Come along and tour the windmill with me!

June 29, 2017 - Leiden, Netherlands - For those of you who have never seen the inside of a bonafide Dutch windmill, I've shot some video to take you along on a tour with me. Click the video below and join me!

PHOTO GALLERY: Knocking Holland windmill off bucket list

June 29, 2017 - Leiden, Holland - I can knock Holland windmill tour off my bucket list.  

Then (above)...and NOW

The De Valk, or The Falcon, is a tower mill that dates to 1743.  It is seven floors in all and used to be home to the miller’s family and even a cow or two. 

Suggestions on how to get down. The docent said kids do the best but parents are scared. 

 The upscale living quarters on the first floor of the De Valk mill. 

The decorative sink in the kitchen inside the mill.

Wooden gears and wheels and whatnot near the ceiling on the fifth floor of the windmill. 

Looking up the narrow ladder stairs. 

The wheel on the outside to turn the sails on the windmill 

The grinding stones were enormous, the stairways or ladders steep and the life of a miller had to be difficult and very demanding and all while "wearing wooden shoes," said the docent Danielle at the front desk. 

A couple interesting tidbits: 

- The De Valk mill was pulled down in 1743 and replaced by the present tower mill; this time the body of the mill was built in brick.  A stone tablet shows the undertaking was completed in 2-1/2 months. 

-Over a century ago there were 10,000 windmills and now only 950. Most mills were lost in fires or they closed due to poor maintenance.  

- The millers in Leiden were organized in the Guild of Saint Victor. In the Netherlands Saint Victor is regarded as the patron saint of millers. He was a Roman soldier, who as a Christian and refused to sacrifice to a pagan Roman god. His punishment was to be drowned with a millstone around his neck.

- The steam engine came into use in the 19th century and windmills were no longer necessary. They gradually disappeared from the city. Since 1950 only one mill has survived and this is De Valk (The Falcon). 

                                                                                       

-A millers fee was fixed by the authorities until 1805 when a tax had to be paid on every bag of grain. A tax inspector stood by the entrance to some mills; nevertheless, many millers managed to evade the regulations. Up until 1869 there were even 'smugglers cupboards' in De Valk in which the miller hid untaxed flour.

-Windmills were once saw mills that helped the ship building industry; the Dutch had one of the best fleets. 

Windmill art. Used to sell products.

Looking out on the city of Leiden from the fourth story

Weights used to hoist the grain up to the top level. The windmill did all the heavy lifting. 

A pulley and one of the old signs at the mill

The super secret bathroom on the first floor of the mill. 

The toilet paper was crisp and faded brown and looked original. The docent said the main bathroom was on the same floor as the cattle. So, not only did the family live in the windmill and operate it as a place of business to produce flour but it also housed a cow or two.

If a part broke in the windmill there was a person in town who could craft a new one. 
This was the directory hanging on the wall in the entryway 

VIDEO | Sorry, Wisconsin, no cheese for YOU

June 28, 2017 - Leiden, Holland - Spent an extra day in Leiden which is about 25 miles south of Amsterdam. 

Smaller community than Amsterdam but a college town and fast paced with a lot of museums. Plus, there was heavy rain overnight and more precipitation on tap today. There are also several museums I missed ... so those are all my excuses and I'm sticking to it. 

Ramon Severs was one of the first vendors I ran into. He was a good-looking guy and spoke English, but I was drawn to his big wheels of cheese. 

The 25-pounder would not fit on my bike nor would the cheddar stone of 40 kilos. Sorry, Wisconsin friends.

Side note: Listen in on the video. I like the part where he says "I'm my own boss."

The vendors with white tents ran down the edge of the river and all around the city centre. 

There was a meat man, bolts of fabric and sport socks, olives and candies. One could experience a real hum to the market. 

VIDEO | Touring business district; treated to music from town's first church

June 28, 2017 - Leiden, Netherlands -  Spent some time cycling around Sassenheim. Two videos to share:

Lending a view of the town. Took a spin through the Sassenheim business district:

From Leiden tour guide: Famous for its annual celebration commemorating Leiden's liberation from the Spanish, the foundations of the Late-Gothic cruciform basilica that is St. Pieterskerk date from 1121 when the town's first church was built here. The current church was begun in the 13th century, with the choir being completed in 1339, and the nave with its double aisles added in the 14th century. Highlights include the building's timber barrel-vaulting extending to the west front, and the many monuments of various university professors. Of particular note is the tomb of John Robinson, a distinguished member of the group that was to become the Pilgrim Fathers; the Late-Gothic carved wooden altar dating from the early 16th century; and the organ built around 1640. For a truly unique experience, book a night in the adjoining Villa Rameau, a former 16th-century almshouse.

The video below is me standing outside the church as the church chimes play (above). 

Touring the seminary with Thea

June 28, 2017 - Leiden, Holland - Thea, who once lived in  Philadelphia but returned to Holland, said she remembered when there was a festival in Warmond and all the priests walked around town in black robes. 

Thea managed to talk our way into the neighboring senior rehab and an administrator opened the old seminary chapel so we could take a look. (See video)

Have faith in God but lock your bike

June 27, 2017 - Leiden, Holland - Updates and tidbits.

A couple interesting notes about Holland:

- The bicycling community is fantastic; so many kids on bikes.

- There's a saying in the Netherlands, "Have faith in God but lock your bike."

- This is something I never read in a travel guide...the businesses in Holland are basically boycotting VISA. They're all sick of the hefty fees that come with processing every transaction. "That's bad news on this end," said the female biker who travels with a dedicated VISA.  I have a VISA debit card, too. They won't take that, either, so it's off to the cash machine or "robo cash" as it's called here. This will make for an interesting trip. 

-You know you're not in the U.S. when the campground you stay at has a trampoline for the kids.  

Theses signs relay direction to bicycles on the trails in Holland. For a biker it makes it very easy to get around and know the distance to your next city. And yes... McDonalds is at a prime intersection.

The stately building is formerly the Warmond Seminary. The building was then turned into senior housing. Now the seniors have been displaced and the new owner is likely to turn the place into apartments.

This statue of the woman was atop a building next to a church in the center of Leiden.
There was no description.

Rembrandt was born in Leiden. This is the marker on his birthplace home.
Which is now on the Leiden University campus. Shy the red and the "W," it all feels very Madison.

This sculpture of St. George slaying a dragon is atop a sandstone gate in Leiden.
The sculpture dates to 1645 and the gate later was the marker to the red-light district. 

Four story spiral staircase had me hanging on tight

June 27, 2017 - Leiden, Holland - This is a spiral staircase that spun up over four stories. It was at a botanical garden in Leiden, Holland. It was at a botanical garden in Leiden, Holland. Once you accomplished the climb you advanced to the catwalk.

Two kids were racing around and looking over the edge. This old lady (me) was white knuckling the railing and shuffling along.

I tried to relax and just watch the show until the kids were right behind me and like, "Can you get out of the way, old lady?"

VIDEO | Checking out the bees in Leiden

June 27, 2017 - Leiden, Holland - Spent quite a bit of time in Leiden at the Hortus Botanicus; it's the oldest garden in the Netherlands, founded by Leiden University in 1590, and the most beautiful. 

The large outdoor gardens and greenhouses carry a variety of plants including a water lily that's so big it can hold a baby and not sink (see photo below). 

There's also an orangery, which is an historic building that dates to 1745. 

While finishing the tour I found a collection of cute beehives and got in for a closer look. 

Note: The inscription above the hives reads "God feeds all creatures."

Riding in tribute to: Cliff and Ann Hale

June 28, 2017 - Washington County, WI - Today I'll be riding in tribute to:

If you would like me to ride in the name of someone you know, send their name, a jpeg photo, a brief note if you like, and your contribution of $100. The entire $100 donation will go toward Alzheimer's programs at Cedar Community.

Checks should be made made payable to "Cedar Community Foundation" 113 Cedar Ridge Dr., West Bend, WI 53095

Cedar Community is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization and donations are tax-deductible.