Jaap van 't Veen's photos with the keyword: Hollande-Méridionale

Gouda received city rights in the year of 1272. In 1448-1450 the town hall was built. Now it is considered being one of the oldest Gothic town halls in the Netherlands. The building was designed by architect Jan III Keldermans, from the famous Flemish Keldermans family of architects, who were also responsible for several other city halls and churches around the Netherlands and Flanders. In the summer of 1438, a major city fire caused serious damage to the town hall. The city council decided that the new town hall should be free and chose the market square - then still a swampy peat bog - as the new location. The town hall is located on the Market Square, one of the largest market squares in the Netherlands. Over the past centuries, the town hall has been altered and rebuilt many times. It was originally surrounded by a moat, which was filled up in 1603. In the 17th century, a staircase was added to the town hall, leading to the building itself and to the balcony on the rear façade. The town hall - still the landmark of Gouda - can be visited during weekdays given that there are no wedding ceremonies.

De Goudse Waag (Gouda Weighing House) is a monumental historic building dating from 1668, designed by the well-known Dutch architect Pieter Post. Gouda was an important transit point between Amsterdam and Rotterdam. All goods weighing more than 10 pounds were weighed at De Goudse Waag , and duty then needed to be paid on them. The ground floor of De Goudse Waag - formerly used to weigh cheese - nowadays houses the tourist information center of Gouda. Further on it is home of the Cheese and Crafts Museum. Here, one can learn about the building’s history, the products weighed and traded, and how cheese is made.

Windmill De Roos (The Rose) is located on the former city wall of Delft. The mill was built in 1679 on a roundel, a semi-circular defensive structure. A wooden post mill had already been standing on the same spot since 1500. This mill is the only remaining mill of the eighteen windmills in Delft. Originally De Roos was also made of wood. In steps, it was converted into a brick one, which gave the mill a special shape. For instance, the substructure is hexagonal and the superstructure round. In 1728, the dwelling house was built in a semicircle around the mill. Around 1760, the mill looked as it does today. The mill was in bad shape in the early 1980s. It was crooked due to a subsidence in 1929 and the cap was badly affected by a beetle. In 1988, the mill was refurbished and the superstructure straightened. Windill De Roos is still used for grinding flour; since spring 2015 it is grinding organic grain for private individuals, bakers and the catering industry. The mill is turning a couple of days a week and can be visited.

The first construction of the town hall in Delft dates back to 1200. In 1400, it was rebuilt or remodelled. In 1618 the town hall burned down. It was then rebuilt to a design by Hendrick de Keyser - a famous Dutch architect - in 1618-1620. Over the centuries the town hall was modified several times. In the process, the double staircase to the main entrance had to give way, the main entrance was widened at the cost of two windows, and the shutters and stained-glass windows disappeared. In the 20th century, the town hall was restored under the direction of architect Jo Kruger, and is now back to the state of Hendrick de Keyser's design in the Dutch Renaissance style. The town hall was the former seat of the city council; nowadays it is still used for wedding ceremonies. The building is an important landmark of Delft.

The Oostpoort (Eastern Gate) is an example of Brick Gothic architecture. Its twin towers flank an entrance moat and bridge. The gate was built around 1400. In the 16th century they were raised with hexagonal floors and high pointed spires. The gate is located in perhaps one of the most enchanting corners of Delft. The Oostpoort was once known as “Saint Catherine’s Gate” and is the eldest medieval entranceway to Delft. Originally there were nine gates to Delft. Eight were demolished by 1847. The Oostpoort is the last remaining gate in the city. The gate consists of a land-gate and a water-gate that are connected by the remains of the city wall. The Oostpoort was last restored in 1962-1964. Nowadays it serves as an art gallery and private residence.

The Appelmarktbrug is one of Schiedam's three cast-iron drawbridges, built around 1860. When a boat passes through the harbour, this bridge is pulled up by hand by two bridge keepers. The cast-iron drawbridges are the oldest examples in the Netherlands of double (cast-iron) drawbridges. From the Appelmarktbrug , one has a great view of the Lange Haven and the Havenkerk (PiP1 and 2); originally a Roman Catholic parish church.

Schiedam is home to the seven largest windmills in the world. Once there were more than 30 mills in the city. The majority of the so called ‘brandersmolens’ (malt mills) ground grain for the distilleries. To catch enough wind within the built-up area, and for greater storage and production capacity, the mills grew to be the tallest in the world. They have been joined in this century by two new mills, bringing the total number of malt mills to seven. These remaining ‘Giants of Schiedam’ are still characteristic of the city. De Walvisch (The Whale) is one of the ‘Giants of Schiedam’. The mill was built in 1794 and the foundation stone-layer was distiller A. Nolet. The mill was named after the Greenland whaling industry that flourished in the late 18th century. Around 1900, the mill lost a piece of inner rod during a storm; it took eight months before it had four sails again. In 1928, it was sold to the then young association De Hollandsche Molen from Amsterdam. In December 1938, there was a fire in De Walvisch. In 1996 De Walvisch burned down due to a short circuit. Only the rump of the mill remained standing. Thanks to many actions by Schiedam companies, institutions and citizens, the restoration of De Walvisch had been made possible. In 2002 it was grinding agin. De Walvisch nowadays is owned biy the foundation Stichting De Schiedamse Molens . This foundation started a major renovation in 2017. A year later the mill became a museum, where one get to know the malt and roasting mills of the city. Fromf the stage - 17,5 meters high - there is a beautiful view over Schiedam. There is also a mill shop where one can buy flour and other baking products for instance.

The Oude Kerk (Old Church) - the oldest parish church and oldest building in Delft - was officially founded in 1246 (the same year in which Delft received city rights by count Willem II), even though it is generally assumed that there had been a wooden church on this site as early as 1050.This church was originally known as Sint Bartholomeuskerk . In the middle of the 13th century, the earlier building had been rebuilt and extended by “Bartholomeus van der Marde”. The gothic tower, with its brick spire and four angle towers, was added between 1325 and 1350. Throughout the ages, the leaning tower, probably built on an early filled-up canal, has been the cause of considerable alarm to many inhabitants. In 1843, the City Council of Delft, fearing the collapse of the tower, decided that it had to be pulled down to the level of the church roof. Local contractors were able to prevent this decision from actually being carried out. Nowadays, the leaning tower of the Oude Kerk is a prominent landmark of Delft, fondly called by the citizens the Scheve Jan (Leaning Jan). The precious interior including the elaborately crafted stained-glass windows had been completely destroyed by the iconoclasts of 1566 and 1572. Only the beautifully carved pulpit from 1548 has survived. Approximately 400 people are entombed in the Oude Kerk; among them a lot of wellknown Dutch historical figures, like the painter Johannes Vermeer, naval heroes Piet Hein and Maarten Tromp and scientist Anton van Leeuwenhoek (PiP5).

Schiedam is home to the seven largest windmills in the world. Once there were more than 30 mills in the city. The majority of the so called ‘brandersmolens’ (malt mills) ground grain for the distilleries. To catch enough wind within the built-up area, and for greater storage and production capacity, the mills grew to be the tallest in the world. They have been joined in this century by two new mills, bringing the total number of malt mills to seven. These remaining ‘Giants of Schiedam’ are still characteristic of the city. De Drie Koornbloemen (The Three Corn Flowers) is a stone windmill, which was built in 1770. It is the eldest of the original malt mills in Schiedam and is the only one with a miller’s house, dating back to 1832. In the early 19th century, the mill was used for sawing mahogany and a few years later for peeling rice. In 1857, the grinding tax was lifted. The owner then decides to start grinding for bakers again. Later millers started grinding peas, maize and beans for processing into cattle feed. The municipality of Schiedam bought the mill in 1976. After a substantial clean-up, carried out by Schiedam mill volunteers, restoration could begin. In 1999, the miller house was completely restored.

Schiedam is home to the seven largest windmills in the world. Once there were more than 30 mills in the city. The majority of the so called ‘brandersmolens’ (malt mills) ground grain for the distilleries. To catch enough wind within the built-up area, and for greater storage and production capacity, the mills grew to be the tallest in the world. They have been joined in this century by two new mills, bringing the total number of malt mills to seven. These remaining ‘Giants of Schiedam’ are still characteristic of the city. De Kameel (The Camel) originally was built in 1715; about 30 metres east of where the rebuilt windmill along the river Schie nowadays is located. The mill served as a malt mill until the early morning of 20 March 1865. On that day the mill lost its rods, iron shaft and cap in a storm in a storm. After a partial repair the mill served as a steam sawmill for several years. Three years later the remains of De Kameel were demolished after a fire. Of all the mills the city has had and De Kameel was the most visible from the city centre. Rebuilding it in its original location was not feasible, as the turning basin in the river Schie was moved in 1960 to build a new access road with a bridge to the city centre. A site nearby was chosen, with the mill built halfway into the water of the Schie. After years of preparation, the Stichting De Schiedamse Molens started rebuilding the mill in November 2008. The mill measures about 30.5 meters to the top. This makes De Kameel the smallest of the existing or rebuilt Schiedam mills. Since Saturday 14 May 2011 - Dutch National Mills Day - the rebuilt mill officially has been grinding again.

Delft is one of the cities in the Netherlands that has a number of so called hofjes . A hofje is a Dutch word for a courtyard with almshouses around it. They have existed since the Middle Ages. Characteristically, almost all are built around an inner garden. The Klaeuwshofje is named after the brewery “In De Claeuw”. It was founded in 1605 by the Uyttenhage van Ruyven couple. Often, hofjes are founded as inheritance of his or her founder, which is not the case with The Klaeuwshofje . In fact, it was built when the couple was still alive. The Klaeuwshofje is one of the more hidden courtyards in Delft. The houses were intended for unmarried or widowed Catholic women. After a renovation, nowadays the inhabitants have double the amount of space; an improvement over the original sizes of the houses.

Schiedam is home to the seven largest windmills in the world. Once there were more than 30 mills in the city. The majority of the so called 'brandersmolens' (malt mills) ground grain for the distilleries. To catch enough wind within the built-up area, and for greater storage and production capacity, the mills grew to be the tallest in the world. They have been joined in this century by two new mills, bringing the total number of malt mills to seven. These remaining ‘Giants of Schiedam’ are still characteristic of the city. Windmill De Palmboom (The Palm Tree) is dating back to the year of 1781. The mill was used as a malt mill for the distilleries in Schiedam. The windmill was destroyed by a fire in 1901 and after that only two floors were used as storage space. In 1993 a restoration and reconstruction started and the stage mill was renamed De Nieuwe Palmboom . Till 2018 it was used as a mill museum. It got back its original name and nowadays functions as office space and houses a documentation center. The windmill in the background is ‘De Noord’ - one of the highest windmills in the world - nowadays housing a restaurant.

Blooming crocuses in front of the famous hotel ‘Des Indes’ in The Hague.

The beach of Noordwijk was lit already in 1444, when after sunset a big fire was set to show the fisher boats the way to the coast. The first (wooden) lighthouse was built in the 19th century. The present lighthouse dates from 1921. The remarkable white plastered tower - originally built out of red brick - has a height of 25,5 metres, which means the light itself is 33 metres above sea level. The tower has six flowers and 108 stair steps to the top. It is an unmanned lighthouse.

Dune and Bulb Region (Duin- en Bollenstreek): Dutch as it can be with blooming orange tulips on one of the many fields nearby the famous 'De Keukenhof'.