Molen Molen Molen, Keep those Molen Rollin’!

OK, that’s my Dutch bucket list complete.  I have now been to a real, working windmill in North Holland.

Take that, Don Quixote.  I don’t feel the need to storm the windmill, I was allowed to climb into one and experience the inner workings of a polder mill at maximum power!

'God created the world except for the Netherlands. The Dutch took it from the sea’. 

These very words sum up the Dutch ingenuity that led to the reclaiming of the land from the sea in the 17th century and beyond. 


Once again dragging her in tow, Mr. Shiny and I convinced OGIA that it would be a good thing to see something new.  Although years ago she and Zavo had already toured windmills in Zaanse Schans (the home of gourmet mustard), OGIA had not quite experienced them this way.

Despite the wild weather and fierce winds blowing the rain sideways (and turning my umbrella inside out), the May gales provided the perfect conditions through which to experience the simple but effective technology that is a polder* mill in North Holland.

Nestled inconspicuously along highway N243 in Schermerhorn (just east of Alkmaar) is a row of 11 polder windmills.  They are the remaining structures from what was once a chain of 52 windmills used to drain the land and transform the once water-logged landscape into useable farmland.

One of these windmills has been reconstructed as a model for visitors to explore from top to bottom, complete with recreations of living spaces to give us “modern folk” some idea of what life would have been like for a family working and living in a windmill during the mid-19th century.

scale model of a polder mill

Spare parts

Conquering my fear of heights and steep ladder climbs (thanks for the moral support and encouragement, Mr. Shiny!), up, up, up I ascended into the belly of the beast.  The interior of the polder mill was surprisingly spacious and the structure was far more stable that I had imagined it might be. The howling wind whipping the sails around at maximum velocity only an arm’s length away on the other side of the thatched roof only served to enhance the experience.  It was easy to see how this could become a very dangerous endeavour if one weren’t vigilant.  One wrong step or a slip could mean the difference between life and death or at the very least, losing an appendage to the rapidly turning, exposed gears.  *shudder*

The interior walls of the windmill play host to a treasure trove of tools that can only be described as implements of mass destruction.  I wouldn’t want to get tangled up in the business end of some of these blades!

Earning between 80 and 100 guilders per year, the milling business wasn’t lucrative but it was a noble profession and with room and board included, it afforded a family the stability it needed to eke out a living, such that it was.

Fascinating.

Fun Facts:

The thatched roof and sides of a polder windmill can last upwards of 100 years before it needs to be replaced.  Who knew that straw was such an effective building material?  Clearly, the Dutch did.

The person who was in charge of the windmill, the miller (ironic, no?), actually lived within the windmill walls with his family.  The windmill had space for everyone to sleep (albeit sitting somewhat upright in small bedboxes built into the walls), a hearth where the cooking was done,  an eating area as well as a common room for leisure activities.  This was all found on the ground floor.  The first floor was unsuitable for living as the soot from the burning peat and coal was exhausted upwards inside the windmill.

Living and Life In A Windmill

*POLDER

A polder is a low-lying tract of land that forms an artificial hydrological entity, enclosed by embankments known as dikes. The best-known examples are those polders that constitute areas of land reclaimed from a body of water, such as a lake or the sea, and are consequently below the surrounding water level.

Urban Dictionary

Rollende Keukens AKA Food Truck P*rn

Scooters, bicycles, teeming masses of humans, caravans of all shapes and sizes, music coming at you from everywhere and the wafting smells of a multitude of offerings all mingling together in the air to create a veritable smorgasbord for ALL of the senses - this was the scene at the Westerpark on Sunday night.

Just about any and everything was on offer from sweet treats to strange treats.  You could, for a few Euros, watch a chimney cake made to order right in front of your very eyes.  Equally, it was possible to buy crickets on a stick.  Yes, when I say crickets, I mean crickets - the kind that keep you up at night in the summer with their incessant leg rubbing.  cheep cheep cheep cheep THOSE crickets.  Cricket crickets.  On a stick.  I have one word for that nonsense.

NOPE

There are actually people lined up at this food truck.  What the YUCK?!!

Before you get on my case for not having a sense of humour or for not being adventurous, I draw the line at bugs.  I’ll try many things but bugs are where the buck stops for me. 

NOPE.

Luckily for me, the thought of eating bugs having an adverse effect on my appetite was only temporary as I forgot all about the crispy critters when faced with the next food trucks and their delicious-looking offerings.  Despite all of the decadence on offer, I did manage to eat healthily (or so I am telling myself).  Spicy chicken paired with a quinoa salad with fresh veggies was my final pick of the night.  There may have been some poffertjes and perhaps a banana milkshake in there somewhere but I can neither confirm nor deny any of the above statements.  If I disclosed the truth then I’d have to do away with you and nobody wants that to happen.  So read on in ignorance, my dear readers.  The world is a safer place when nobody knows what shenanigans I really get up to.  Honestly, though, I blame OGIA.  We even have hashtag for that:  #marasfault.

In the meantime, enjoy the food truck p*rn and drool away.

 

 

Sold Out!

The Dutch Weedburger

Watch out for those aubergines.  I hear they are Bad Ass.

 

Poffertjes

FEBO seafood?!

Fun Fact:

Food Trucks, like restaurants, are very tightly monitored for quality control purposes.  At any moment, spot checks and inspections can occur and if your food safety standards don’t measure up, your food truck can be shut down on the spot.  

Best make sure those crickets aren’t causing a ruckus!
Gross

A Day In Delft

Every once in a while I get to transit through The Netherlands and spend time with Our Girl In Amsterdam.  Since I’ve been lucky enough to visit multiple times over the past few years I no longer feel the need to hit all of the tourist spots in Amsterdam and now enjoy discovering new places off the beaten path.  This time around we visited the lovely town of Delft, known the world over for its iconic blue and white hand-painted pottery.

OGIA was reticent, nay ambivalent at first but she eventually submitted to the inevitable experience of touring a pottery factory - all in aid of indulging my wanderlust and thirst for knowledge.  It was certainly all about me on this day.

That being said, OGIA deserves a gold star for her patience and unfailing sense of humour.

The sign on the door said to report to Reception so being the good little soldiers we are, we reported to Reception.  The lovely Dutch won there proceeded to escort us upstairs and give us the history of the factory and showed us how the pottery is produced from slip to bisque to finished product.  

First the slip is poured into custom-made moulds and allowed to dry.  The porous nature of the plaster moulds allows for the slip to solidify from the outside in, thus making it possible to create hollow vessels.  Once the slip has dried for about 4 hours (give or take, depending on the size and shape of the piece), the remaining liquid is poured out and the piece is unmoulded and shaved of any imperfections.  The raw piece is air dried for a time and then slowly kiln-fired at over 1000 degrees to the bisque stage (a dried piece of clay ready to be glazed) over the course of 24 hours.  Once the bisque is cooled and ready for decorating, the artisans work their magic and hand paint each piece following age-old traditional methods.  As the bisque is still porous, any liquid that is applied to the surface will make an indelible mark so the artisan must first stencil their pattern with a chalky dust and then afterwards apply the glaze.  This is applied with ultra fine paintbrushes and a steady hand.

 

 

Fun Fact:  The iconic Delft Blue glaze actually goes on black but when dipped in a clear coat and fired, the intense heat in the kiln transforms the black glaze into a brilliant blue hue traditionally associated with the city of Delft.


All of the pottery pieces sold from the factory are produced on site and are decorated by a group of 15 artisans.  Some work out of the factory and some work out of their homes, the latter preferring the quiet and solitude of their own studios in order to concentrate.  There are apparently many visitors to the factory touring the production floor throughout the week, making the factory a very challenging environment in which to concentrate. 

Each artisan has his or her own style which shows in each piece they produce.  Some are heavy-handed with the glaze, producing deep blue tones and others favour a lighter blue with finer lines and some yet prefer to work in a rainbow of colours.  Someone well-versed in the individual artisans’ styles can tell them apart in an instant.

After the warm welcome and hospitality shown to us by the receptionist, I couldn’t help but buy a piece of pottery before leaving.  I had no idea how dear each piece would be but after seeing just how much work goes into each one, I’m not surprised.  Needless to say I only purchased a small piece to bring home with me.  Of course, it had a tulip painted on it.

The factory sits along a canal (as does much of the Netherlands) and it being a Sunday, many people were enjoying a relaxing day, taking part in leisure activities that can only happen during the weekend.  A few boats filled with rowers whooshed by, their oars moving in unison as the boats silently and seemingly effortlessly glided across the water’s surface.  It was fascinating to watch how the rowers worked in concert, expertly propelling the slim watercraft forward as a member of the team called out instructions and encouragement.  I am told that there is a very large and famous Technical University in Delft and I would think that these rowers were students at the TU.

 
All of the day’s excitement sure worked up an appetite and off we went in search of the Old Town and some form of sustenance.  We found ourselves along a canal in Old Town Delft at a very funky burger joint that puts The Works to shame.  (I’m sorry, The Works, you don’t have a pumpkin burger or a spinach burger, do you?!)  There is only one word for the meal.  Lekker*!

* “yummy” in Dutch

 

After a full day of driving, learning and eating, it was time to head home to Amsterdam and The Jordaan with full bellies and full brains.