The Windmills of Kinderdijk

Every country has at least one cultural icon that is immediately recognized as belonging to their heritage. For the Netherlands, there are several. Cheese, tulips and clogs immediately come to mind as do windmills. And although they are increasingly being replaced by modern soaring metal ones, the stout wooden buildings with thatched roofs are about as iconic as they come. You still see them dotting the canals and lowlands of the country but if you want to walk amongst them and through them, the UNESCO World Heritage site of Kinderdijk Mills is the place to visit.

Located in the southeast Alblasserwaard region of Zuid-Holland, three separate rivers meet the village of Kinderdijk. The area is marshy, flat and windswept. The convergence of the rivers in an area that is already below sea level, thus making the region susceptible to flooding. To combat the drainage issues a series dykes, a steam powered pumping station and 19 mills were erected along the banks of the rivers. Two additional pumping stations were later built and the entire pumping system switched to an electrical operation in 1924.

Much like the lighthouses of the coastal regions, these windmills were vital to the safety of the entire area. Each mill was operated by a miller who was responsible for keeping his particular mill running smoothly. Needing to be available twenty four hours a day, millers lived in the mills with their families. The quarters were by no means spacious and some larger families, including one with twelve children who resided in the Nederwaard for many years, were quite cramped. But in addition to being working mills they were also full fledge homes complete with kitchen, bedrooms and living quarters, albeit with a giant gear in their center and large blades spinning outside of their windows. And as I learned during my visit, a single mill does little on its own. Instead, the mills--in this case all 19--- worked together in unison to pump the water at whatever speed and in which ever direction was required at a moment's notice. The large blades, which almost sweep the ground as they go around but their power is unmistakable.

The mills joined the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1997. Today visitors can walk or bicycle along the canals and catch a glimpse of mill life. Alternatively, or in combination with, you can tour the canal via a ho-on -- hop-ff boat and view the windmills from the water. A ticket provides admission to the visitors center as well as the interiors of two windmills. At the visitors center located in the modern pumping station, a multi-screen video provides an overview of the history of the area and the building and operation of the windmills and water management. The inside of the Nederwaard mill is trapped in time and depicts the way a mill family lived in the mid 1700s. This mill was built in 1738 and here the more agile can climb up a series of steep and narrow stairs to the top of the mill, passing through a small kitchen and living area, several sleeping nooks and the gears that propel the windmill blades as you go. The second mill, Blokweer, is still occupied by a miller who explains the milling process to inquisitive visitors. In between these mills are other privately occupied mills that are meticulously maintained yet closed to the public.

It is quite amazing to walk along the canal and amongst the mills and marvel at both the power of water and the impressive Dutch approach to managing and controlling it. It is even more amazing to stand under the shadows of the turning mill blades and hear the wind whipping through their frames. Plus this entire area of the Netherlands is absolutely beautiful. So if you get a chance, go visit. You won't regret it.

If you go:

Kinderdijk Mills
Nederwaard 1
2961 AS Kinderdijk, Netherlands
Open daily from mid-February to 31 December; hours vary
Adults 7.5 Euro; ages 6-12 5.5 Euro, under 6 free
Boat tours 2.50-5 Euro

Under the Shadow of Vesuvius

Just one of the city's meandering roads

Last weekend we visited the ruins of Pompeii.  Since elementary school I had been reading about the ancient city's tragic fate and I had always wondered about a place that just seemed so far off and mysterious.  Being that this was our fourth trip to Italy in the past year, we decided it was time to visit this UNESCO World Heritage site receiving 2,500,000 visitors a year and see it for ourselves.

Petrified remains; human and other

The demise of ancient Pompeii came about with the eruption of nearby Mount Vesuvius on 24 August 79 AD.  (Yes, this is ancient history).  Over the course of three days, between thirteen to twenty feet of ash and pumice from the erupting volcano buried everything that laid in its path of destruction.  Buildings, humans, and animals and all of their accompanying accessories were petrified where they stood and lay undiscovered and undisturbed for close to 1700 years.

Prior to its destruction, Pompeii was a city covering over 160 acres with a population of approximately 20,000 inhabitants that was still recovering and rebuilding from an earthquake that had destroyed parts of the city close to twenty years before.  Its economy was largely agricultural but Pompeii was also a vacation destination for wealthy Romans.  Located much closer to the sea at the time it was by all accounts a thriving part of Italy's Campania region.

I just love these

Portions of the buried city were first uncovered in 1599 and excavations have been continuing ever since.  While parts of the ruined city remain buried and untouched, what is believed to be the majority of the preserved ruins are open for viewing with more opening to the public each year.  I thought I knew what to expect when visiting but in reality, I was unprepared for the expansive awesomeness of Pompeii.

Evidence of the city's successful heyday is clearly shown in the excavated ruins.  We visited on a relatively cool and cloudy day which worked to our advantage both in terms of thin crowds who might have been deterred by the weather and the sun since there is essentially no natural shade in Pompeii.  We spent several hours roaming through well-worn narrow cobblestone streets and brick ruins, viewing amazingly well preserved frescoes, and since Sidney was us, splashing in muddy puddles and sampling from corner water fountains.  Wandering past the remnants of what had once been shops I wondered about the goods that might have been sold there.  Standing in the shadow of the Edifici Amministrazione Pubblica I wondered about the judges who once ruled on court cases in these impressive confines.  Climbing the steps in the Teatre Grande I thought about the groups that had gathered in this grand amphitheater.  Viewing a well-preserved but spartan kitchen I wondered about the meals that were created within its confines.

Because of my love of all things history I always appreciate the historical significance of all of the ancient sites we visit.  The sheer will, hard work, and determination that went into erecting these buildings, streets, and cities long before the advent of heavy machinery and equipment that today makes such feats easy.  How long must it have taken to place each stone and brick in place?  (The fact that Pompeii was still recovering from an earthquake twenty years after the fact speaks directly to this difficulty).  Beyond the architecture and infrastructure, however, I wonder about the people who walked, worked, and lived within this ancient city.  Regardless of one's socio-economic class, life would not have been easy by today's standards.  Take the aforementioned kitchen for example; cooking the simplest of meals must have been such a tedious task.  Given the hard sharp edges of the buildings and streets, I wondered where the children played.  Did their mothers worry about cuts and bruises as much as I did while we were there?  (As if to put my worries to a test, Sidney experienced his own share of falls and scrapes during our visit).  While it is not possible, I would love to be able to spend just one day walking in the footsteps of one of Pompeii's (or any ancient civilization for that matter) citizens.

Our visit to Pompeii was memorable and should be a definite stop on everyone's travel itinerary through the Campania region of Italy. There is a reason that Pompeii has been a tourist destination for over 250 years, was included as part of the traditional Grand Tour of Europe and still attracts so many visitors each year.  If you get a chance to go, do it.  You won't regret it.

The Temple of Jupiter with Mt Vesuvius looming in the background