Before arriving in The Netherlands, I had asked a few friends where I might be able to find a woman dressed in traditional dutch clothing.  They suggested that I visit the nearby fishing village, Volendam.  Having no concrete plan of action, I packed my camera and paper and went to the station.  I bought my ticket and made my way up to the bus terminal.  Finding the bus I needed, I approached where he was parked. I was early, so he pointed to where I needed to wait.  I walked over to the platform.  After a few minutes, he started the bus and drove directly past me. Great. I had to wait an hour for the next bus to arrive.  Over the course of that time, I learned that the bus stops just around the corner from where I was standing.  When the next bus came, I got on and finally made my way to Volendam.

As we left the city and entered the dutch countryside, the landscape became inspiring.  It’s no wonder why Van Gogh and his dutch painting counterparts were so drawn to the country’s lush landscape.  When we arrived at our final destination, the bus stopped right in front of the Volendam Museum. Still unsure as to how I was going to meet a woman to photograph, I figured that the museum seemed like a viable first option.  The walls inside were lined with books, pictures and historic artifacts.  There was a register atop a glass case I encountered upon entry.  A woman came over to greet me.  I explained the project to her and asked if she might know of anywhere I could find a traditionally dressed woman.  She replied that her colleague was just in the back and she was dressed in a traditional costume, about to give a tour to a family of tourists. The woman went in the back for a moment and returned with Eefie.

I explained the project to them both and Eefie agreed to be a part of it.  Her tour was about to start so she instructed me to return in an hour and half.  Perfect. That would buy me some time to wander the village and look for a location.  I walked to the main part of town, a quaint seaside village with colorful houses.  Shops and seafood restaurants dominated the coastline.  I walked into one of the shops and asked the woman working there where I could find the closest windmill.  There wasn’t one in the village but nearby just outside of town.

I followed a path along the water and left the village.  I walked along a grass field to the left and a busy country road to the right.  After 20 minutes or so I reached a large open pasture with a farmhouse and an old wooden windmill.  I was beautiful, better than I could have imagined.  I spent some time exploring different angles along the property, walking down a dirt road I came across a stream and a dilapidated fence. It would make for a perfect location.  I walked back to the museum and arrived just on time.  Eefie was of course familiar with the windmill.  I told her that I'd call us a cab so that she didn’t have to walk but she told me that she'd call her husband and he could give us a ride.  She gathered her belongings and her colleagues fixed her bonnet.  I shamelessly asked her about wearing wooden shoes.  She mentioned that they weren’t worn with that dress but brought a black pair along anyway.

Her husband arrived to take us to the windmill. He was friendly and quite curious about the project.  We talked a bit and he was happy his wife was chosen to be a part of it.  When we got to the windmill, I instructed him to follow the dirt road and pull over just past the stream.  Eefie and I got out of the car and I had her stand in a grassy area juxtaposed against the windmill in the distance.  The photoshoot happened quickly.  Happy with the results, we got back in the car and drove to the museum.  

Eefie gave me a tour of the place.  Her knowledge and passion for the history of the village were astounding.  We went through, room by room and she gave me an extensive lesson into the Volendam culture.  She showed me a typical historic home, taught me about the local fishing industry and gave insight into the traditions of the past.  She even showed me a section of a wall that was excavated from a home, decorated completely with cigar wrappers.  As a souvenir, she even gifted me with a few of the cigar wrappers.  After we finished the tour, I set up the paper and paint. Eefie offered me a coffee.  We chatted a bit longer and she painted her line.  I thanked her for all of her knowledge and returned to Amsterdam.  Two days later, I would travel to Belgium, or so I thought.