Windmills

I don't know much about windmills, but I've been able to see some in my travels throughout Holland. There are not as many as there once were. They are being replaced by turbine windmills. Janny, Bill's sister, took me an old grain windmill. We climbed the steep wooden stairs to the top and the owner showed us the millstone, the pulley system, and the steps for filling the sacks of grain. Here are my pictures of that trip, plus a few windmills that I saw in the country.

Oh No!!

So I posted my most anticipated pictures - the ones of tulips - and somehow the pictures got out of sequence. Not to worry, I'll post some more here...and there are even a few hyacinth fields also. Oh, the smell was spectacular driving down these streets! Anyway, scroll down on the posts and you'll see more tulip pictures. By the way, the tulip is not native to Holland. Does anyone out there know the country from which it originates?

A Few More Pictures

Today I'll post random shots of what I've been doing. The first pictures are shots of typical front windows. I find it so funny that the Dutch are so symetrical in their decorating. This odd notion of symetry is most notable in the front windows of their homes. I don't want this to be taken as a criticism. I find it charming, and I also find it to be a good example of the orderliness of the Dutch culture. Notice in these pictures how two of the same item appears:

The next few pictures are of Bill's sister, Janny, and her husband, Johan. They live in western Holland on an island. Johan drove all the way to pick me up (about 75 miles) and I spent a wonderful day with them.

Janny took me to a quaint little city on the island called Goedereede. It was begun in 1312. Notice the orange flags? The whole country is gearing up to celebrate Koninginnedag on April 30. This is a celebration of the Queen's birthday and the whole country is awash in orange.

I'll post more pictures tomorrow. It's very late and time to turn in for the day.

Tulips Galore

Tell people you're going to Holland and the first thing they think of is tulips. I admit, I wanted to see tulips. I love them. In fact, they are probably my favorite flower. I would pick a vase full of tulips over a vase full of roses any day. So,I knew that when I came to Holland, I might see tulips. What I was not prepared for was how many, many, many tulips I would see. Nor was I prepared for the breath-taking beauty of the fields of tulips. So here are some of my pictures, but my camera (and limited photo skills) can not begin to capture the awe-inspiring beauty of this flower. Enjoy!

More Pictures

I have a gazillion pictures, but I haven't posted many of them. I also haven't kept up with my blog. My days have been so full and at the end of the day when I could post something, I'm just ready to go to bed. Every day has been beautiful weather - blue skies and about 65 degrees. So far I have seen Anne Frank's hiding place, rode my bike to church (the church where they think Rembrandt is buried), visited Rembrandt's house, visited my husband's sister in Zeeland, walked through the Red Light District, rode over the Afsluitdijk (a dike), climbed on the inside of a windmill, saw Corrie ten Boom's home, walked the beach of the North Sea, saw a bulb grower cutting off the heads of his tulips, stood in a field of tulips, took a canal tour, and so much more!!! So today I will just share random pictures. The one above is a tile found on the entrance wall to Alice's apartment. It is from the 1920's and it is telling people that it is forbidden to place certain items in the entrance.

This is an outdoor cafe. They are located on almost every street. People come here and sit and have a drink after work. Or they eat lunch or dinner outside.



This is Alice and her 18 yr. old daughter, Emma. The window behind Emma overlooks a beautiful canal.
This is me sitting in a crowd of people at an outside cafe...can you find me? I took this picture because it is of the Three Sisters Restaurant, a cute name that my sisters will appreciate.

A Dutch "coffee shop" where they don't sell coffee.

The fella that welcomes you to the coffee shop.

This is a brick on the street that tells you where to place your garbage for pick-up.

A typical Dutch canal...beautiful!!!

Tulip bulb farm. The worker is cutting off the tops of the tulips so that the bulb will produce more bulbs - up to six more bulbs - a good dividend!

Alice and I in front of a field of tulips.

Supper in Haarlem.

The infamous "Happy Hooker" lives in Alice's neighborhood. This is her home and bed and breakfast. She is the only one that has a red door for her home and also for her garage!

I hope to attend this church on Sunday. The services are in English. I believe the Pilgrim's attended this church before they left for the United States.

Well, that's all for now. I will post more pictures tomorrow.

Doorn Huis

Doorn Huis

On Saturday we drove to Doorn. Alice lived here for 8 years while her husband was the director and curator of the Doorn Huis, the last home of Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany. Audrey Hepburn's mother spent most of her childhood growing up in this home. It was purchased in 1919 by the Kaiser for his resident-in-exile. He really hoped that one day he would be able to return to his country and to his former days of glory. Instead, he died at the home in 1941 and lies in a mausoleum which was built on the estate.

This is the Gate House.
Alice and her family lived here.

Intricate design on a gate

Alice and I with Kaiser Wilhelm II

Castle ruins Wijk bij Duurstede

Alice driving us around

Me at one of the many windmills I saw on Saturday

Same windmill...see the arch on the bottom that a car can drive through?

I took this to show the strange places one sees
the famous "Dutch Lace" curtains...these appear in the back of a van!