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Published: June 18th 2022
De Katwouder Molen
De Katwouder Molen. An operating Dutch windmill near Volendam. The windmill was built ca. 1650 and remains in operation as a pumping mill to keep the surrounding polder drained. The reclaimed land is below sea level and must be constantly pumped. Restored in 1896 and 1986. Achterdichting 1A.
DSC_0836Volendam was said to be the picturesque side of The Netherlands. A fishing village where people dressed in traditional Dutch costume. (A living history Colonial Williamsburg sort of place?) Well, not quite. But, first things first.
The excursion to Volendaam took place in late afternoon/early evening on Sunday. The first stop here was to inspect an operating Dutch windmill. This was a highlight of the afternoon excursion. Molen Katwoude (De Katwouder Molen) outside Volendam, also known as the Kathammer, is an operating windmill built in the 17th century. It was restored in 1896 and 1988. The mill operator explained that is is a water pumping mill, intended to keep the below sea level polder dry. I'm accustomed to visiting water mills that grind wheat for flour. But here the similar geared mill machinery and rotating shaft was operating a pump. This part of Noord Holland, aptly named Waterland, once consisted largely of lakes and inlets from the Zuider Zee. Land reclamation has been in progress since the 12th century and the majority of the surrounding farmland and residential areas (including Volendam) are below sea level. One can appreciate why it has to be constantly pumped.
Next stop was a
Volendam Costume
Traditional Volendam costume costume at the Kaasboerderij de Jacobs Hoeve (Jacobs Hoeve dairy farm).
DSC_0849 cheese farm. Kaasboerderij de Jacobs Hoeve (Jacobs Hoeve Dairy Farm) might be viewed as touristy, but it was certainly fun! A hostess dressed in traditional Volendam costume described the Dutch cheesemaking process and the different types of cow, goat, and sheep cheeses. (I was not heretofore aware of cheese from sheep.) I love cheese! Lots of samples were available for tasting. We bought several types of Gouda to take home. Not only was there a cheesemaking demonstration, there was wooden shoe making demonstration, too! Nowadays, wooden shoes (
klomps) are make with lathes following a pattern. But, the traditional shoes are hand carved. There are three basic types we learned: Fisherman shoes, Farmer shoes, and decorative shoes made to impress an intended.
Volendam itself appears as a typical modern town. It did not strike me as particularly quaint. But it certainly was a popular Sunday destination by locals! The central part of Volendam, next to the Markermeer, looked like a beach town. I was reminded of Ocean City, Maryland. There were typical beach town souvenir shops and T-shirt shops. Instead of salt water taffy shops, though, there were cheese shops. 😊 Many places advertised costume photography where one could dress
Klompen
Klomp (Klompen), Dutch wooden shoes display. Klompenboerderij De Vriendschap.
IMG_3594 up in traditional Dutch attire and have your picture taken. These establishments appeared to be popular. The bars were hopping with everyone celebrating the end of the weekend. We did visit a cheese factory here where there were interesting displays of cheese-making equipment.
We had dinner at De Koe. De Koe (The Cow) has been serving in Volendam since 1922. It's an attractive restaurant with wood paneling and solid tables and chairs. Our dinner included a nice appetizer of herring, salmon and shrimp, a soup course and a main of chicken and roast potatoes. When we came out, about 6:30 p.m., Volendam was a ghost town! The revelers had vanished! Time to get back home to be ready for work on Monday morning I suppose. And so we returned to Amsterdam on the morotcoach for more touring on the morrow.
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D MJ Binkley
Dave and Merry Jo Binkley
Shoes
Very cool display