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hadley | profile | all galleries >> travels >> The Netherlands 10-03 >> Day 5 (Zaanse Schans and Zaandam) with Joop and Martha tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

Day 5 (Zaanse Schans and Zaandam) with Joop and Martha

On Day 5, Thurs., we met Joop again, this time at the train station in Amsterdam, and hopped back on board to visit his friend, Martha, at her home near Zaandam. Martha is a museum volunteer and history buff so we felt fortunate to have her as our own professional tour guide. Martha then drove us about 15 minutes to Zaanse Schans, a 'park' of old windmills still in use for everything from grinding grain and stone for paint pigments to cutting wood. After 3 trips to Holland, I finally saw windmills! We especially enjoyed the Windmill de Kat (The Cat) that was built in 1782 and is believed to be the last surviving (of 55) dye mills in the world that process minerals for paint. We then went on to see a preserved house where Peter the Great stayed for some time. The house is one of the few surviving wooden structures from the 17th century and has been preserved by building a house over the original structure. For Joop's pictures of this trip, see-- https://pbase.com/joopschilp/nancy_and_john_at_zaanse_schans -- https://pbase.com/joopschilp/my_friends_from_virginia_at_marthas_place/ -- https://pbase.com/joopschilp/with_john_and_nancy_to_czar_peter_house/ -- https://pbase.com/joopschilp/zaandam_with_nancy_and_john/
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Paint color samples
Paint color samples		 127_2737.jpg
127_2737.jpg		 Barrels to hold ground color
Barrels to hold ground color		 Gears #2
Gears #2
Some are fixed to turn in one direction and others in the opposite direction (clockwise or counter-clockwise). We're not sure why.
Sail of Windmill de Kat

Some are fixed to turn in one direction and others in the opposite direction (clockwise or counter-clockwise). We're not sure why.

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127_2744.jpg		 127_2745.jpg
127_2745.jpg		 127_2749.jpg
127_2749.jpg
Martha and John on the windmill platform
Martha and John on the windmill platform		 A capstan wheel allowed the miller to turn the sails, mounted on the 15-ton cap at the top of the green structure, into the face of the wind.
Smock Mill

A capstan wheel allowed the miller to turn the sails, mounted on the 15-ton cap at the top of the green structure, into the face of the wind.

 127_2753.jpg
127_2753.jpg		 from the brochure, In 1959, millwright G. Husslage placed the top and the interior machinery of the dye mill De Duinjager on the base of the oil mill De Kat to create the current mill. This is believed to be the only remaining dye mill in an industry that once comprised 55 dye mills and was associated with names such as Pieter Schoen, Storm, Van Bentum & Kluyver, Heyme Vis...
de Kat

from the brochure, "In 1959, millwright G. Husslage placed the top and the interior machinery of the dye mill De Duinjager on the base of the oil mill De Kat to create the current mill. This is believed to be the only remaining dye mill in an industry that once comprised 55 dye mills and was associated with names such as Pieter Schoen, Storm, Van Bentum & Kluyver, Heyme Vis..."
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127_2755.jpg		 The windmills was covered with a siding made from hollow reeds.
Window from Windmill

The windmills was covered with a siding made from hollow reeds.

 Mill View
Mill View		 127_2758.jpg
127_2758.jpg
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comment | share
Ruth 04-Feb-2004 22:33
Dear Nancy and John,

I just admired your pictures of my country, they are beautiful. As for your remark about the position of the sails on the windmills, I don't no much about it, but this I know:
In the early days there were different positions to make a statement. There was one for alarm, birth, mourning, etc. like a code. Hope this will help.
With kind regards, Ruth, from Holland.

p.s. I discovered your pictures through Joop Schilperoord's website. I met Joop recently at a concert in Rotterdam. He was so kind to take a picture of me with countertenor Andreas Scholl, and for me this was a very special memory.
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