was hard taking a shot with your winter gloves on and no I'd rather not take it off cause this is where I was standing on .

This is where weddings are often held and this path full of ice which burried my leather (not winter) boots till above my ankle used to be a path of roses in summer. Hub and I trailed it and we were greated by what looked like - a white sheep dog with her master. We had to halt because she greeted us and her master told us what kind of a dog she is. Unfortunately, he and hub talked and I got busy petting the dog so I didn't catch that part. Off we went and they also went on playing catch. She must be young cause she ran energetically, reminds me of my dog whitey when I was living with my grandpa. The forest got dark so we decided to get back to our car since my toes and fingers are all starting to freeze and I decided to take a few more shots of the path back to the our car.

Can you imagine what it was like in the middle of the forest - since these - in fact, are near the clearing? I tried taking pics of the stroll path but all I see was pitch black in the middle of the forest. Is it eerie? No, in fact ... the songs of the black birds in the forest made the stroll so romantic. Not to mention the ice capped forest.

A thought hit me when I sat down in the passenger seat. The question Ned throw us on one of his posts.

Are the best things in life for free?
YES! The generosity and kindness of these strangers is, the freedom and safety to share and stroll this forest which is actually a private property and the beauty this side of the earth possesses till now, the songs the birds sing, the fresh air we breathe between those tall trees and the time we have to enjoy all these. These are just a few of the best things in life that are still free.

Have you been to a free tasting event? What was it like?

I took some of these pictures with my Samsung Galaxy Note 1 and some with my Samsung Galaxy A3, 2016 edition.

To everyone I have become virtual friends of in here ...

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My First Free Tasting Event 2017

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