Thursday 26 March 2009

A Little of The Netherlands' History

Kloster Ter Apel is a 13th century monastery located close to Musselkanaal.

It was left for a time to fall into a state of disrepair, then restored, with some new additions.


This is how the addition looks from the inside.The building supports are mostly gothic arches. The monks supporeted their habit (I'm sorry, I couldn't resist) by making beer to sell to the neighbouring areas.It was stored on of the cellars, this one with Roman arches.
Many remedies were made from herbs gathered in the medicinal garden.
This outbuilding was having its daub and wattle exterior repaired.

About 20 kilometes away is Bourtange, a fortified village originally founded in the 16th century during the 80 years war.
This is a photograph of the village in approximately 1960 when it was decided to turn the village back into the fortress, circa 1750.
This is how it looks today.

This windmill is a replica of the one that was here in the 1700s. The real windmill is working nearby.

A view of the village from one of the walls. Approximately 250 people live in the village inside the restored walls.

One of the moats surrounding Bourtange.
The steep stairs down from the wall.
The thick door at one of the gates. The little door a regularly sized door.

The village square.

and one of the streets leading to a gate.
Winschoten is the town Mrs D lived when she met my Uncle after the war. He was billeted in this building while waiting to go back to England.

One of the towns three windmills.
One of the pedestrian malls.

and a field on the way back to Musselkanaal.

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