Col GKS Reddy Coins: VISIT TO EUROPE - NETHERLANDS

CHAPPIDI ABHIRATH REDDY
C/O COL GKS REDDY

Secunderabad - 500015

Visit Netherlands (23 & 24 Sep 2013)

The Netherlands (i /ˈ n ɛ ð ər l ə n d z /; Dutch: Nederland [ˈneːdərˌlɑnt] ( listen)) is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, consisting of twelve provinces in North-West Europe and three islands in the Caribbean. The European part of the Netherlands borders theNorth Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders [9] with Belgium, Germany and the United Kingdom. It is a parliamentary democracy organised as a unitary state. The capital is Amsterdam and the seat of government is The Hague. The Netherlands in its entirety is often referred to as "Holland", although North and South Holland are actually only two of its provinces.

The Netherlands is a geographically low-lying country, with about 20% of its area and 21% of its population located below sea level, and 50% of its land lying less than one metre above sea level. This distinct feature contributes to the country's name: in Dutch (Nederland), English, and in many other European languages, its name literally means "(The) Low Countries" or "Low Country". Most of the areas below sea level are man-made, caused by centuries of extensive and poorly controlled peat extraction, lowering the surface by several metres. Even in flooded areas peat extraction continued through turf dredging. From the late 16th century land reclamation started and large polder areas are now preserved through elaborate drainage systems with dikes, canals and pumping stations. Much of the Netherlands is formed by the estuary of three important European rivers, which together with their distributaries form the Rhine-Meuse-Scheldt delta. Most of the country is very flat, with the exception of foothills in the far south-east and several low hill ranges in the central parts.

On arrival at Amsterdam Central Station by Train from Brussels (Belgium)

Visit Zaanse Schans (24 Sep 2013)

Zaanse Schans (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈzaːnsə ˈsxɑns]) is a neighbourhood of Zaandam, near Zaandijk in the municipality of Zaanstad in theNetherlands, in the province of North Holland. It has a collection of well-preserved historic windmills and houses; the ca. 35 houses from all over the Zaanstreek were moved to the museum area in the 1970s. The Zaans Museum, established in 1994, is located in the Zaanse Schans.

The Zaanse Schans is one of the popular tourist attractions of the region and an anchor point of ERIH, the European Route of Industrial Heritage. The neighbourhood attracts approximately 900,000 visitors every year.

After the hectic tour of Amsterdam on 23 Sep, we retired early and started for Zaanse Schans at 0830h on 24 Sep 2013, after a leisurely breakfast. We reached Koog Zaandijk, the nearest railway station to Zaanse Schans at about 0915h and reached Zaanse Schans on foot by 0930h

On arrival at Koog Zaandijk Railway station, little less than a KM from Zaanse Schans

On the Lift Bridge (Foldable spans to allow passage of large boats / ships) overlooking

Zaanse Schans Heritage site (Museum)

At the entrance of Zaanse Schans Heritage Museum

Traditional Dutch Houses - A street in Zaanse Schans

Wooden Bridges & Gardens

Hump - Backed Wooden Bridges known as "Kippenbruggen" and Flat Bridges known as "Kwakels" span drainage channels and canals, giving assess to the Houses and land beyond. On the other side of the canal lies "Over Garden", elegant gardens, often designed in the French style, belonging to wealthy merchants wishing to protect the view from their houses.

Kippenbruggen - A hump backed wooden bridge across a canal in front of

a row of houses - Zaanse Schans

A frontal view of Kippenbruggen and the houses beyond

A closeup of a Kippenbruggen Wooden Bridge

A traditional Dutch Residential House

Another design of a Kippenbruggen Wooden Bridge

A view of a typical Dutch "Over Garden". Note how the Garden protects the view of the House

The Houses beyond the Over Garden

A Dutch Village - Zaanse Schans

Another view of Dutch Rural Scene

Coopery Tiemstra

This is a very special, brand-new part of the Zaans Museum. Step back in time and enter Coopery Tiemstra! Not only can you find out all about the traditional craft of making barrels here, but the authentic atmosphere is still imbued with the spirit of the region’s last cooper.

The Coopery displays the fully outfitted workshop of barrel-making company S.R. Tiemstra & Sons from Oostzaan. Jaap Tiemstra bequeathed this workshop upon his death in 1999. Tiemstra’s barrel-making workshop was then moved to the building that previously housed the Schuitemakerij Brewery. It was located at Rustenburg in Zaandam, but was then demolished in 1964 and its contents were put into storage. The new head office of supermarket chain Albert Heijn eventually took its place. In 1967, the warehouse was reconstructed at Zaanse Schans.

A view of Coopery Tiemstra at Zaanse Schans

Dutch Wooden Shoes - Known as Klomps

A klomp is a clog from the Netherlands. Klompen are whole feet clogs. Approximately 3 million pairs of klompen are made each year.They are sold throughout the Netherlands. A large part of the market is for tourist souvenirs. However some Dutch people, particularly farmers, market gardeners and gardeners still wear them for everyday use. Outside the tourist industry, klompen can be found best in local tool shops and garden centers.

The traditional all-wooden Dutch clogs have been officially accredited as safety shoes with the CE mark and can withstand almost any penetration including sharp objects and concentrated acids. They are actually safer than steelcapped protective shoes in some circumstances, as the wood cracks rather than dents in extreme accidents, allowing easy removal of the clog and not continued pressure on the toes by the (edge of) the steel nose. Some of the Dutch also consider wearing clogs as being healthy for the wearers' feet.

A Dutch Wooden shoe (Klomp) workshop - Zaanse Schans

Finished Klomps on display inside the workshop - Zaanse Schans

Dutch Farm

A Typical Dutch Dairy Farm - Zaanse Schans

Another view of the Dutch Dairy Farm

A barn in the Dutch Farm - Zaanse Schans

Dutch Wind Mills

Once a country of 10,000 windmills, Holland now has over 1,000 historic vertical mills, more than any other country in the world. Vertical mills come in a variety of shapes, from the post mill, hollow post mill, tower mill, and the smock mill. All of these are really a variation on the post mill, where a post stands vertically and its attached sails can be turned to face the direction of the wind. The other types of vertical windmills expand the center from a simple post to large interior spaces where the miller can live.

Of the many windmills in Holland, each type has a specific purpose: pumping water, keeping the polders (lowlands) dry, sawing wood, grinding grain, and many others. Several areas are known for their windmills, and should definitely be a part of any tour of Holland.

A view of Historic Dutch Wind Mills Re-located at Zaanse Schans Museum for Preservation

De Gekroonde Poelenburg

De Gekroonde Poelenburg (English: The Crowned Poelenburg) is a paltrok mill in Zaandam, Noord Holland, Netherlands which has been restored to working order. As all Dutch paltrok mills it is a windpowered sawmill. The mill is listed as a Rijksmonument, number 40093. It is located at the Zaanse Schans in a group of several historic industrial windmills

De Gekroonde Windmill (Saw Mill), Poelenburg, now Re-located at Zaanse Schans Museum

A closer view of De Gekroonde (Saw Mill) Windmill

De Kat - Paint Mill

De Kat is the only remaining working windmill in the world which makes paint. The mill is in the Zaanse Schans, Zaanstad.

The original mill 'De Kat' was built in 1646 as an oil mill. In 1782 the mill was destroyed by fire but the mill was rapidly rebuilt again. The mill was in use until 1904 and then was partially demolished.

In 1960 the eight-sided paint mill 'De Duinjager' was removed from its former position owing to urban development and placed on top of the old storehouse of 'De Kat'. The mill is again grinding raw materials such as chalk to make pigments for paints in the traditional way. The mill is owned by the Vereniging De Zaansche Molen.

A write up about De Kat

A Side view of De Kat Windmill ( Paint Mill) at Zaanse Schans Museum

A closer view of De Kat Windmill (Paint Mill)

The Frontal close up of De Kat (The entry to the mill)

De Zoeker - Oil Mill

De Zoeker (The Seeker) is the name of an oil windmill, located in the Zaanse Schans,
Zaanstad. Its purpose is to press seeds such as linseed andrapeseed into vegetable oil. It is the only oil mill still in operation, and is one of five remaining oil mills in the area.

The mill was built in 1672 in Zaandijk. The mill continued with few interruptions until 1968, when it was moved to the Schans. The mill is owned by the Vereniging De Zaansche Molen.

A view of De Zoeker Windmill (Oil Mill) at Zaanse Schans Museum

Inside view of De Zoeker, the Oil Mill

Another view of the machinery inside De Zoeker

The landing, above the machinery of De Zoeker, the Oil Mill. Note that,

the mill has a thatched Roof

A close up of the Thatched Roof of De Zoeker

Het Jonge Schaap - Saw Mill

Het Jonge Schaap (The young sheep) is the name of a wooden wind powered sawmill, located in the Zaanse Schans, in the municipality of Zaanstad.

The original mill was built[where?] in 1680 and demolished in 1942. Between 2005 and 2007, a replica of the mill at the Zaanse Schans, between the mills “De Zoeker” and “De Bonte Hen”. The construction of the replica was based on detailed drawings Anton Sipman had made before the original mill was demolished.