Jaap van 't Veen's photos with the keyword: weerspiegeling

The hamlet of Oele has a watermill since the 14th century, although De Oldemeule is dating back to the year of 1690. The first known owners were the counts of Bentheim, who issued the mill, the 'Ole Mole', as fief. Over the centuries, the mill was owned by the noble families Van Bevervoorde (1334 - 1684) and Von Münchhausen (1684 - 1804). After that the mill changed owners several times and from 1880 it belonged to the Twickel Estate . In the past there also was an oil mill nearby, but this was demolished in 1900. During World War II the mill was still used for grinding grain, but after the war the mill was in decline. Nowadays De Oldemeule is owned by the municipality of Hengelo, which reinstated the mill in 1979. Every now and then the mill is open ofr visitors. During the last couple of years, new millers have been trained to operate the mill.

As early as 1289, Medemblik received its city rights and the end of the 16th century it has its own harbours. Four of them are located near the city centre. The Pekelharinghaven (Salt Herring harbour) is the largest and is situated adjacent to the Radboud Castle ( www.ipernity.com/doc/294067/48611904 ). The name refers to the old harbour that was in use during the 17th and 18th centuries. After the harbour had silted up, the location was used as a sports field for many years. Until 1988 when the construction of a new marina was started, which was inaugurated in 1989. Nowadays the harbour has a total of 220 berths for yachts up to 15 meters.

Bruges (or Brugge in Dutch) is listed on the UNESCO World Heritage site and has one of the best preserved medieval city centres of the world with its bell tower, wide open market square, cobble stoned streets and brick archways and quaint bridges. Canals loop across the town like a string of pearls and did give the city its nickname: “Venice of the North”. For many years Bruges was more or less been known as a "dead city" for many years. The sanding of the harbour and the difficulties to dig canals in the sand caused heavy economical burdens on the city between the Middle Ages and the 20th century. But nowadays Bruges is a lively city and one of the most important tourist attractions in Belgium.

We visited the city of Groningen in a weekend before Christmas and came across an atmospheric event WinterWelVaart (WinterWealth). Along the Hoge and Lage der A - cobblestoned quays with beautiful century old houses and (former) warehouses - about twenty of mainly historic (charter) ships were moored. On these ships several different cultural events were featured, such as intimate concerts, special children’s activities and art exhibitions. On the quays were a Christmas Market and an art route. WinterWelVaart can be seen as a tribute to the special and historic relationship between Groningen and the shipping trade.

‘De Wachter’ is an octagonal smock mill ( stellingmolen ). The three storey smock mill has a base of a four storey brick base. The stage is at 9,55 metres above ground level. The smock and cap are both thatched. The sails have a span of 22 metres. The flour and oil mill was built in 1851 for the family Van Bon; the first miller. In 1895 the mill was bought by Jan Medendorp, who installed two steam engines; one of these engines was used to power a spice mill. In 1935 the oil mill and spice mill ceased to be used and were dismantled, as were the steam engines. Between 1968 and 1970 the mill was restored, as the rest of the of the mill was later. In 1989 the mill was transferred into the ownership of a foundation (‘Stichting Koren- en Oliemolen De Wachter’). Nowadays ‘De Wachter’ is a cultural-historical museum (with limited opening hours). Apart from the flour, oil and spices mill the complex houses period shops and a couple of workshops. These are all presented as they would have appeared in 1895. (For more info: www.dewachter.nl)

The Fraeylemaborg originates in the year of 1300 as a strong stone house with thick walls (in the Dutch province of Groningen they were called “borg”). In 1475 there was already a farm with the name “Frealemaheerd”. In the archives of 1504 the name is found of one Remmer Fraeylema. In the 16th century, the house was expanded and became a moat. From 1670, both wings were added, resulting in a U-shaped building. Through the centuries many powerful families have made the Fraeylemaborg their home. In 1781 the Fraeylemaborg was sold to “Hendrik de Sandra Veldtman”. He rebuilt the Fraeylemaborg into its present shape. The Thomassen à Thuessink van der Hoop van Slochteren family lived until 1972 in the house. It was sold to the “Gerrit van Houten Stichting”. Nowadays is the Fraeylemaborg a museum, with an interior that illustrates how people lived in a luxury house. The interior consists of precious antiques and everyday personal objects and the collection includes works by the Dutch painter Gerrit van Houten (1866-1934). The museum is combined with a wide range of cultural events and temporary exhibitions. (During my second visit to the “borg” - second half of December 2018 - the rooms of the Fraeylemaborg were beautifully embellished with Christmas decorations: see PiP’s).

Wooden breakwater at the beach of Schoorl, nearby “De Kerf’, a man made opening through the first row of dunes. Breakwaters are constructed to absorb the energy of the waves, intended to prevent the erosion of sand along the coast. Usually they stand perpendicular to the dunes. These breakwaters are very rare along the coast of North Holland, so I was quite lucky to find one. (In Zealand and Zeelandic Flanders they are quite common.)

Lake Plansee - nearby Reutte - is the second-largest natural lake in Tyrol. The lake is fed by the Spiessbach and Torsäulenbach, as well as by Lake Heiterwang and its runoff is the Archbach river. Lake Plansee is characterised by outstanding water quality of grade A. The water is used for generating electricity. Lake Plansee is situated at an altitude of 976 m, has a surface of 280 ha and a maximum depth of 78 m.

Wat Neramit Wipattasana is located on a hillside above the little village of Dan Sai (Loei province) and set in a manicured garden (PiP 1). This rather new temple is famous for its large ordination hall and pagoda made of red-coloured laterite, which is unlike elsewhere in Thailand. The ordination hall is surrounded by painted murals (PiP2) and columns lining the way to three golden buddhas, among them an official replica of Phra Phutthachinnarat, a revered buddha image in Phitsanulok Province.

Gram Castle is one of the most monumental buildings in southern Jutland. The stately building with three wings opens its courtyard to the main road and bids a warm welcome to local residents as well as tourists. Gram Castle was first mentioned in 1231, when it was a mansion with 3-4 farms owned by King Valdemar. The castle consists of three wings, starting in 1470 and built over three centuries: 15th, 16th and the 17th. This means it has architectonic features from the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and the Baroque !! In the Middle Ages Gram Castle was an important castle, due to the fact that the main road between Haderslev and Ribe crossed over Gram Å (the stream), so it was possible to collect tolls from all the travellers and merchants passing through with their goods. It is the largest Middle Age building in Denmark outside Copenhagen

The Dessau-Wörlitz Garden Realm, also known as the English Grounds of Wörlitz, is one of the first and largest English parks in Germany and continental Europe. It was created in the late 18th century under the regency of Duke Leopold III of Anhalt-Dessau (1740-1817) The Gardens had its origin in the 17th century, when the marriage of Leopold's great-grandfather Prince John George II of Anhalt-Dessau to the Dutch Princess Henriëtte Catharina van Oranje in 1659 brought a team of engineers and architects from the Low Countries to lay out the town, the palace and a baroque garden in the former settlement of Nischwitz, which was renamed Oranienbaum in 1673. The Dutch influence remained prevalent in the Principality of Anhalt-Dessau for many decades. The central Wörlitzer Park lies adjacent to the small town of Wörlitz at an anabranch of the Elbe river, making it rich in water and diversity. It was laid out between 1769 and 1773 as one of the first English gardens on the continent. According to the ideals of Duke Leopold III the park would also serve as an educational institution in architecture, gardening and agriculture, therefore large parts were open to the public from the beginning.

In 1646 Princess Louise Henriëtte van Oranje-Nassau married with Friedrich Wilhelm I, Elector of Brandenburg. A few weeks after her move from Kleve to Berlin (1650) she visited a hunting lodge in Bötzow. She was pleasantly surprised by the beautiful surroundings and her husband decided to donate the lodge and the town to her. Princess Louise Henriëtte ordered the construction of a new palace at the site of the old hunting lodge, which was done by Dutch craftsmen. They were also helpful in the reconstruction of Bötzow, which was severely damaged during the Thirty Years' War. In 1652/1653 the new palace and the rebuilt city were both named Oranienburg. From 1689 on Louise’s son Elector Friedrich III ordered considerable extensions to the palace and gardens. With the addition of wings on the front and back of the main building Oranienburg Palace became an H-shaped plan. After the death of the Elector in 1713 the castle was no longer permanently inhabited. In 1794 it became the property of the later Prussian Queen Louise, who spent two years in a row her summer holidays in Oranienburg. The palace was sold in 1802 and served as a factory, seminary and - from 1933 to 1937 - as SS barracks. Between 1952 and 1990 it was used for housing the border troops of the GDR. After a major restoration Oranienburg Palace - Brandenburg’s oldest baroque palace - was reopened in 1999 and nowadays houses the town hall of Oranienburg and two museums.

Picture: Göta Canal between Borensberg and Vandrarhem Glasbruket after a rainy day. The ‘Göta kanal’ is a canal in Götaland with a length of 190.5 kilometers. It runs between Mem on the Baltic Sea and Sjötorp on the eastern shore of Lake Vänern. Together with the river ‘Gota älv’ and ‘Trollhätte kanal’ it connects Stockholm with Göteborg. . The canal - built between 1810 and 1832 - was an important link in the transportation of wood and iron. The promoter and building contractor was the Swedish admiral Baltzar von Platen. 87 kilometers of the canal was excavated manually by 58.000 soldiers. ‘Göta Kanal’ has a width which varies from 7 to 14 meters and a maximum depth of about 3 meters. At its highest point the canal is 91.8 meters above sea level and has 58 locks (PiP 1, one of the locks) along the way. Nowadays the waterway is only used by pleasure boats (Pip 2) and vintage canal boats like M/S Juno (PiP 3), launched in 1874 and specially designed to sail in the ‘Göta Kanal’. It is the world’s oldest registered ship with overnight accommodation.

Autumn along the 'Apeldoorn - Dierens Kanaal' nearby Oosterhuizen. This is the second part of the 'Apeldoorns Kanaal', a waterway from Hattem in the north to Dieren in the south. After arriving of King Willem I digging of the northern part started in 1825. Plans for the southern part between Apeldoorn and Dieren came into execution and digging began. Ten years later the canal was officially opened. In 1972 the canal was closed for shipping traffic; nowadays you only may see a canoe, rowing boat or pedal boat in the canal. More information about the Apeldoorns Kanaal (Dutch)l: www.apeldoornskanaal.com

The ‘Wedderborg’ has a history which is going back to the year of 1362, when the first house was built by Egge Addinga. It has 14th, 15th, and 16th-century elements and became its present form in 1959. The castle became many owners and functions, the last restoration took place in 2010. Nowadays the castle houses a hotel and restaurant.

The Stadshaven (City Harbour) is the former port of Goes, a city in the Dutch province of Zeeland, which was founded in the 10th century. The harbour is located in the town center and is connected to the Oosterschelde by the ‘Goese Sas’. The quay walls of the city harbour are a national monument. The streets around the ‘Stadshaven’ (Kleine Kade, Turfkade and Bierkade) are lined with historic homes. The names of these streets refer to the historical significance of some products that were of great importance for the local economy: beer (= bier) and peat (=turf). Nowadays the City Harbour of Goes focuses on yachts; the modern marina has seventy moorings.

Strömsrum is one of these ‘in the middle of nowhere’ hamlets in Sweden’s countryside. It has just a few Falu red painted (farm)houses, and a beautiful mansion. Strömsrum is situated in a beautiful park landscape with old oak trees, which is bisected by the slow flowing river Alsterån. Strömsrum slott - one of the oldest wooden mansions in the country - is dating back to the year of 1312 (see PiP).

At the end of the 19th century Ronneby Brunn was a famous spa. People went here for the nourishing mineral water as well as the beautiful surroundings. The beautiful Brunnspark is a spa park with a history that goes back to 1705, when a Danish landscape designed the 100 hectares large park with wooden buildings. n the 1980s a famous Swedish landscape architect planned and designed the restoration of the park by adding new elements. The ‘spa buildings’ are also renovated and host modern companies. In 2005 the park was named Sweden’s most beautiful park; one year later Brunnspark came fourth in the “Europe’s most beautiful park” competition. We were lucky (early June) seeing all the flowering rhododendrons.