Joop explains the finer points of Dutch diplomacy

John always sketches when we travel and keeps his drawings in a black journal.

John show's Martha and Joop his journal

Looking out over the River Zaan in the town of Zaandam (an old industrial town from the 1600's) that processed barley, rice, tobacco, hemp, mustard, dye... until the windmills were replaced by steam engines in the mid-19th century. There were 1,000 windmills during the heyday (down to 13 surviving)

The Cat Windmill

What the day might have looked like with some sunshine. Blue sky was added in photoshop.

There were numerous Japanese tourists at the park. Joop commented that this area must be heavily marketed in their country because they tend to 'flock' here for some reason. I think this place is actually a secret camera-testing facility for Canon and Nikon.

Some are fixed to turn in one direction and others in the opposite direction (clockwise or counter-clockwise). We're not sure why.

A capstan wheel allowed the miller to turn the sails, mounted on the 15-ton cap at the top of the green structure, into the face of the wind.

from the brochure, "In 1959, millwright G. Husslage placed the top and the interior machinery of the dye mill De Duinjager on the base of the oil mill De Kat to create the current mill. This is believed to be the only remaining dye mill in an industry that once comprised 55 dye mills and was associated with names such as Pieter Schoen, Storm, Van Bentum & Kluyver, Heyme Vis..."

The windmills was covered with a siding made from hollow reeds.

Notice the General to the left

Nice picture of us taken by Martha.

The camera was level. The window wasn't. In fact the entire house, including the floor had settled to various steep angles, such that you felt almost as if you were walking through an amusement fun house.

I found this poster on the inside of the stall door in the ladies room at the diner where we stopped for a witbier (white beer). An advertisement for 'geen alcohol' had this angelic image of a Spanish madonna figure with a comment "you're no angel". The "halo" is part reflection from my camera flash.

There's a story that a bull gored a pregnant lady in front of this church. The child survived, but the lady wasn't so lucky.