Monday 16th May
I think I could spend a month wandering around Amsterdam.
AM was spent exploring the varied architecture of Amsterdam. As it is effectively built on wetlands, the buildings are all underpinned by wooden poles. Over time these settle and move, which creates some interesting angles for the buildings.
Did I mention the bikes?
Along the way we found the Flower markets. It really should be called the ‘Flowers to Be’ markets, as there were very few flowers, but a plethora of bulbs (Plus a pile of souvenir gimmicks to add colour)
There many interesting sites, including the Lijn museum, where we really didn’t get past the gardens.
Mid afternoon it was back on the road again.
First stop -a cheesemaker. Certainly geared more to tourist cheesemaking rather than commercial operation.
They showed the steps of making small cheeses – separating curds from whey, then putting them into small moulds and pressing them.
They were then painted with a plastic sealer coating, before later applying a wax coating.
If the cheese over-matures, mainly through air leakage, it goes hard, so they smoke it to make it salable.
(Now I know why there is smoked cheese – always thought it was for the taste)
From there we flowed on to the clog maker.
Clogs are made from poplars, because they are a soft wood, and are grown in the Netherlands for all the water they absorb frommthe soil.
They are made from blocks that are still green and wet, not dried.He used a machine much like a giant paper cutter to gradually shave the block into shape. The inner hole for the food is scooped out with large, sharp spoon like implements.
After shaping, he showed how wet the wood really was by blowing into th foot opening, and water poured out of the block.
An interesting note is that clogs are certified safety footwear.
Traditional Windmill
These were used to pump water from canals to the ocean or inland sea at low tide, or through a loch.
The one we visited was built in 1896. The roof was thatched with a special reed. The thatching lasts nearly 100 years, and is a specialised trade – no idea what they will do in another 100 years, as this was done 10 years ago.
everything in the mill is made of wood, even the cog wheels and the brakes. The miller said one of the rt dangers to the windmill is fire, especially from over heated brakes.
We were lucky enough to be allowed access to the top level of the mill, vis a very, very steep ladder – seemed even steeper coming down.
With a strong wind, the mill can pump 60,000L a minute – about the size of a swimming pool.
Vodendam
Final stop was for dinner at a small village on the shores of the inland sea, very tranquil and qite chilly. Fish and chips seemed to be the order of the day.
