Iowa

1/02/2024 03:04:00 PM

Iowa

Location: Pella & Dubuque

When: Early November

Miles traveled: 796.2

Price of gas: 2.98 to 3.14

Interest: Windmills

High point: Laughing with chickens

Low point: Found a tick after folding just washed clothes.

Two things learned: The Vermeer Windmill is not named after the Dutch artist, Johannes Vermeer. & I think too much.

Iowa is a state of windmills, farm land, rolling hills, cows, and country roads that all look the same but somehow get you where you want to go. The sunsets are spectacular and I really liked viewing the last colorful autumn leaves against grass and farm fields. I visited Pella's Historical Dutch village, Our Lady of Mississippi Abbey just outside of Dubuque, and met up with a cousin one afternoon to decorate glass ornaments in the shape of sweaters.

Abraham and Sarah cookie molds

Pella has a beautiful town square and many interesting places are within walking distance. The Vermeer Windmill and Historical Village are one block from the center of town. Admission is required to walk around the village and tour the windmill. The self guided tour of the village covers many aspects of life for those who immigrated to Pella, Iowa. The village bakery, werkplaats, and water mill offer demonstrations during the Tulip Time festival in May and Fall Festival in September. It would have been nice to visit during one of these events, but that did not work out for me. In the bakery, wooden cookie molds hung on the walls. The molds were used for a gingerbread-like cookie or for Dutch spice cookies, sometimes known as St. Nick cookies.

In the werkplaats (translates to "work place"), Klopen/wood shoes were made out of basswood which was the best material for shoes in Netherlands' wet+damp climate. They were considered a shoe for the working class and came in a few shapes and decorations to fit the specific needs of the situation. Examples: fancy shoes for Sunday, points on the bottom for walking across ice, a pointed toe helped fishermen mend their nets, or large + heavy ones for dike workers who used their shoes and a crowbar to pry up bricks. Today Klopen are considered a safety shoe are are still used by dairy workers, fishermen, and gardeners. The shoes were sized large so that woven straw or thick socks fit inside which provided extra comfort. The gift shop sells yellow painted sets of Klopen in many sizes for a bit less than a standard price of shoes, and one rough carved shoe (as in the picture above) sells for $8. I bought one rough carved shoe and a key-chain wooden shoe as well.

Tours of the Vermeer Windmill started with a brief story of Netherlands and the immigrants who came to Pella. Next, a large room filled with miniature Dutch buildings provided a look into different aspects of life. Then, the tour entered the windmill, which is a beautiful working grain mill. Windmill ground flour is sold in the gift shop and also is used in the town's nearby bakery. The cap of the windmill can be rotated 360 degrees to ensure the sails are facing directly into the wind. On calmer days, fabric is stretched over the wooden frames, allowing the sails to catch more wind. If care is not taken when approaching a windmill with turning sails, a person could become a flying Dutchman! :)

Liturgy of the Hour schedule

A few days later, I arrived at Our Lady of the Mississippi Abbey (Mississippi river, not state), a monastery of Roman Catholic Cistercian (Trappist) nuns. I stayed at their guest house a few days, doing my best to join them for all the Liturgy of the Hours. It was challenging to stop what I was doing and join them in prayer so often during the day. The one day I managed to attend every service, from 3:45am Vigils to 7pm Compline, it felt like all I managed between was meals and a little reading. Waking up for 7:15am Lauds that day was much harder than getting up for Vigils! During my stay, I also walked around their gardens, sat with the chickens, read "Two Old Men" by Leo Tolstoy, and was given a tour of their many acres; seeing the history of the land (Native American burial mounds, stone houses, & Bald Eagle nest) and how they are trying to be it's stewards (controlled burns, native plants, & how best to respect the burial mounds). I had a nice time there, and would not mind visiting them again.

Iowa was beautiful. I'm glad I visited the windmill and it was nice to sleep in a warm guest house rather than my car for a few days. On to Illinois