Day 264: A day in the life of Oma

15/04/2022

This morning we packed our bags, Lachnado as always was happy to lend a helping hand. We checked out of the hotel, grabbed some brekkie at the airport and caught a series of trains north. We had to change trains at Zaandam where an urgent pit stop was required “faster Dad, faster, hurry, nooooo don’t run on road”. After dealing with that and returning to DEFCON5 we had a quick look around as we had been told there were some interesting buildings just outside Zaandam train station.

It was then back on the Sprinter train and a couple more stops to Zaandijk Zaanse Schans train station. Full of energy we made our way across the bridge to Zaanse Schans to visit the World of Windmills.

As we made our way through the World of Windmills it was a little chilly, luckily there were lots of space for Eloise to run around and explore.

We followed our noses and the first stop was at an “authentic 17th century cheese farm, Cheese Farm Catharina Hoeve”. We had more than our fair share of tastings, even Eloise gave it a go “Blehhh me no like, blehhh”.

The third windmill we passed was “De Kat [which] is the only remaining working windmill in the world which makes paint”. The kids were excited as this was the first spinning windmill they had seen, Lachnado was hypnotised.

Eloise then noticed a windmill that had “no top” and suddenly became very concerned, she was not sure if we were supposed to tell somebody it was broken. “Uh oh, no work, why? Uh oh, windmill no spinning, no top, broken”.

The last of 5.5 windmills was De Bonte Hen, an oil mill.

It was time for a windmill tour, but which one to choose? We decided on visiting Het Jonge Schaapan which they claimed was the “world’s only commercial wind-powered sawmill”. It was mesmerising watching the sawing action. They were sawing a plank into beams and preparing to feed in a new trunk. They were not able to cut the trunk until the wind picked up. The wind-powered sawmill cuts at 2-3m per hour. Probably why it is the last one in the world, it is reliant on tourists to be financially viable.

Eloise was such a good girl throughout the tour, that they gave her a wee wooden block that had been cut by the windmill.

Sophie’s grandma and Eloise and Lachlan’s great-grandmother was born in the Netherlands. The greater family would refer to her as Oma, Dutch for grandma. Oma used to have a pair of yellow clogs on display in her home. We have had our eyes peeled for a similar pair since we arrived, we had seen plenty of decorative clogs, but wanted to find classic yellow ones. What better place to look than at the Wooden Shoe Workshop of Zaanse Schans.

Ms-Eloise-obsessed-with-shoes-Fensom wasted no time ripping off her sneakers when she saw the great wall of clogs, she had decided that she was getting a pair. She stomped around and could not stop laughing her head off at how much noise she was making.

After Eloise had found some clogs that fit, she was quick to size up for Foxie. While on a roll, she grabbed pairs for the family: Grandma, Amy and Becca in memory of Oma. We could imagine her walking about here, cycling amongst the windmills.

“Clogs date back to the early 13th century in the Netherlands. They were designed to protect the feet of factory workers, artisans, farmers, fishermen, and other trade jobs. Clogs were originally not made entirely from wood but had only a wooden sole with leather strapped over the top. But these were not very protective, and soon the entire shoe was carved out from willow or poplar. Nails, hooks, and sharp objects cannot penetrate the wood, and muddy fields are easier to navigate in clogs than regular boots. The European Union has even declared it an official safety shoe — now that’s hardcore!”

“During the 17th century, more than 600 windmills were constructed in the area around the Zaanse Schans, creating the first industrial zone. The windmills were used, among others, to grind spices, produce paint, saw wood, and make oil. A number of these windmills still exist and can still be visited today. You can see how these wind-powered machines work, inside and out”.

After another lovely day, we headed back to the hotel to pick up our suitcases and check in at the airport. We found the iconic I amsterdam sign, it is looking a wee unloved now.

It is always entertaining showing Border Force our passports and then watching their facial expressions as they look up at Lachnado to identify him. Classic Lachnado!

After the long security processes, we were out of here!

When we landed in Glasgow it was well past the kids bedtime. It was much nicer going through Border Security in Glasgow and avoiding the hustle and bustle at Heathrow. Eloise had stayed up for the full journey asking late-night complicated questions to a sleepy Dad, she had been very good on the plane. Lachlan slept through the ride after a big week.

We seemed to time the trip home well as “The UK has recorded the hottest day of the year so far on Good Friday as the sun came out at the start of the Easter Bank Holiday weekend… Other areas also saw temperatures in the high teens, including in parts of northern England and Scotland”. Also “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have arrived at the Invictus Games in the Netherlands, after stopping off to visit the Queen on their way”.

In South Australia “with the Easter long weekend festivities underway, South Australia’s prolonged mask-wearing regime has come to an end. QR check-ins have also been scrapped, but Premier Peter Malinauskas has previously said there was a chance they may return”.