Netherlands - Part 3

Continuing from Part1 and Part 2.

After a tiring first two days, the third day started a bit late, as expected. The first thing on the list was the Anne Frank Huis. This is the Huis, or House where Franks were hiding for about 2 years against the Nazi persecution.

I have read Anne Frank’s Diary before, so it was very much possible to associate her favourite tree or the scribbling on the wall to what she would have felt. It is definitely a place to go, to feel how cruel human mind can grow and what fear can do..

It was abt noon and we had abt 7 hrs left for the end of the trip. The options available to spend were to walk around the city again or go to any of the art museums. While we were trying to arrive at a consensus among the 12 member army, another idea of going to a rural side and visiting a wind mill came up and most of us agreed on that. [mebbe due to lack of options, since none of us were big Kalai Aarvalars.].

We took the train to Zaanse Schans. As per the ZS page, The Zaanse Schans is a delightful old hamlet on the banks of the river Zaan with characteristic green wooden houses, charming styalised gardens, small hump-backed bridges, tradesmen's workshops, historic windmills and engaging little shops. This enchanting hamlet gives an excellent impression of how a typical Zaanse village must have looked like in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Apart from the cluster of windmills and houses there are also several museums, restaurants and a visitors' centre to be found as well as the possibility of taking a boat trip on the river. The Zaanse Schans has become one of the top tourist destinations in the Netherlands.

Find an excellent view of ZS.


We then moved on to the DeKat Windmill.

The mill is huge. Two stone of 3 Tonnes, like our Thaer Chakkaram are constantly rotating on a stone base. This set up is used to crush the clay and lime required to make paints and pigments.

This is powered by the Wind. The transmission of energy is full by wooden shafts and gears. They are located in different floors of the mill.

The ground floor consists of the Rolling Stones.


The next floor is for the Gears,


The second is for the Shaft. The third is again for gears.


When you come out of the first floor, the huge fans gush around with enormous speed. It appears as though it is rotating slowly and feebly. But the experience when they pass very close to the ears is highly blood freezing.

That is really something which needs to be experienced.

Nearby was a Cheese making factory, producing the famous Holland Cheese in its ancient way. This factory is just a minute walk from the windmills. Both these are surrounded by lush green fields. It was an excellent rural place to stay and enjoy.

But we just had few hours more in that excellent country. Just took a train to amsterdam. Again did some shopping for souvenirs and took the bus/ferry back to London.