The first windmills in Holland were built in the 13th century, and were used to grind flour. Within a hundred years, the Dutch had improved on the windmill design, and the gears were used to pump water. Soon hundreds of windmills dotted the dikes overlooking the flatlands, and the mass drainage of land began. The next big improvement was the invention of the rotating cap mill. The top of these windmills rotated with the wind, allowing the mill to be operated by just one person.
Although pumping water to drain land was the most famous use of the mills, windmills were also used for sawing wood, making clay for pottery, and even crushing paint pigments. By the mid-1800's, over 10,000 windmills were operating all over the Netherlands. However, the invention of the steam engine made the windmills obsolete. Today there are less than 1000 windmills, but the Dutch people recognize that these windmills, and the skills needed to operate them, should be preserved. The Dutch government runs a 3-year school to train windmill operators, who must also be licensed.
After our almost 9-hour flight, we arrived in Amsterdam in the early morning. Juanda and I had a day and a half to explore Amsterdam before we board the Viking Europe.
Amsterdam
Since we were a day early for our cruise, we took a taxi from the airport into the city. Schiphol Airport is the third busiest in Europe, so there were lots of taxis available. After about a 30 minute ride, we dropped off our luggage at the hotel, and set off to explore the city.
Choosing a hotel for only one night was a challenge, especially for a Saturday night during the spring tourist season. We wanted to stay in a place that would give us a sense of the Amsterdam atmosphere and culture, so we avoided the chain hotels that promise consistency, but not necessarily an interesting Dutch atmosphere. I first checked on small hotels or bed and breakfasts, but quickly found that many of them required a stay of at least 2 or 3 nights. Using some of my Netherlands guide books, and searching the Net, I hope I found just what we were looking for--the Ambassade Hotel. The Ambassade is located downtown, and was constructed from 10 canal houses. The hotel has 59 rooms, and promises to "offer all the advantages of this modern age but with the valuable heritage of a bygone era."
After sitting for hours, we were ready to set off from the hotel on foot and do some exploring. Since the Viking Europe was going to stay overnight in Amsterdam, and the cruise package included a tour of the canals and of the Rijksmuseum, we saved those two "must dos" for after we checked in with the ship. Since our hotel was near the Anne Frank house, we walked over there first. It is open from 9 am to 9 pm, starting April 1. Lines get very long, and you can't take an organized tour. Going early in the morning or after dinner helps keep the wait less.
After walking around for a while or touring the Anne Frank house, we headed towards the central station to visit the Tourist Center near there and buy some tram tickets. The circle tram is a hop-on-hop-off tram line running through Amsterdam city center in both directions past most of the attractions and hotels. With the circle tram 20 it is easy to move from one attraction to another without having to change lines.
Since the weather was dreary, we headed to one of the museums other than the Rijksmuseum. Amsterdam has many attractions and museums for all tastes. Two museums are located in a large park area within walking distance of each other and the Rijksmuseum. The Vincent van Gogh Museum includes 200 of his paintings (donated by van Gogh's brother Theo) and 500 drawings as well as works by other well known 19th century artists. It is located near the Rijksmuseum. Next to the van Gogh Museum, the Stedelijk Modern Art Museum is filled with fun works by trendy contemporary artists. Major movements of the last century such as modernism, pop art, action painting, and neo-realism are represented.
The Dutch Resistance Museum (Verzetsmuseum), across the street from the zoo, has displays explaining the Dutch resistance to the German occupying forces of World War II. Propaganda movie clips and touching stories of efforts to hide local Jews from the Germans bring the terrors of living in an occupied city to life. Interestingly, the museum is also near the location of the former Schouwburg theater, which was used as a holding place for Jews awaiting transport to concentration camps. The theater is now a memorial.
After our overnight flight and walking or touring the city for a while, we headed back to the hotel and cleaned up for dinner. Amsterdam has a vast array of cuisines. Since we were tired from our overnight flight, we ate a light dinner near our hotel. The next day we were off to join the Viking Europe.
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