Jaap van 't Veen's photos

Woldzigt (meaning “view of the woods”) is an octagonal smock mill. It is a three-storey mill on a four-storey brick base. The stage is at third-floor level, 10 meters above ground level. The smock and cap are thatched. It is a quite unique windmill, as it has two buildings on the side; one was used to house the miller and the other as some kind of factory housing. The mill is dating back to 1852, when it was built as a combined corn and oil mill. The oil mill was used to crush linseed and rapeseed to produce oil. The season for oil milling ran from September until May. Throughout the year the mill also functioned as a corn mill. In 1902 the mill was sold and a petrol engine was installed as auxiliary power. Four years later the petrol engine was replaced by a steam engine. In 1941, the mill ceased to produce oil. Corn milling ended in 1951. In 1970 the mill was sold to the municipality of Roden. The mill was completely restored in 1976. In 2016 Woldzigt was transferred by the municipality to Het Drentse Landschap (a foundation aiming to preserve the landscape and cultural history of the province of Drenthe). The mill is managed by Stichting olie- en korenmolen Woldzigt (Oil and corn mill Woldzigt Society). The mill is entirely ready for operation. It is open for visitors, although with limited opening hours. The Dutch Grain Museum houses in a side wing of the mill.

The village of Niehove dates back to before our era. Initially it was called Suxwort (Zuidwierde); around the year of 1200 it got its current name. Niehove is a beautiful example of a wierde village: a wierde is a man made elevation that served as a location for villages and as a refuge during rising water. Under the name Suxwort the village was for centuries the capital of Humsterland, which at that time - when the sea came much further inland - was a real island. Niehove remained largely unchanged through the centuries. The village resembles a kind of spider’s web on its round wierde . The little red brick houses are located in two circles around the church, with their backs turned to the fields. The church of Niehove (couldn’t find a ‘real’ name) is located on the top of the wierde . The Roman-Gothic church was built around the year of 1230, on the spot where a little wooden church has stood. Until the 16th century it was the only stone building in the village. It was not until the 18th century that the church was furnished with benches. Before then, churchgoers had to stand: men at the south side and women at the north side. For a long time, the Niehove churchyard was separated from the street by a circular canal, which was to force ghosts to remain at the churchyard and prevent them from venturing out into the village. Today the church has an interesting visitor centre with information about the village and Humsterland. It is also used for events and weddings.

The hondsroos (dog rose) is quite common in the Netherlands. I came across a lot of them during a walk in the National Park Lauwersmeer. Its flowers - blooming in June and July - are usually pale pink, but can vary between a deep pink and white. They are 4 - 6 centimeters in diameter with five petals. The name hondsroos refers to ancient Greek medicine when the plant was used against hondsdolheid (= rabies).

Not so long ago I visited windmill The Helper on the shore of the Paterswoldsemeer . On that gray rainy day I decided to come back at another time. That moment came much sooner than expected. Due to the corona crisis, travelling abroad was no longer possible and I was already happy with a trip to this part of my country. Now under totally different circumstances: nice sunny weather with even sunbathing visitors along the water's edge. What a difference with three months ago: www.ipernity.com/doc/294067/49807386 De Helper is a polder mill on the east bank of the Paterswoldsemeer. The mill was built in 1863 south of the city of Groningen for the drainage of the Helpman polder using a screw pump. In the sixties of the 20th century the mill became permanently out of use and fell into disrepair. Because of the expansion of the city of Groningen and the construction of the A28 motorway in 1969 De Helper was demolished at its original location. In 1971 the mill was rebuilt on its present location on the banks of the Paterswoldsemeer. The mill is in operation on a voluntary basis.

Friese Veen (also called Friescheveen ) is a nature reserve - adjacent to Huis Vennebroek - which actually consists of two parts. The Friese Veen itself is a small lake that is difficult to access. It was created in the middle of the 18th century by dredging peat, which was used as fuel. This dredging was done by Friese workers - inhabitants of the Dutch province of Friesland. That gave the area its name. The lake surrounded by swamp forest is separated by a low sandy dike from the polder Camphuis . This polder has not been drained since 1994, allowing nature to take its course. The original meadow has slowly but surely changed into a rough swamp, in which many species of birds can be found. The polder owes its name to P.A. Camphuis, who bought the entire area to build a villa in 1906. (I couldn't take a proper picture from the Friese Veen itself, because its banks were inaccessible and a viewpoint was closed due to the corona crisis. Therefore only a few pictures of the polder.)

Landgoed De Braak (De Braak Estate) already existed around 1700. Lieutenant E.F. ter Voet van Schelfhorst was then the owner, who was married to Miss Von Braake. Probably the estate was named after her; another possibility is that the name was derived from "broek" = low marshy land. The original country house De Braeke stood between two ponds. The house became uninhabited and was demolished in 1896. Parts of the mansion were used in 1916 for the renovation of the current house of the caretaker of the area (PiP4). De Braak now consists of a monumental park forest with ponds, imposing - often centuries-old – trees, rhododendron bushes and meadows. The well-known garden architect Roodbaard designed the park in 1825. The park also offers a berceau and a maze of hornbeams. The estate is known for its flowering spring plants, such as snowdrops, wood anemones and daffodils. Since 1920 De Braak has been owned by Natuurmonumenten , a society for preservation of nature monuments in the Netherlands. The estate is freely accessible.

Not much is known about the origins of Huis Vennebroek (Manor Vennebroek). From 1689 to 1747 the house had the so-called right of havezate (manor or fortified house). In 1768 the manor was mentioned in an advertisement in a local newspaper. In 1848, Jonkheer Hooft van Iddekinge rebuilt the house extensively, retaining a large part of the basement and the ground floor. In 1912 the estate was bought by P.A. Camphuis, a merchant from Groningen. He was also the owner of the adjacent Friesche Veen estate; Vennebroek and Friesche Veen have formed a unit ever since. Camphuis restored the house, but did not stay there long. The manor remained in the family for a long time; the wife of his eldest son lived there until her death in 1994. Around 1985 the house and the estates became the property of Natuurmonumenten (Society for preservation of nature monuments in the Netherlands). Since 2014 the house has been privately owned and inhabited again. Huis Vennebroek is surrounded by a horseshoe-shaped moat. The estate has many old beeches and chestnuts; the oldest is more than 300 years. In the autumn the estate is known for its many species of mushrooms.

Before the year of 1780 there was a post mill on the site of this mill. That mill had been blown over and repaired, but in the year 1780 it was demolished and replaced by the present hexagonal mill. The Molen van Waardenburg is one of the eight remaining hexagonal mills in the Netherlands. For many years the mill belonged to the Waardenburg-Neerijnen estate. In the First World War, the windmill was used to generate electricity. After the high water levels in the river Waal in 1995, the dike of the river was made heavier and raised, after which the mill was also raised by one and a half meters. Because of its location, the corn mill is considered being one of the more beautiful mills in the Netherlands. Since 2009 the mill is owned by Stichting Geldersch Landschap & Kasteelen , a foundation for the protection of nature and landscape in the province of Gelderland. The mill is still regularly used for grinding grain by volunteers.

The first Kasteel Neerijnen (Castle Neerijnen) was probably built around 1350 and was originally called Klingelenburg . It was the first noble house in Neerijnen. The inhabitants of the castle carried the name “De Cock van Neerijnen”. The present castle was built around 1600 on the foundations of the older one. It was radically rebuilt in the 18th century and was extended in the late 19th century. Together with the Kasteel Waardenburg (PiP4) built in 1265, it forms one estate. From 1700 onwards both castles have always had the same owners. After the “De Cock” family, the estate was owned by various noble families. At the end of 1827, the estate came into the hands of “Frederik Willem Floris Theodorus baron van Pallandt”. This family owned the estate until 1971. On May 6 of that year the last baroness of “Pallandt van Neerijnen en Waardenburg” died. Three years later the estate came into the hands of the Stichting Gelders Landschap & Kasteelen , a foundation for the protection of nature and landscape in the province of Gelderland. From 1980 to 2019, Kasteel Neerijnen was in use as the town hall of the former municipality of Neerijnen. The castle garden - situated between the castle and the reformed church of Neerijnen - had been seriously neglected for a long time. Since 1996 this garden has been renovated and maintained by volunteers, taking into account the original layout. The garden consists of several parts, including a herb garden, vegetable garden, flower garden and a rose garden.

Windmill De Duif (The Pigeon) was built in 1886 on the spot where a previous mill was burned down after a lightning strike. The mill - formerly called the Veelhorster molen was owned in the 17th century by the influential Feyth family from Elburg and was used for grinding grain from the beginning. It is an octagonal 'belt mill' (belt = a man made hill); the hill has a height of over 4 metres. The mill has been restored in 1963 and 1982. After this restoration, grain is milled again on a voluntary basis.

Huis Schouwenburg was originally a farm and was first mentioned in the beginning of the 14th century. Later it became a country house, which became its current shape between 1750 and 1760. Some parts are older: early 17th or early 18th century. The mansion and the outbuildings (coach house, service house, farm, stables) were rebuilt many times and even demolished. Huis Schouwenburg changed hands many times. It was bought by mr. J.G.W.H. baron of Sytzama in 1867, after which the estate remained in the hands of this family for more than a hundred years. In 1976 the house and part of the estate came into the possession of the Geldersch Landschap & Kasteelen , a foundation for the protection of nature and landscape in the province of Gelderland. The house and the outbuildings were bought in 2008 by private individuals, who now inhabit it.

It is not exactly known when the Agios Dimitrios monastery was founded. The interior of the church is filled with murals from 1816, as a sign on the west gate indicates. Another sign above the gate of the monastery mentions the date February 27, 1831. Presumably around that time the rest of the monastery complex was built. The monastery is located at the foot of Mount Zalongo, below the monument with the same name. There are still a couple of nuns living in the monastery. One of them welcomed us with the traditional “loukoumia” (oversweet candy).

When hearing or reading the words Corinth Canal, almost everyone has in front of them the image of the straight canal with its steep, almost perpendicular walls (PiP4) and the bridges connecting the two banks high above the water. But at the western end of the canal close to Corinth it looks very different; no high cliffs and an almost flat landscape and a ‘sinking’ bridge, connecting Corinth/Poseidonia with Loutraki. The bridge - like the one at the other end of the canal near Isthmia - was constructed in 1988. The bridge lowers its deck 8 meters below water level, permitting waterborne traffic to use the waterway. We had to wait some time, because ships can only pass through the canal on a one-way system. The waiting was rewarded with a spectacular view of the subducting and rising bridge. After that we could cross the bridge on our way to Loutraki (PiP3).

The Holy Temple of the Diocese of Tegea - dedicated to the Assumption of Mary - is located at one of the most important archaeological sites in Greece. The human presence was consistent, there are ancient findings, Hellenic, Roman and Byzantine. Remnants of a middle-ages castle have also survived. Essentially it is an enormous open archaeological site shaded by tall trees in a green park. The original Byzantine church must have been built in the 11th or 12th century. It was the cathedral of the medieval town of Niklio. The church seems to have been built above the ancient theatre of Tegea, with materials taken both from the theatre and other nearby buildings, such as the early-Christian churches and the medieval wall that used to stand there. After the decline of Tegea and its destructions by wars and earthquakes, the church remained in ruins until the 19th century. It was restored in the period 1884-1888 based on the study of the Austrian architect Ernst Ziller. Due to this restoration, the upper parts of the monument have been altered. The church was not signposted and it took some effort to find its location. Unfortunately it turned out to be closed and there was no one who could help us with a key. As a result we were unable to see (and photograph) the interior with the religious paintings.

Areopoli is a quaint traditional village in the central part of Mani, located at the feet of the Agios Elias mountain. The village is considered being one of the prettiest in Greece. Originally its name was Tsimova, but in 1836 it was renamed Areopoli, after “Ares”, the god of war, to commemorate its role in the Greek War of Independence. Areopoli played a very important role in the Greek liberation fight. On the square of the village, on March 17 of the year 1821, the people of Mani raised the banner signifying the start of the revolution against the Turkish occupation. The flag of the National uprising in Areopoli, nowadays is a relic on display in the National Historical Museum of Athens. Through the years Areopoli developed into a commercial centre of importance for the entire area. It is the ‘capital’ of Mani. The village offers a small historical center with stone built houses and some of the traditional Mani-tower houses (built for social and defensive reasons). Along the main street one comes across the dual churches of Panagia and Charalambos (main image).

Huis Landfort (Country Hous Landfort) is located on a location near the German border along the river “Oude IJssel”. The official history of Landfort begins in 1434, when the estate was first mentioned in a document. It was then called “Lanckvoort”, most probably because there was a ford in the river. Landfort looked different in the past compared to the present. In former times it consisted of a square building with four corner towers. Around the house there was a moat with a bridge that led to the entrance door. This was the shape of the house until 1823-25. In those years the house became its current, elongated form. At the same time, the surrounding park was landscaped. In the romantic park there is a separate building: a pigeon tower in Moorish style. During World War II the mansion was severely damaged. In 1970 the family who inhabited the estate was forced to sell it. Geldersch Landschap & Kasteelen , a foundation for the protection of nature and landscape in the province of Gelderland, became the new owner. The estate is still owned and managed by the foundation, but the house is sold and will be - after the current restoration - privately inhabited.

Kasteel Slangenburg (Slangenburg Castle) was founded in 1234, but first mentioned in 1354. In the 17th century the castle became the property of Frederik Johan van Baer - a Dutch officer in the military service of Willem III van Oranje - who rebuilt it in 1675 for residential purposes. After Van Baer the Slangenburg has changed hands many times, mostly by inheritance, but twice by sale. The last sale took place in 1895 when the German timber merchant and large industrialist Arnold Passmann took over the castle and adjoining estate. In the beginning only because of the large amount of wood that could be cut there. However, when he visited his new purchase, Passmann was struck by the house and its surroundings and decided to live there every year for some months. Members of the Passmann family are buried in a private cemetery next to the moat of the castle. After World War II all German properties were confiscated by the Dutch government, who thus acquired the castle, which stills forms part of the portfolio of the Rijksgebouwendienst (Royal Buildings Service). Nowadays the castle is used as a guesthouse by the nearby Benedictine Sint-Willibrordsabdij . This monastery was built in the 1950’s and is situated on a part of the castle's former estate. The name Slangenburg most probably derived from a small stream Slingebeek that flows through the area.

Nisi (or Nissi) is a small island - 800 by 500 meters - in Lake Pamvotis nearby Ioannina. It is one of the two lake islands in Greece, which are inhabited. There is only one village - with a couple of hundreds of inhabitants - on the island which with picturesque paved alleys and a lot of tourist shops and restaurants. The island is accessible by boat from Ioannina or by a ferry from a nearby shore. Nisi is well known for the Ali Pasha Museum and its monasteries. The first one was built at the end of the 13th century and the island was important monastic center. We visited one of them in 2018 (PiP1). A year later we went back to the island, for a lunch on the central square (PiP2). After that we made a walk along the banks of the lake, enjoying the flowers (PiP3), reed collars and lush vegetation, but a group of pretty aggressive geese (main image) almost blocked the road.