Jaap van 't Veen's photos

This is the third time I have (re)posted this picture; always when the survival of Ipernity is at stake. After 2016 (takeover by IMA) and late 2020 (major technical problems) I feel the future is hanging by a thread again. If I read the team message from January 28. correctly, two crucial posts on the IMA board must be filled by 25 February. Please read the last two Club News: www.ipernity.com/blog/team/4737428 and www.ipernity.com/blog/team/4738398 Again I keep my fingers crossed. Chile - Easter Island - Ahu Tahai

Mantingerveld consists of four small nature reserves, which are reduced to one large continuous area through activities of Natuurmonumenten (a Dutch society for nature conservation). The original landscape of the province of Drenthe with heathland, raised moors and fens must be restored over time. Mantingerzand - one of the four reserves - lies somewhat higher and that made it uneconomical to cultivate the area in the past centuries. On maps from the beginning of the 17th century, the area is already clearly distinguishable; it has hardly changed since then. Mantingerzand is an area with shifting sand hills with countless juniper bushes on it. The reserve with juniper berries was acquired by Natuurmonumenten in 1920; one of the first purchases of the organisation in the province of Drenthe. On the edge of the reserve are numerous old crooked oaks, which held the drifting sand. The oldest tree in the Mantingerzand is a pine, which has probably been here since 1840.

Nationaal Park Dwingelderveld is one of the about twenty national parks in the Netherlands and is the largest European wet heathland area. The national park - 3.700 hectares - has more than sixty fens - some of them date from the last Ice Age - and peat swamps featuring a rich and unique flora and fauna. Dwingelderveld is considered being one of the most beautiful national parks in the Netherlands. This time we made a walk through the northern part of the Dwingelderveld . Initially through a forest that has been planted since 1925 and later along heathland and vast open swampy landscapes. What was noticeable was the very muddy state of the paths. After about four kilometers we reached the boardwalk, for which this route (marked with white arrows) is famous. This is a narrow - only three shelves wide – path, really necessary as you are walking above the water here. Although only a few hundred meters long, it was fascinating to do. Dwingelderveld is managed by the Dutch forestry Commission ( Staatsbosbeheer ) and the private Dutch society for nature conservation Natuurmonumenten . Since 1991 it is a national park and in 2013 the park was added to the List of Nature 2000, as part of the European Network of most valuable nature reserves of Europe. See for more pictures of Dwingelderveld : www.ipernity.com/doc/294067/46540292 and www.ipernity.com/doc/294067/46551468 .

In the 19th century eight windmills were active in Kampen. Flourmill d’Olde Zwarver is the only one left. The history of d 'Olde Zwarver is dating back to 1842, when its predecessor de Voorste Molen burnt down. In 1865 the mill was sold, yet difficult times for the mills were coming. Steam engines came up and mills were dependent on wind; secondly the urbanisation of Kampen with higher buildings took the wind away from the windmill. In 1913 a gas turbine was installed in d'Olde Zwarver and the mill remained in use till 1949. In 1952 a new owner of the mill - a dairy factory - wanted to expand its factory and the mill had to be demolished. A huge protest arose from the inhabitants of Kampen. At that time the number of windmills in the Netherlands had been decreasing dramatically and this mill was the last one in Kampen. Due to the reactions, the factory handed over the mill to the municipality of Kampen. A new location was found at the Herkenhoofd , not far away from the original place and the idea arose to move the mill as a whole. This had not been done ever before. On April 7th, 1952, the mill was carried 550 meters by a huge truck with 48 wheels to its current location along the river IJssel. This spectacular relocation caused the name of the mill: d’Olde Zwarver (the Old Vagabond). The mill was restored several times - the last time from 1999 till 2001 - but nowadays is still in operation. Since the 70s of last century millers voluntarily keep this "living" cultural heritage spinning and grinding.

Zalk is a small rural village with less than 800 inhabitants, situated between the towns of Kampen and Zwolle along the river IJssel. The village was part of the heerlijkheid (fiefdom) “Zalk en Veecaten”. After the creation of municipalities in 1813 the fiefdom was transformed to the municipality of “Zalk en Veecaten”. Nowadays Zalk belongs to the municipality of Kampen. The most important building in the village is the Sint Nicolaaskerk (St. Nicholas Church) with a Romanesque tower dating back to 1220. In addition, the village has a flour mill dating back to 1860. Zalk became well-known in the Netherlands as the home of the kruidenvrouwtje Klazien ("herb woman klazien").

Sint Nicolaaskerk (St. Nicholas Church) is an old church whose Romanesque tower dates from 1220. The rest of the church was built in Gothic style against the existing tower around 1400, partly with material - mostly tuff - from a previous smaller church. The church was founded by the Lords of Buckhorst who owned a castle in this area. This castle was demolished in 1841, but the church still contains, among other things, Buckhorst pews and a family tomb. The church was maintained by the descendants of the Buckhorst family until 1838. Over the centuries, the church fell into disrepair. That is why work began on restoring the exterior of the church in 1991. Services are still held in the Sint Nicolaaskerk by the Reformed Congregation Zalk en Veecaten .

Dolmen D52 - just outside the village of Diever - is a medium-sized dolmen. It has fourteen sidestones and two closing endstones. From the original seven capstones six are still present. One is missing and of the remaing six, three still supported on their sidestones, the other three having slipped between theirs. Dolmen D52 is 14.5 meters long and 4.8 meters wide. Dolmen D52 is already mentioned in the 17th century and is depicted on the French maps. At the time of a big survey by Prof. Van Giffen (1918) the dolmen was a total ruin. Under his supervision this hunebed has been thoroughly restored in 1953/54. In 1995 restoration works were still performed to this dolmen.

Duinlust is one of the many so called buitenplaatsen (summer residences) west of the city of Haarlem along the inner dunes. Wealthy merchants from Amsterdam built here their mansions. In 1783 a first house was built. After it was old in 1810 the new owner founded the Duinlust country estate and built a white house built in Empire style. There was also an orangerie, which still exists. In 1828 the house was sold again to Johanna Jacoba van de Velde, who also was the owner of the nearby Elswout ountry estate . After her death, the country estate goes to her son Willem Borski, a well-known Amsterdam banker. It became the summer residence of his eldest daughter Johanna Jacoba. After Willem Borski's death in 1881, she inherited the estate. Johanna Jacoba had a new house built by architect Constantijn Muysken in 1881. It is designed in neo-renaissance style. During the World War II, Dutch troops were stationed there, later it was confiscated by the German occupiers. During the last weeks of the war it was used by Canadians and the Homeland Forces. The house was in poor condition and as of November 1, 1947, the government rented the country estate and restored Duinlust. The CIOS (the first school for sports leaders) was located in the house from 1948 to 2001. Nowadays the mansion is used for events. The surrounding park is a nature reserve managed by Staatsbosbeheer (a Dutch government organization for forestry and the management of nature reserves).

Dutch economy reached a peak in the Golden Age. To escape the foul stench of the city in the summer, wealthy Amsterdam merchants invested in luxurious country estates with park-like gardens in the forested inner dunes. Thanks to a system of barge-canals and rivers, they could travel from Amsterdam to their estates in just a few hours. The area west of Haarlem (Kennemerland) became the cradle of these country estates. Buitenplaats (summer residence) Elswout was founded in the middle of the 17th century by Carel du Moulin, but the Amsterdammer Gabriel Marcelis completed the first construction of Elswout. Over the centuries, many great architects worked on the ever-changing architecture. The oldest buildings on Elswout date from the 17th century. The construction of the Grote Huis (Big House) on the Elswout Estate already started in 1884. When the façades and the terraces were completed, the client Willem Borski jr. died and construction came to a standstill. Although the building was given various functions after his death, it remained unfinished. After being occupied by the Germans during World War II the building was in bad shape. It later functioned for different purposes like schools. Elswout estate and the house became property of the municipality in 1958 and the Dutch State Forestry Commission in 1970. Over the years they could not find a proper function for the building and decided to have a competition for the rebuilding and renovation of the estates building. A private company decided to take up the challenge. After thorough search and research the original plans from around 1814 were found. Restoring the building’s interior and exterior according to those plans started in 2004 and realizing a new high end office function for the building. Elswout also offers one of the most beautiful and watery country estates along the inner dune edge of Zuid-Kennemerland National Park. This 85-hectare national monument has a rich plant and animal life and is dotted with several special follies. Because of the special flora and fauna, Elswout (and the rest of National Park Zuid- Kennemerland) have a Natura 2000 status and the area is part of the European protected nature network. The Elswout house has never been open to the public, so it can only be admired from the outside. The garden can be visited and access is free.

The Motketel is originally a wet area, where the groundwater level is close to the surface. The name probably refers to a low area with humus frequented by wild boar. A mot or motte is a female pig and a boar's daytime resting place and nest is called ketel . Between 1600 and 1800, the high groundwater level was used to dig water wells here. The water from the more than 20 wells was discharged via man made brooks and streams to the village of Vaassen. Running water meant business and therefore income. With watermills, the water was used for washing, grinding, hammering and cutting. In the 18th century, 17 watermills were operated, using the water from the Motketel springs. The watermills have almost all disappeared, but the Cannenburchermolen , near the castle of the same name, is still there. The watercourses of the Motketel form the most intact and complex system, which is still visible in the landscape and is one of the most unique in the Netherlands. The system is opened up by a network of footpaths.

Hoenderloo is a village, which only came into existence at the beginning of the 19th century on the rough lands of the Veluwe. In the spring, eekchillers went to this area to strip felled oak trees of their bark, which was used for tanning leather. The eekchillers lived with their families in temporary huts made of sods. Heather mower and shepherd Albert Brinkenberg was the first permanent resident of Hoenderloo. He built a sod hut (a simple hut partially buried and with a roof covered with sods) between 1813 and 1815. After him, more colonists followed. The residents were poor and worked as forest laborers, sheep shepherds, and plowmen, among other things. Slowly but surely, a small colony of huts made of sods arose. It was called Hoenderloo, after the many korhoenders (black grouse) that roamed there. The reconstructed cottage is really a stone's throw away from the hut that Brinkenberg built. The present wooden house (unfortunately not open to the public) gives some impression of how sober life must have been.

Kasteel Vosbergen (Vosbergen Castle) originally started out in the 16th century as a so-called "spijker": a stone storage barn where the proceeds from the surrounding lands were kept. It is mentioned for the first time in a document from 1558. According to wall anchors the current castle dates to 1623. Despite the fact that it has been thoroughly restored both internally and externally, it is one of the very few noble houses that have been preserved in perfect condition. In addition, it is noticeable that the tight lane set from the 16th and 17th century around the castle and the meadows remained virtually unchanged. The house consists of two wings of two floors, which are situated next to each other, covered by saddleback roofs and each with a cellar under the rear room. The house is surrounded by water, which is connected to an outer moat. In 1715 the estate came into the possession of the Van Dedem family. Since then this noble family has lived in the castle. The current baroness has inhabited Kasteel Vosbergen since 1972. The house is not open to the public, but the surrounding estate is.

Kootwijkerzand is a drifting sand area on the Veluwe in the Dutch province of Gelderland. With an area of 700 ha is the largest shifting sand area in Western Europe. It is part of the Kootwijk forestry reserve. During our last visit on a cold clear day in December 2021 the landscape and the trees were partly covered (in the shade) with hoarfrost, which made a particularly charming and moody scene. Especially as during our walk we were just the two of us and didn't encounter any other people in this amazing drifting sand area.

Kootwijkerzand is a drifting sand area on the Veluwe in the Dutch province of Gelderland. With an area of 700 ha is the largest shifting sand area in Western Europe. It is part of the Kootwijk forestry reserve. Around 2500 BC, people already lived on the Kootwijkerzand . A flint arrowhead and some pottery remains from around 1700 BC have been found. In the second century AD, a few farms were built and from 700 AD one can speak of a village. In the Middle Ages, iron ore was collected and processed. For this purpose, forest was cut down on a large scale for the production of charcoal. The sandy soil was exposed and started to shift. As a result, the village disappeared under the sand in the 11th century. Management measures are necessary to keep the sand of the Kootwijkerzand moving. Otherwise algae, mosses, lichens and higher plants will cover the sand. The sand is still really drifting. In strong winds, the loose sand blows away in certain places, and comes back down a bit further on. As a result, the terrain changes shape again and again, forming new sand dunes. On the open sandy plain, the temperature can rise to 40 degrees Celsius, while the night temperature can also drop below 0 degrees in summer . The area is often called “the Dutch Sahara”.

For wealthy city inhabitants in the western part of the Netherlands, owning a country house increasingly became a status symbol. At the beginning of the 19th century, there were more than 120 of them between Beverwijk and Hillegom along the inner dunes. One of them was Huis Leyduin , which was already mentioned as a homestead in 1596. The estate was increasingly expanded by the owners. In the 18th century, the place was inhabited by the Van Loon family. They built a belvedere, which stand on a man made hill and had lines of sight across the area in the past. In the year of 1808 Leyduin came into the possession of the Van Lennep family. They had a new house built on the site of the old mansion and also made parts of the country estate available for the first dune water extraction, intended for the city of Amsterdam. The current Huis Leyduin was built in 1921 and was inhabited by the Dorhout Mees family. After the World War II, Huis Leyduin was a girls' boarding school and a training institute, among other things. Since 1997, Leyduijn has been owned by Landschap Noord Holland (a Dutch foundation which aims to protect the landscape and nature of the province of North Holland). The house itself is not open for public, but the surrounding park is free to visit. Nowadays the estate is a Dutch national monument.

The imposing KoepelKathedraal (DomeCathedral) was designed by architect Joseph Cuypers (son of the famous Dutch architect Pierre Cuypers) and built between 1895 and 1930. The church - also called the Notre-Dame of the Netherlands - is one of the five most important churches of its time: Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, the Sacré-Coeur in Paris, the Westminster Cathedral in London and the Basilica of Koekelberg in Brussels. The church is the second largest Roman Catholic church in the Netherlands. The cathedral has no less than 12 large and small towers and a dome 65 meters high; on the inside almost as high as St Peter's in Rome. The cathedral was built in three periods. This is reflected in the various architectural styles, such as neo-Gothic, neo-Romanesque, Jugendstil and style elements of the Amsterdam School. Moorish influences can also be seen in the exterior and interior. The cathedral houses many art treasures. Over the past 100 years, more than 50 artists have worked on the cathedral. The church is the cathedral of the Roman-Catholic diocese of Haarlem-Amsterdam and is dedicated to St Bavo, the patron saint of the city of Haarlem. In 1948, the KoepelKathedraal - then called Sint Bavokerk - was elevated to a basilica by Pope Pius XII. In 2019, the name of the church was renamed KoepelKathedraal , to avoid confusion with the Grote of St.-Bavokerk in the centre of Haarlem as much as possible The church also houses a small museum, exhibiting historical artifacts from Haarlem’s Catholic past.

Haarlem is one of the cities in the Netherlands that has a number of so called hofjes : a Dutch word for a courtyard with almshouses around it. They have existed since the Middle Ages. Hofje In den Groenen Tuyn is one of the more than twenty remaining hofjes in the city. The plaque above the current residents' entrance depicts a flowering garden. The plaque belongs to the house "Den Groenen Thuijn", where the original courtyard was founded in 1616. In this house, with a beautiful courtyard, 20 small houses were built in the main building and around the garden. In 1885, the courtyard was rebuilt; the number of houses was reduced from 20 to 18. A new stately entrance was also built, for which the last old gothic building in Haarlem was demolished. In 1987, the hofje was restored for the last time. On its 400th anniversary in 2016, a pump was placed in the green garden. Hofje In den Groenen Tuyn is open to the public on weekdays between 10 and 12 am.

The Molentje van Groenendaal (Little Groenendaal Mill) was built in 1780 by order of John Hope, the Scottish owner of the nearby Groenendaal estate, to provide water for the ponds and other water features on the estate in the summer. It is likely that the ponds often dried up in the summer because the water level dropped. The mill probably did not function as it should, because a short time later, a small steam-powered pumping station was built next to it (the second steam engine in the Netherlands), which took over the grinding work from the mill. In 1836, by order of John Hope's grandson, the steam engine was dismantled, but the windmill was preserved. Because Het Molentje van Groenendaal then lost its function, it was shut down early on and remained only as an ornamental object. Probably because of this it was often said that the mill was not a real mill, but a "folly", as they were very fashionable at the end of the 18th century. In 1989 the mill was thoroughly restored and made complete again with a going work. In 2019, Het Molentje van Groenendaal was once again restored. Wth two wooden stages, this small mill is unique in the Netherlands. The Molentje van Groenendaal - also called Groenendaalse Molen - is a national monument since 2004.