Windmills, tulips and Rembrandt: Happy discoveries in Amsterdam

Typical canal houses in Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands. Photos: Alice M. Sun-Cua

Is there a more iconic image of the Netherlands than a windmill? Probably not, so when Alex and I were in Amsterdam, we made sure we visited one. What joy, then, to discover that just outside the city was a real and still functioning windmill. Moreover, they welcomed visitors!

We lost no time in getting on Tram No. 2 in front of the city’s Central Station to reach the village of Sloten, where the windmill was. It was a short 20-minute walk from the tram stop to the village, said to be over 1,000 years old.

We passed by the beautiful grounds of the Wellan College, which included an evocative waterway and a bridge with weeping willows bending low over a wide canal.

Turning a corner we shouted in delight when we saw the windmill, tall and distinctive, silhouetted against the blue morning sky.

The Molen van Sloten (Sloten Windmill), a functioning mill and the only one in Amsterdam that's open daily to visitors.

Built in 1847, the Sloten Windmill was a drawing mill, or a Stellingmolen; that meant it drew water from the surrounding low-lying areas and diverted them into the man-made canals to prevent too much flooding.

The Netherlands is below sea level, and was often inundated when the water level rose. We were awed by the beauty and symmetry of the four sails, attached to one side of the traditional Dutch octagonal windmill house.

There was a guided tour in half an hour, so we bought our entrance tickets. We took a peek inside the Coopery Museum and learned how barrels, casks, and wooden buckets and other staved vessels were made. There were interesting exhibits too, on how sauerkraut was made.

Before long, our volunteer tour guide Sophie came in and greeted us warmly. There were five of us, including visitors from Venezuela and Germany. Sophie was a retired school teacher, and was very passionate about Dutch culture and history. She began by telling us a brief history of why the country needs to draw water and divert them into canals. Taking a lift, we were whisked to the second floor where we went outside of the windmill house to look out on the surrounding village.

The windmill's measuring stick gauges the water level: low.

There was a measuring stick for the water level, and during the time we were there, the level was quite low. Sophie also pointed out the windmill's Archimedean screw, a large corkscrew-like apparatus that draws water up. The screw is turned by the windmill's sails, which are turned by the wind.

On closer look, the sails were made of wood, crossing each other, with large sheets of canvas covering a fourth of its whole. Each windmill had a head miller who had the keys to the whole house. This was important because in many cases, the direction of the wind could suddenly change. When this happens, the direction of the windmills should be changed to conform to the wind direction for the windmill to be useful, and to prevent damage to the sails.

We went up to a floor where many weddings are officiated, and a beautiful photo exhibit chronicling the “ambivalent relationship” of Amsterdam and the sea. It was a quiet place, and through the window we could hear the wind whistling, but it was not enough to set the sails in motion.

We went up a wooden ladder into the attic, where an exhibit recalled the famous Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn, who was a miller’s son. He was represented as a figure as a young man sitting down to his studies.

Rembrandt

Rembrandt certainly loomed large in our Amsterdam travel, as we finally saw his paintings in the Rijksmuseum. One whole day was spent there absorbing, feeling, and communing with the many familiar art works before only seen in books and magazines. One of them, “The Night Watch,” was particularly stunning in its immensity and its detailed depiction of a group of militiamen going off on a hunting trip.

Rembrandt's "The Night Watch." Photo: The Rembrandt House Museum

Did we know that there is a Rembrandt Square in Amsterdam, our guide book asked? This was where he had a house from 1839 to 1856, and it is now the Rembrandt House Museum. We followed the walking map, strolling through wide, tree-lined footpaths until we reached the square itself. It used to be a butter market, but has now become a lively place full of cafés, restaurants and nightclubs.

In the middle, surrounded by trees and planters with blooming flowers, was a life-sized, cast-iron statue of Rembrandt and his jaunty hat high on a pedestal, done by sculptor Louis Royer in 1852.

Rembrandt's statue oversees the figures from his famous painting, 'The Night Watch.'

But wait, what were those life-like bronze statues in front of the statue? Upon closer look, we discovered that they were sculptures of the personages in the “The Night Watch”! Here was Captain Franz Banning Cocq, and at his side, as in the painting, his lieutenant, Willem van Ruytenburch. Even the woman with the chicken, the man with the banner, and the drummer man were here in 3-D. Why, even the playful dog was here!

We took the time to scrutinize the statues, and were amazed how the painting was brought to life by two Russian artists, Mikhail Dronov and Alexander Taratynov, to commemorate Rembrandt’s 400th birth anniversary in 2006. The sculptures had been exhibited around the world, and finally found a home in Rembrandtplein.

Tulips

To cap the day we hied off to Singel Street, by the eponymous canal, and enjoyed the flower markets. There were full blooming tulips in all colors imaginable, and flower bulbs for sale. We took our time, marveling at their kaleidoscopic colors of the flowers: purple, magenta, and even black tulips, looking like orchids when in full bloom.

Fully open tulips are for sale in a store on Singel Street.

Windmills, Rembrandt, and tulips. These were just some of our lovely memories of Amsterdam! — BM, GMA News