Bikes & Windmills

Biking in Alkmaar Netherlands

On Wednesday morning, Kathy had a craving for windmills. Specifically, she wanted to go biking out in the country where the old windmills still existed, instead of at a museum. Before we left the States, I had printed the itinerary for a ride from the city of Alkmaar, including a gaggle of windmills.

Renting Bikes at the Alkmaar Train Station

We took the train from Haarlem to Alkmaar (13.50 round trip) and found the bike-rental shop right in the train station. The bikes, which cost 7.50 for the day, were nice (three speeds), but you do sit leaning back instead of leaning forward, like our bikes at home do. For me that took some getting used to.

Windmills near Alkmaar

Following the printed instructions was not as easy as I expected. Several times we ended up in a random neighborhood, and were sure we had gotten off the path. Once, I had to use Google Maps, (which always knows where you are) and we had to back-track a half mile or so. Once we got on the right path, though, we found windmills.

Trying to hold the camera and snap a picture.

At one corner, an older cyclist pedaled past us as I was trying to reconcile Google Maps and our Xeroxed biking itinerary. He turned around and we had a nice conversation, him telling us about visiting his daughter at Berkeley and his trip down the California coast. He also let us know that there was a dedicated bike path right across the street.

Once we found the dedicated bike path, the trip was beautiful. It was uncrowded, so we didn't run into anyone. It went along canals and through wooded sections. Perfect. Around half-way through, it went right by another windmill that had a sign, "Open for visitors at 2:00 PM." (Actually, the sign was in Dutch; that's what I think it said.)

Owner Rob Basten showing Kathy around the mill.

It was a few minutes after two, and so I walked up to the front door. The owner, Rob Basten, and his wife Suzanne Jong welcomed us into their "home." They purchased the mill in 2014 and spent two years restoring it. Their website has photos of the entire reconstruction. (It's in Dutch so you probably want to use Google Chrome so you can translate it.)

Inside the Living Room of Molen A (Twuyevermolen)

The first thing you see as you walk in the entry way is the giant wooden gears turning around behind glass. Rob walked us all around the house, which is quite modern. They live there along with their ten-year old son. I really envied the bathtub.

Bathtub on the second floor of the mill.

We eventually climbed a narrow ladder up to the very top of the mill where the blades (he called them "wings") turned the central shaft. It was fascinating.

Gears Running at the Top of the Twuyervermolen

In addition, he has a couple of rooms with pictures showing the history of the mill and the stages of restoration. Eventually, he's thinking of building an out-building and moving them there so they can host school groups, and teach them about Dutch windmill culture and history.

Pictures of the mill since it was opened in 1635.

By the time we were finished, other groups of people were biking up, so we said goodbye. Originally, Suzanne and Rob opened the mill once a year on National Mills Day (May 14). This year they had 460 visitors that day. On April 6 Rob passed the examination for Voluntary Miller. The training lasts two years and includes theory and weekly practice under the guidance of Kees Man.

Suzanne Jong and Rob Basten. Owners of the Twuyvermolen

This year, they decided to open the mill to visitors twice a month, for two hours a day. We felt really lucky to "coincidentally" be riding by when they were open. After our visit, we rode back to the train station. I saw this need sign at the entrance to the city.

You are Now Entering Alkmaar

Now that Kathy had satisfied her windmill craving, it was time to get back to eten & drinken. We had a snack on the road (a delicious Turkish Donner and some Falafel), but I was ready for a real meal.

After turning in our bikes, we spend another half-hour on the train back to Haarlem, Deciding on dinner, we followed the Rick Steve's guidebook and went to De Lachende Javaan or The Laughing Javanese to try the newly declared (2015) Dutch National Treasure, the Rijsttafel or Rice Table.

Rijsttafel at De Lachende Javaan

Although it looks kind of like Chinese food, it tasted like nothing we had ever had before. It was almost perfect. After stopping by the gelato stand for a melon and peach cone after dinner, it was.