Greetings today from the Netherlands!
We found ourselves wandering through a quaint little village off Amsterdam on our journey to Holland this spring. Zaanse Schans, a lovely neighborhood in Zaandam, is filled with Dutch barns, shops, museums, houses and around thirty five historic windmills. Apparently, the windmills were moved and gathered here piece by piece since 1961 to form a collection of sorts in this well-preserved suburb.
It was somewhat of a challenge to get to Zaanse Schans from Amsterdam by train. The return fare for two totaled 14.55 euros and the ticket didn’t say anything specific in regards to which train to take. The screens at the entrance lobby area of the Amsterdam central train station only had destinations while not having any subsequent stops listed on it. We asked the customer service people spread across the station as to which train to take. We finally got the answer from the third representative as the first two were surprisingly rude. We took the 9:04am Sprinter train on station 7a which goes via Sloterdijk, Zaandam, Koog Bloemwijk, Koog-Zaandijk (this is the stop you want), Wormerveer en Krommenie-Ass.
Style Details
Dress | FROM AMSTERDAM
Citrine Necklace | c/o VICTORIA EMERSON
Quartz Pendant & Necklace | c/o LA MER COLLECTIONS
Clutch | PRADA
Sunglasses | CELINE
Shoes | FROM HONG KONG
It was quite interesting to see the working mechanism and functions of windmills dating back to the 17th century. Merrymakers can also watch the Dutch make a traditional shoe, or taste a variety of cheese that the Netherlands is actually famous for (our favorites are the pesto & truffle as well as the mature ones & goat cheese). Some folks opt to feed the ducks nearby or for the adventurers, even climb the very steep stairs of an ancient windmill.
The countryside scenery was exquisite since Holland is known for its incredible tulip farms (more on this on another blog post). The entire area was immaculately green, and since there’s a cocoa factory nearby, the air smelled wonderfully like chocolate. My husband couldn’t resist and we had to go to a nearby Dutch baker to get our fix. Mind you, their cookies are also ultra-delicious – some of the best we’ve ever had. We discovered an old-fashioned Dutch pastry maker that oven-cooked some of the freshest croissants of our lives. It went fantastic with the homemade cacao chocolate drink that was a local blend of the region. Today was truly the kind of day that was enjoyable both in vision and palate.
The Zaanse Schans captivated us as we continued to stroll down the river lined with these charming windmills. I gauged that boating or cycling around the area would be phenomenal as well. Savoring the feel of old Holland, we fancied how nature has a way of displaying God’s splendor. His divine nature is seen from the river to the stream to these old-fashioned windmills. This all reminds me of a quote by St. Francis de Sales as he said: “Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset.”
It seems there is always something that is genuinely marvelous in picture-perfect sceneries and this little village in Holland is proof. They say earth laughs in flowers but in this case, it chuckles with the windmills every turn. This kind of lighthearted calm is certainly a true force of nature.
Zaanse Schans | 1509 Zaanse Schans, Netherlands