Kinderdijk
Kinderdijk, Netherlands
Day 2, Friday, June 30th
Marc's Journal
Friday morning when I awoke, above was the view from my window and a sign of the day to come.
Today was a lesson in ancient windmills and dikes. At the end of the tour, the guide showed us a schematic of how a windmill works.
At lunch (above) the crew was whetting our appetite for German cuisine.
Local expressions today:
"Mind your step!" instead of "watch your step."
"The windmills were kept up with quite a bit of elbow steam." Americans eat a lot of fat, so I'm sure he meant elbow grease!
"In the old time." The guide said this often when speaking of the way they did things before modern technology. In the old days, or a long time ago, I would say this differently.
The Dutch were operating a powerful "windustry." Clever.
"Every month the workers would receive their pay packet." Maybe their paycheck included more than cash, possibly pigs? Loaves of bread? Free rides for the kids on the turbines?
The wind mill custodian is called "the miller." And he didn't crush wind to include in his loaves of bread. Those windmills were used exclusively for water control.
Diane's Journal
I didn't have an opportunity to sample the famous herring snack in Amsterdam, so this morning at breakfast, I seized the chance to try it.
Kinderdijk, meaning "child's dike," was our first excursion today. The landscape reminded me of the Pacific Northwest (PNW), and I could identify numerous plants and vegetation. Even the smells were reminiscent of home. The weather here is also very similar to the NW.
Today, I learned about windmills, canals, and dikes. Basically, wherever the ground is elevated, it's considered a dike. For the most part, we were 8-10 feet below sea level. Now, I have a better understanding of the job of a "miller" and the life they led. Our guide, an informed local who lives in the area, had a profound love for this place and a passion for preserving its history. His enthusiasm drew me in and inspired me.
During dinner, we entered Germany. I'm looking forward to experiencing and learning more about my heritage through sight, smell, and stories.
Windmills were replaced by more modern water control systems, yet the structures that remain are tended by a group of local volunteers, dedicated to keep their rich history alive.
A view inside of the lower floor of a windmill. A miller and his family would live on site and tend to the upkeep of the windmill.
Land around windmills could not have trees which block the wind. Crews regularly would cut down the shoots of these willow trees to the stump. Over time, the huge stumps would be harvested and the light, soft willow wood would be used to create the klompen, or wooden shoe.
Although they look uncomfortable, klompen were lightweight and effective. They had a good lifespan and would wear better in the snow and mud than typical leather shoes.
