Dokkum, Friesland and Norah's Klompen

Meeting cousins Sietske, Hanneke, and Tante Ynske (another widow of one of Opa Dykstra's brothers). These are her two daughters and they were a lovely family.

Dokkum - perhaps my favorite Dutch town.

Oma Dykstra send a lovely gift along for Norah's 4th birthday - which was money for Norah to buy an authentic pair of Klompen in Holland, and some ice cream. The sweetest present. So, we searched for a week and a half for proper Klompen (wooden clogs), as we didn't want to buy the fabric-slipper-kind that you see in all the souvenir shops. We wanted to find a real pair - some we could keep forever and remember our time in Holland, when Norah was this age.

Well, Dokkum was the town!
As each village did, they had their market on along the towns' canals. As we walk along, we see an old man at his stall, with piles and piles of bonafide wooden klompen!

We're still not sure why there is a small couch in the foreground. My guess is that he has actual fairy/elf shoemakers and they mistakenly let us see their couch.....

All handmade by yours truly, and only €10!  Obviously a good man for not overcharging and taking advantage of tourists. My favorite part is that they're slightly used and scuffed on the bottom.

So it was free to go up into this working windmill. Terrifying for me...but free.

Wayne's like, "Come out to the railing and wave". Me: "No, here's good!"

Us, up top. Me, envisioning a roof-collapse.

We had to climb up about 5 stories inside and each was a ladder this steep. Just a completely straight ladder with only a rope on the side to hold onto. The scary part wasn't so much getting myself up but steadying Norah in front of me, up five of these ladders and then somehow, getting her back DOWN the ladders...

it really was incredible to see this windmill working, from within it. The mill-worker (? is that right?) was in there and showed us a bit about how they mill mustard seeds, flour and cornmeal. I still have no CLUE how it all works but it's seamless and the machinery is just flawless. All hand-made, all original.

The Friesian Flag - the red 'hearts' are actually lily-pads (of all things). They're called "pompebleds" in Dutch. Norah is such a little Dutch Patriot.

I swear, this child needs an agent.

Meant to be a dancer, I know that for sure!

I am just so hip.

Nana thought she'd re-enact another one of her "Sound of Music" fantasies and wanted to roll down the dyke with Norah. Lots of giggles.