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The Netherlands 2016, Windmill Tour

The land of windmills delivered much more than we expected. Until Amsterdam, repeatedly dodging 30MPH motorcycles while standing on the sidewalk was not a skill I thought I would ever need! We went deep inside a wooden windmill designed over 400 years ago to see how they worked, found out why they were built and why they largely vanished in a short period of time. We discovered the usefulness of wooden shoes and saw them being made. We got immersed in the unbridled free spirit of Amsterdam. I don't normally gravitate toward photos of people, but Amsterdam was a bit too compelling in that area to ignore. All the details are in the captions. As often happens I gained more appreciation for what I saw after I came home and researched key locales and images. The big surprises were the wonderful, unique foods and the dependence on 2 wheeled vehicles in the cities.
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  • This is Poffertjes.

    This is Poffertjes.

    Poffertjes is a type of Dutch dessert that features bite-sized pancakes tidal-waved in powdered sugar. Drop a rich scoop of whipped cream on top (better than any whipped cream I ever tasted), or dip into the cream after loading a fork with a strawberry and a pancake. Either way it is every bit as good as it looks.

  • This Pancake house near our hotel is where we had the poffertjes and our first meal in Holland. As in most western European businesses where tourism is high, the staff spoke impeccable English allowing free exchanges of orders and follow up needs. This added a nice comfort level to our visit.

    This Pancake house near our hotel is where we had the poffertjes and our first meal in Holland. As in most western European businesses where tourism is high, the staff spoke impeccable English allowing free exchanges of orders and follow up needs. This added a nice comfort level to our visit.

  • You can get Dutch pancakes with just about anything on them for breakfast, lunch or dinner. They are like a thick crepe with pancake flavor. Very tasty!

    You can get Dutch pancakes with just about anything on them for breakfast, lunch or dinner. They are like a thick crepe with pancake flavor. Very tasty!

  • Our pancake house table was placed against a panoramic window giving a wide view of this busy canal.

    Our pancake house table was placed against a panoramic window giving a wide view of this busy canal.

  • We toured this all wood, all manual windmill near Volendam, Holland. It is built on a 400 year old design. Sails are adjusted by ropes. The sail brake is deployed using a rope that releases a weighted tensioner. Even the entire top section is manually spun around to face the wind using a leverage wheel called a winder.

    We toured this all wood, all manual windmill near Volendam, Holland. It is built on a 400 year old design. Sails are adjusted by ropes. The sail brake is deployed using a rope that releases a weighted tensioner. Even the entire top section is manually spun around to face the wind using a leverage wheel called a winder.

  • Great-crested Grebe nest just beside the windmill.

    Great-crested Grebe nest just beside the windmill.

    Two Great-crested Grebes set up home in the canal leading to the windmill. Our walkway passed within 20 feet of the nest.

  • Most of Holland is below sea level. Most Dutch windmills are polder mills, built to lift water out of the lowlands and back into the sea. Each mill lifts water about 5 to 6 feet higher into a canal, where the water travels to another mill repeating the process. Oceanside windmills make the final lift over the dikes and the water flows back to sea. The government pays the operators for their services.

    Most of Holland is below sea level. Most Dutch windmills are polder mills, built to lift water out of the lowlands and back into the sea. Each mill lifts water about 5 to 6 feet higher into a canal, where the water travels to another mill repeating the process. Oceanside windmills make the final lift over the dikes and the water flows back to sea. The government pays the operators for their services.

  • Two of our tour pals watch the main windshaft and its gears spin, standing where they mesh with the Archimedes water lift screw. The meshing gears and moving parts creaked and popped a little but were surprisingly quiet overall. The owner gave us a lot of information on how the mill worked. I have repeated as much as I reasonably could in these captions.

    Two of our tour pals watch the main windshaft and its gears spin, standing where they mesh with the Archimedes water lift screw. The meshing gears and moving parts creaked and popped a little but were surprisingly quiet overall. The owner gave us a lot of information on how the mill worked. I have repeated as much as I reasonably could in these captions.

  • The windmill's wooden drive train is massive and very dense wood makes up the gear teeth. Rookie operators are warned to never engage the windshaft with the sails turning or you will rip the wooden teeth to shreds-a nasty repair.

    The windmill's wooden drive train is massive and very dense wood makes up the gear teeth. Rookie operators are warned to never engage the windshaft with the sails turning or you will rip the wooden teeth to shreds-a nasty repair.

  • These tricky steps up to the windmill's highest deck were only about 20 degrees off of full vertical, with shallow step boards and 2 near-worthless handrails set at ankle height. This ladder design is typical. Only 3 of us braved the journey up into the cap shell.

    These tricky steps up to the windmill's highest deck were only about 20 degrees off of full vertical, with shallow step boards and 2 near-worthless handrails set at ankle height. This ladder design is typical. Only 3 of us braved the journey up into the cap shell.

  • The semi-circular wooden piece on the outside of the tooth ring is the brake arm that is employed (using weights) to stop the windshaft/sails from turning for sail adjustments or for the gears to be engaged or disengaged. This photo was captured about 1/2 way up the steps while looking straight down. When the brake engages it takes a while for the windshaft to slide to a stop.

    The semi-circular wooden piece on the outside of the tooth ring is the brake arm that is employed (using weights) to stop the windshaft/sails from turning for sail adjustments or for the gears to be engaged or disengaged. This photo was captured about 1/2 way up the steps while looking straight down. When the brake engages it takes a while for the windshaft to slide to a stop.

  • Here we are inside the windmill at the top under the "cap", which is the entire upper part of the structure. It supports the sails and blade assembly and is designed to rotate so the sails can be faced directly into the wind. The entire cap assembly spins on many pairs of tough little wooden rollers, shown here. The chains hold the cap in place.

    Here we are inside the windmill at the top under the "cap", which is the entire upper part of the structure. It supports the sails and blade assembly and is designed to rotate so the sails can be faced directly into the wind. The entire cap assembly spins on many pairs of tough little wooden rollers, shown here. The chains hold the cap in place.

  • The spoked wheel is the "winder", used to manually turn the cap into the wind. Turning the wheel 1/8th of a full revolution rotates the cap (which weighs 20 tons) only about an inch. On days with variable winds this is a full time job. Notice the outer wall at the floor is clearly an octagonal shape, yet at the rollers the room has transitioned into a perfect circle. Tricky woodwork.

    The spoked wheel is the "winder", used to manually turn the cap into the wind. Turning the wheel 1/8th of a full revolution rotates the cap (which weighs 20 tons) only about an inch. On days with variable winds this is a full time job. Notice the outer wall at the floor is clearly an octagonal shape, yet at the rollers the room has transitioned into a perfect circle. Tricky woodwork.

  • Thousands of windmills once dotted the Dutch countryside, peaking at about 10,000 in 1850. When steam and electric power came along the wind powered structures were quickly made obsolete and too expensive to maintain. Many mysteriously caught fire to collect insurance value, leaving less than a thousand across the Netherlands today.

    Thousands of windmills once dotted the Dutch countryside, peaking at about 10,000 in 1850. When steam and electric power came along the wind powered structures were quickly made obsolete and too expensive to maintain. Many mysteriously caught fire to collect insurance value, leaving less than a thousand across the Netherlands today.

  • On this windmill the black triangular braces lead to a spoked wheel (the capstan) near the ground called an outside winder. An operator grabs it and cranks the wheel to rotate the top cap around until the blades face the wind. Mechanical leverage allows one man to move the 20 ton assembly of cap, blades and sails. The mill we toured is called an inside winder because the capstan is inside the cap and protected from the elements.

    On this windmill the black triangular braces lead to a spoked wheel (the capstan) near the ground called an outside winder. An operator grabs it and cranks the wheel to rotate the top cap around until the blades face the wind. Mechanical leverage allows one man to move the 20 ton assembly of cap, blades and sails. The mill we toured is called an inside winder because the capstan is inside the cap and protected from the elements.

  • Many of Amsterdam's streets are old, tightly packed and were never designed for cars. It was so much fun just to walk along them and study a lifestyle so foreign to big cities in western America. Our main Globus tour Guide, Paul, is in the brown coat. It was pretty cool there most of the time.

    Many of Amsterdam's streets are old, tightly packed and were never designed for cars. It was so much fun just to walk along them and study a lifestyle so foreign to big cities in western America. Our main Globus tour Guide, Paul, is in the brown coat. It was pretty cool there most of the time.

  • Another tight Amsterdam street.

    Another tight Amsterdam street.

  • Last chance to take a photo before entering the Red Light District.

    Last chance to take a photo before entering the Red Light District.

    Display windows with red lights are visible in the controversial Red Light District of Amsterdam. This scene is before the raucous night amps up. No photos are allowed, but even at this early hour the experience was- lets just leave it at "memorable". The licensed ladies (usually in their 20's) were standing behind glass windows in small rooms they rent by the day at a high cost. This is legalized to minimize abuse, collect revenue and provide monitoring to a port town business that has been impossible to stop. The women are provided free 24 hr. walk-in access to counseling, security, financial services and health aids. Mistreatment of them draws severe penalties. Despite its legality the women in this trade are not well respected locally.

  • These boisterous lads, moving fast near the fringe of the "entertainment" district, barely slowed down but begged me to take their photo. I quickly fired off a round and they were gone, appearing to be headed for a long night of full throttle pleasure seeking. They picked the right town.

    These boisterous lads, moving fast near the fringe of the "entertainment" district, barely slowed down but begged me to take their photo. I quickly fired off a round and they were gone, appearing to be headed for a long night of full throttle pleasure seeking. They picked the right town.

  • A busy bridge in Amsterdam. Bikes are everywhere for good reason. More on that later.

    A busy bridge in Amsterdam. Bikes are everywhere for good reason. More on that later.

  • The front of the Amsterdam Rail Station. The back is very modern, wide open and full of loading ramps and tracks. It looks like 2 different buildings.

    The front of the Amsterdam Rail Station. The back is very modern, wide open and full of loading ramps and tracks. It looks like 2 different buildings.

  • Row of bridges taken from the water tour taxi.

    Row of bridges taken from the water tour taxi.

  • Gray scale interpretation of a small fishing boat docked in Amsterdam.

    Gray scale interpretation of a small fishing boat docked in Amsterdam.

  • They sell marijuana-laced dishes in the Bulldog pub/restaurant. Right on the menu. I could not smell it, but Jan could.

    They sell marijuana-laced dishes in the Bulldog pub/restaurant. Right on the menu. I could not smell it, but Jan could.

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    Gray scale interpretation of a small fishing boat docked in Amsterdam.
    They sell marijuana-laced dishes in the Bulldog pub/restaurant. Right on the menu. I could not smell it, but Jan could.