Friesland - one of the northern provinces of the Netherlands (as distinct from Holland which comprises the middle and southern provinces of The Netherlands) has its own distinct language and culture. This is where my roots are... Here are some random views while roaming around villages and towns

5506   One evening we went shopping in the little village of Woudsend for supplies, then along side the quay that crosses the main street at the bridge, Jane and I found a nice little cafe for a cup of coffie

5503   The quay in the little village of Woudsend - in the distance is a windmill that (unlike most other windmills in Holland) is not used for pumping water - this is a sawmill which has been restored and is still in operation and open to viewers on Saturdays when the wind is right. We'll get to the sawmill aspect in a moment, but right now I'm intrigued by that innocent looking vehicle parked along the quayside behind the second lamp-post.

5537   Parked along the quayside in a little Frisian village... At first sight this would appear to be an Aston Martin DB5. This conclusion is based on the legend "superleggera" visible on the chrome decoration over the air vent behind the front wheel. The DB6 looks very similar but was a later model - slightly longer and not built using the superleggera method of steel tubes covered with an aluminium skin. However - a quick check against the Dutch number plate reveals that this car claims to be an Aston Martin DB6 Volante, first registered in 1967 That date would make it a DB6, but it is clearly not a "Volante" model as it is not a convertible with open top, but has a hard-top roof, and the superleggera body was replaced by other construction methods that year. So what gives? Is it a DB5 but mis-registered with the authorities as a 1967 DB6, or a DB6 with a retrofitted superleggera  escutcheon? In neither case is it "Volante". Is it James Bond living here in obscure retirement? Is it a SMERSH agent, posing as Bond (James Bond...)   Or perhaps William and Kate are here on a secret honeymoon, having borrowed one of his Dad's other cars - The Volante would be too recognizable after they left their church wedding in it like this   Very likely it is a hard-top DB6 like this one - there is one like this for sale in Sassenheim (couple of hours drive south...) if you have around €375,000 or about $550,000. This particular example is the one shown in the relevant wikipedia article.

5541   The sawmill in Woudsend seen from a different angle - notice the tree trunks that have been hauled up onto the platform ready to be pulled into the mill for sawing.

5543   The sawmill in Woudsend seen from a the other side - the ground-floor structure houses some of the working machinery of the mill as well as storage for newly sawn planks

5549   The main sawing floor of the mill where a tree trunk is paased slowly through multiple parallel sawblades to be cut up into planks

5567   Here a log is slowly being pressed through the sawblades which are oscillating up and down - powered by the sails of the windmill.

5558   Looking down on the canal from the windmill's platform.

5571   Looking back from the windmill towards the main street through Woudsend.

5521   Visited Stavoren with Tim - a boat is setting out from the harbor for the Zuyder Zee

5525   Like many towns in Friesalnd, there is a small central waterway with houses on either side.

5526   Near the harbor was Tim's destination - a favorite "Fish & Chips" tent. I was surprised to see "Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream" here - a brand whose image in the U.S.A. is "small hand-made craftsman product from New England". Clearly it is multinational...

5528   In the harbor in Stavoren.

5536

5629   The next day we explored Lemmer. Like Stavoren, this is an old harbor town on the Zuyder Zee where canal access is via a lock to protect the inland waterways from tidal action.

5631   Downtown Lemmer

5636   Downtown Lemmer

5642   This boat was parked in downtown Lemmer and marked "For Sale"

5645   Front view of the same boat, parked in downtown Lemmer and marked "For Sale"

5657

5669   We then explored the little village of Sloten where we came across a Rally of old-timer bromfietsen. The one nearest to the camera is a "tandem" (2 person) from just after the war.

5678   Downtown Sloten

5679   The Mill in Sloten

5683   Downtown Sloten

5694   Downtown Sloten

5745   The next day went to explore Harlingen with Jitze & Joltje

5758   Harlingen

5759   Harlingen

5768   Harlingen

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