Cheese Rolling

So cheese rolling. It's a bit of a strange tradition, and it was probably one of the most bizarre days I've ever experienced. However it was lovely to get out of the city and into the countryside for awhile. 

Here's the view from part of the way up the hill. We didn't get to do the cheese run for insurance reasons but I don't think I would have liked to do it anyway. It's a bit dangerous.

I should probably explain what cheese rolling is. Essentially people race to the top of this really steep hill seen below. Then someone tosses a roll of cheese down the hill. As soon as the cheese starts to roll down people race to the bottom of the hill and whoever gets down there first wins the cheese. The only problem is that the hill is so steep that running down the hill is more like throwing yourself down a cliff. It was violent looking.

When we arrived at the town the sort of guide guy literally said "I'm sorry but you guys can't participate because our insurance doesn't cover you launching yourself down a hill after a wheel of cheese". 

So let's recap. In order to get up to a decent vantage point to watch the cheese rolling we had to hike up a hill nearly as steep as the cheese rolling hill itself for 3/4 of a mile to watch groups of people who were often in strangely clad costumes (imagine the Turkey Trot) throw themselves down a giant hill after a wheel of cheese.

I missed the cheese rolling down but here are the people. This is just the end of the hill, I didn't get a chance to see them come down the entire hill. I feel like it's brutal enough anyway.

Weird day. But I loved it.