De Valk Molen (Windmill) Museum, Leiden, Netherlands

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I departed from the Rembrandt Hotel and walked to the nearby De Valk windmill Museum. I paid the four Euro entry fee and entered this great windmill; as impressive as the windmills I seen in Amsterdam and Rotterdam.

The bottom floor was the living quarters for the operators of the windmill. There was many artifacts there from those living there long ago.

The next three floors had many old windmill artifacts made of wood and stone. I think it was the fourth floor where I saw the shoot where the flour was received and bagged up for sale, from the above grinding of grain with heavy mill stones powered by the wind.

I was most impressed with the fifth level with its large outside platform with its great 360 degree view of Leiden. I enjoyed this platform while walking around the outside soaking up the view. (Note: In the USA this height would not be open to the public cuz people would tend to jump off!)

The next two floors I consider the business area where the power from the large wind blades was transferred by large wooden gears to a large shaft that powered the large grinding stones that milled the grain into flour.

I walked carefully down the steep steps to the bottom of the window knowing that my four Euros was well spent.

This fine windmill was built in 1743, though I seen internet sites saying it was built in 1785. This predated the "grist mills" in the USA that used the flow of water to power the millstones to grind their grain.

I made a stop at Slegerij Malbroek, a good family run grocer where I shopped every day in Leiden. For a small store they had a good variety of foods and drinks. They had a nifty machine where on demand four oranges would be squashed to make a half liter of orange jouce.

I walked about 30 meters from the store to the Rembrandt Hotel, where I had a nice sit-down on the roof picnic tables.

completed

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Photos

Rembrandt Hotel
De Valk nearby

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entry

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entry fee four Euros

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ground floor, mill stones

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ground floor living area

De Valk
ground floor living area

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ground floor living area

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ground floor living area

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next floor view

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next floor exhibits

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next floor exhibit

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next floor exhibits

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next floor exhibits

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next floor exhibits

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next floor exhibits

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what is this?

De Valk
flour chute

De Valk
flour chute