Trip to the Netherlands July 2017
Bloemendal, Noord Holland 24July17
This trip to the Netherlands is part of a yearly journey. Though I am an American, my wife was born and grew up in Groningen, a city in the northeast of the country. When we were first married we lived here in the Netherlands. Our children were born here and grew up here for the first six to nine years (depending on which kid we are talking about).
Our annual journey has a rhythm which is familiar and aspects which are new each time, as with anything. Time changes some things but leaves others alone. Visiting family and friends, renewing bonds and creating new ones.
There are quite a few changes in our lives as we come again to the low lands. My mother passed away a little less than two months ago. This has meant that there are quiet moments of reflection and sometimes sadness mixed in to our regular jaunts. I often find myself "remembering" to call her and say hi, but catch myself and realize that there is no-one waiting to hear from me there, as has always been the case. It is the normal way of things, an elderly mother passing yet there are still consequences.
Windmills:
Among the many things we are doing this trip, the main theme of this trip is Windmills. To be honest many of my trips here have windmills as a theme, but this trip in particular is about windmills.
For those of you who don't know me or my journey with these magnificent and majestic machines of yore I'll include a short introduction to my connection to them.
I am a big fan of history and historical buildings. During my ten years as a resident of the Netherlands I got into the history of the place and the people. I started reading books on the past.
To make a short story long, I spent three years of Saturday's at the above pictured sawmill, De Eenhoorn (The Unicorn) in Haarlem (Noord Holland).
Just before I moved back to the US in 2010 I passed my miller's exam and became a Certified Dutch Windmiller (Gediplomeerde Molenaar). Unfortunately, I also moved to the US, where there isn't a windmill within 500 miles!
I was expecting to spend the rest of my life having studied and passed the test to be a windmiller without having a mill to spend time running.
This all changed this past Spring when my monther-in-law found an article in the local paper (Het Dagblad van het Noorden, Groningen, NL). This news article described how there were windmills in the east of the city of Groningen which didn't have any millers so they were sitting, unused, not turning. In total there were three mills without millers.
I send an email to the Molen Stichting Midden- en Oost- Groningen (Mill Association of Middle and East Groningen). I offered to be the miller of one of their unmanned mills under the condition that I can only come to Groningen four times per year for a week. I got a response that they thought this was a good idea and could I send them proof that I was a certified miller. I sent them a copy of my Miller's Diploma and information about who my instructors were when I was an apprentice. This was enough. They invited me to come to meet them and see if we could work together.
This meeting took place on July 16th, 2017. I went to De Groote Poldermolen in Slochteren. At this meeting I met the Chairman, the Secretary, and the two Instructors of the Association (MSMOG - Molenstichting Midden- en Oost- Groningnen). After a short discussion and some delicious banana creme pie (homemade by the wife of the Secretary), I signed a contract with the Stichting. All of this was then photographed and appeared as an article in Het Dagblad van de Noorden (https://www.dvhn.nl/groningen/Amerikaan-Chris-West-houdt-Groningse-molens-belangeloos-draaiende-22366296.html).
A picture from the article where I am shaking the hand of
Reint Huizinga, the Chairman of MSMOG
I learned at this meeting that I am to become the miller of Stel's Meulen in Harkstede in the province of Groningen!
(https://www.google.nl/maps/place/Stel's+Molen/@53.2143327,6.697959,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x47c9d4a541fce1d5:0xd08cdfefeb3b37ed!8m2!3d53.2143327!4d6.700153?hl=en)
Archived image of Stel's Meulen, Harkstede, Groningen, NL
I have an appointment on the Sunday, July 30th, to "meet" the mill and the current miller who is retiring. Although I will only be able to be at the mill four weeks a year, I am very much looking forward to being a miller on a real windmill!
Stay tuned for more blogs about my experiences at the mill!
