Live by the Sun - Love by the Moon: DAY 41

April 29 – A Trip to Zaanse-Schans

Grandma Olson (Shari's mom) always used to say she had Pennsylvania Dutch as part of her heritage. I like to imagine that the little Dutch girls playing in the windmills and wearing clogs could possibly be part of my family. Whatever the case, I sure enjoyed learning about the Dutch people. I've always had a fascination with tulips, Dutch dolls, Delft china, windmills, and more ever since I made my first trip to Holland back in 1969. I was on a European tour for 5 weeks with the American Youth Symphony and Chorus, a select audition group from all over the United States. Holland was my favorite country. I remembered the best red sunset that just disappeared over the windmills and into the sea.

Sunrise in Holland - wish I could have captured the photo back in 1969 that is in my mind!

We went to Zaanse Schans which is a neighborhood of Zaandaam. It has a collection of well-preserved historic windmills and houses; 35 houses from all over the Zaanstreek were moved to the museum area in the 1970's.

Houses of Zaan Schans

The story is in the windmills, built after 1574 - some of which are still working. They are used to press oil, to saw wood, to grind dyes, or to make paper. There is even one to press mustard seeds and cinnamon.

Busy rolling up the sails

Cute decor in one of the windows. People live in the windmills.

We enjoyed going through the cheese-making demonstrations and sampling both cheese and chocolate. YUM! Don't forget that Dutch chocolate is so famous! AND....the Gouda Cheese!

Various kinds and jams and honey

Queen Beatrix is everywhere, even in the shops!

Chocolate samples anyone?

C is for CHOCOLATE...."that's good enough for me!"

Don't forget the Gouda!

This is how you make cheese

The Dutch have been making cheese since 400 AD. Nowadays, Holland is the largest exporter of cheese in the world. Its dairy industry as a whole has a turnover of around 7 billion Euro. Gouda is a semi-hard cheese with a 48 % milk fat content and a mild to piquant taste. Aging intensifies the flavor and hardness.

Now my demonstration is done - would you like some? (Isn't she such a cute Dutch girl?)

Love the Holland Delftware

Delftware, or Delft pottery denotes blue and white pottery made in and around Delft in the Netherlands and the tin-glazed pottery from the 16th century. Delftware in the latter sense is a type of pottery in which a white glaze is applied, usually decorated with metal oxides. Delftware includes pottery objects of all descriptions such as plates, ornaments and tiles. The main period of tin-glaze pottery in the Netherlands was 1640-1740.

This was the cutest shoppe!

And now on to the Dutch clogs. Wooden shoes have been popular in the Netherlands for about 700 years. Wooden shoe wearers claim the shoes are warm in winter, cool in summer and provide support for good posture. The wood also absorbs perspiration so that the foot can breathe. Wooden shoes, as icons of Dutch culture, appear in customs such as the practice of young Dutch men presenting their fiancees with a pair of carved wooden shoes. The Dutch have been wearing wooden shoes, or clogs, or "Klompen" since medieval times. Originally, they were made with a wooden sole and a leather top or strap tacked to the wood. Eventually, the shoes began to be made entirely from wood to protect the whole foot. Originally, alder, willow and poplar woods were used.

We saw an amazing demonstration of how clogs were made. He did this in about 5 minutes.