Zaanse Schans: The windmill centre of the Netherlands

Zaanse Schans!!

What a place! What an effort to protect the national heritage of the Dutch people. All I can see, it was done thru love and responsibility  towards educating the next generation about the 'Golden Era' and to showcase the whole world why they are the best in harnessing the power of nature to spur the economy of a nation which is three times SMALLER than Malaysia.

Ptolemy wrote about the The Gold Peninsula (Semenanjung Emas) which is now the West Malaysia and with the creation of VOC (Dutch East Indies) they came to trade and later 'acquire' the land   in not so nicely way (they got rid of the Portuguese in Malacca). Their ruthlessness in conducting business earned them a special place in Malay proverb which is:

"Ibarat Belanda meminta tanah"

Like a Dutch, asking for land

A greedy person is given little, demands for a lot more, and when was given more, would ask for the whole thing

The Dutch must've done something really not nice back then to earn them a place in the Malay proverb. Not to ridicule my Dutch friends in Lagos...Marijke, Jelle, Joyce, Koen, Tamme, Marc and Ramon to name few, but merely stating from a linguistic point of view. 

Medical Mktg Manager in front, followed by National Manager, then Area Manager.. picture taken by sales rep.. hahahahahah 

To get there, we learnt the hard way. Madam, is showing the sign of getting on the years. Incessantly ask "are you sure?" or "is this the right way?"..like an old woman. Have you seen a female cat, lost or looking for its kitten? What does it do? It would meow all day right? That's how it was....tiring. I pity her team in office. But wait, do not fret...there is a way to handle this human behaviour... I looked at her or a certain part of her body and say "don't worry, I have map(s)".

We took the bus there, trip by train wasn't that convenient we found out (need to walk quite far).. Bus number 68 or 69 at Gate E or was it F, from the Bus Station at Stadhuis in Zaandam. It was 7euros for the lot of us. Paid our fare to the bus driver. 

The bus ticket still have the whole bundle

Madam, looking outside the window. I know in her mind is all about work..work..work..and eat..and shop too!
Sleep is optional

The bus schedule...all in Dutch. Get used to it, people!

Note the bus schedule. Different day, different time. Just look at weekdays, Maandag t/m Vrijdag (Monday to Friday)...6.43? 10.41? Accurate...41,34,38??? Lo and behold, the bus will be there....with the smiling driver (the people whom in contact with tourist are nice here, IMHO). Zaterdag is Saturday and Zondag is Sunday.. The rest are Dinsdag (Tuesday), Woensdag (Wednesday) and Donderdag (Thursday).  Usually in short forms which you will certainly find in train schedule as Ma, Di, Wo, Do, Vri, Za, Zo. 

Moving on, Zaanse Schans (schans = embankment) ...the oldest industrial area in the world they say. "The Industrial Heritage Site" says the Zaan region guide book - free! Thousands of windmill in the Zaan region during the Dutch Golden Age, but due to urban expansion and technology advancement; only a handful remain in the entire Zaan and half of it can be found in Zaanse Schans. Any building with historical value which are in danger of being demolished were moved to this area. 

Welcome!

From the bus stop, which the driver nicely informed us.. at the windmill on the yellow side (refer to map)..it was just a short walk over the bridge to Zaanse Schans. and yes, we were at the red box on the map (YOU ARE HERE) 

Windmills along the Kalverring dike

Walking happily and snapping pictures either on my phone and GoPro when suddenly, Benjamin needs to go to the toilet. Ok, time for brisk walk

Crossing to the other side of the river. Windmills on the horizon. Gloomy day..it was drizzling.

Note Madam's hair (strong wind)...this was after the "I need to go to toilet" announcement.... brisk walk everybody!

The map

The toilet. Pay 50 cent to enter thru the turnstile..phew!

First stop was the cheese shop. Off we go! 

one for the memory

Cheese making set up

The cheese shop. Try everything first before you buy.

Using the cheese scraper to slice cheese thinly for the tourist to try...free flow of cheese...njammm njammm (yum yum)

Cheese galore! Edam cheese with various taste and oblong smoked cheese (all are semi hard cheese)

Gift set

Other varieties. Some from goat milk.
Note the black Polder Gold cheese.
Reported The Best Goat milk cheese
in the world (hard cheese)

Polder cheese (hard cheese)

Cheese dip in mustard
(honey, cranberry, wasabi and balsamic)

Edam cheese, yellow is cumin flavoured

Cafe (the waitress got in the way..honest)

Madam and the children...always eating.
Nachos and cheese

Soon, I was lost in the cheese shop, sampling all kinds of cheese and mustard. I love cheese. My mum used to buy those cheddar slices from Kraft which I will eat with bread or burger. But edam cheese dipped in mustard was a whole new thing for me, at least. Bought a small gift set of mustards (all 4 flavours). IMHO, the cranberry was the best with any of the edam cheese. The gouda cheese was OK, but let Madam do the shopping before we fly back to Lagos.

Next, a short walk is the Clog/Wooden Shoe Workshop and Museum. No entrance fee charged. The building was owned previously by a company that made baby food. It was transferred here and converted to what it is today. There were lots of type of clogs. From the daily use to ceremonial, children to adult and the unusual ones. Demonstration of clog making is done here too. We didn't wait long for the next demonstration to start.  Tourist flock to this area and as soon as the seats were full, the demonstration will start. As usual, the souvenir shop just after the workshop is sure to satisfy any tourist looking for a pair of clogs to bring home.

Entrance to the museum and workshop

Different clogs from all over Netherlands

Work clogs

Sunday clogs (wear to Mass)

Wedding clogs

Intricate design on the wedding clog, for the bride maybe

Clogs from other parts of the world

Unusual clogs

Clog making demonstration

Souvenir clogs, all sizes available

We skipped a few other attraction like the pewter shop, the distillery (of course) and even the Zaans Museum. Rain was getting heavier, Madam suggested that we quicken the pace to visit the windmills. Not far from the clog workshop we came to an unfinished building. Must be of high historical value, and surely to be converted to attract more tourist here. The building was dismantled from its original location and rebuild again piece by piece here in Zaanse Schans. 

New addition to the place. Work in progress.

The mill we entered was called 'De Kat'. It is the only mill that still grinds chalk to make paint pigment the traditional way. It was built in 1646 and later mated to the windmill 'De Juindager' in 1960 (De Kat had its own windmill actually, but maybe was demolished or just too old). De Kat utilizes two sets of side stones or edge mill some called it. Come to think of it, maybe Rembrandt or van Gogh purchased some paint pigment here to create their masterpieces. 

There were also other windmills around these area used in the production of wooden planks, linseed oil, dye, spices and snuff (crushed tobacco, consumed by inhaling - end result still the same, nicotine). Anyway, here and there were barrels and glass cabinet showcasing the products of De Kat.

De Kat

The side stone pulverising the chalk stone to fine dust.
Each stone weighs 3tonnes.

The other side stone in an enclosed room. This windmill has two, and so the other one could produce other product. The enclosed room is to ensure that the fine powder will not mix.

Fay climbing up the stairs to the first floor

The stairs in the windmill is very narrow. To save space...but a problem to Madam.. hahahahaha

The horizontal and vertical gears transfering wind power to mechanical power, moving 2 sets of huge side stones of great weigh and all this from the 16th century...clever

Barrels of finished product

Close up of the gears

The windmill up close, roof made from reed readily available along the river

View of the other windmills along the embankment

My sister and husband during their visit about the same time in 2014, nice weather though..

There were other windmills in the vicinity, but the children...ohhh the children, made to test the patience of their father....They were bored. I could drag them, but to maintain peace.. I follow theirs and Madam's whim. Fay decided to become charitable and fed a pair of ducks on our way back.

Fay and Ben with a pair of ducks. 

One of the houses within the area

House on an island..with its own bridge

Bed and Breakfast if you decide to overnight here

Final stop before leaving Zaanse Schans

Well, that was the end of our visit to Zaanse Schans. We retraced our track, back to the bridge and the bus station just opposite our previous stop. Wish could come here again. After all, I am the sort of person when with a map in hand would like to explore every nook and cranny. That might have to wait for some other time...I guess.