0 Zaanse Schans: The Windmills!

Everything I read online said that Zaanse Schans is the place to go for an easy day trip to see windmills.  I love windmills, so of course I wasn't going to pass them up in Holland!  We took the train, an easy 20 minute journey which only cost €6.30 each return (roundtrip).  The train drops off in the village of Zaandijk, but signs point the way to Zaanse Schans, which is a 10 minute walk through the village and across a bridge- all of which give picturesque views!
(Oh- we also walked by a delicious little bakery, where we bought some cookies, chocolate, and tasty cakes!)

 De Bleek Dood, a flour mill, was the first windmill we saw, on the Zaandijk side of the water.

As we proceeded across the bridge to Zaanse Schans, the sky looked bleak and grey.  

Zaanse Schans is a very picturesque village, with many shops, windmills, and workshops open to the public.  There are some private homes, though (seen here) and I wondered about these people's lives, lived so closely to thousands of tourists every day.  I know I wouldn't want people photographing and walking past my windows everyday...

This was a spice mill, and it smelled AMAZING.  Mostly cinnamon, but a good mix of other spices, too- all for sale in the shop. This mill was the only one free to enter, and had an extensive shop, where I promptly paid for our visit many times over!

The houses across the river.

De Zoeker, an oil mill, was making peanut oil.  A lengthy process that involved grinding, pounding, mashing, and roasting, the by-product mash of the oil-less peanuts becomes feed for cows.

The skies cleared up a bit for us, which I was excited about!