Zons

After seeing Cochem on Saturday, we were still feeling the need to check out more of the German countryside, so we headed to the sleepy town of Zons on Sunday afternoon. Just about 45 minutes from Düsseldorf, this very quaint village had something we had seen from the highway on a previous daytrip: a gigantic windmill (Is that redundant? I suppose all windmills are mostly large ones). Upon our arrival in Zons, we headed directly to this feature attraction.



I must confess, I have never seen a windmill in person, let alone a medieval one that I could actually walk inside. Those things are amazing! I also realized that this tourist site was a bit “off the beaten path” because as we proceeded to enter the windmill, we noticed three local ladies sitting around a card table with a metal cashbox. (Brought back memories of sitting on Gingerbread Trail house porches in Waxahachie selling tour tickets). For the bargain basement price of 0.60 euros, or about 85 cents, we had our tickets in hand and began the climb to the top of the windmill. What a deal!

The windmill actually has five levels:

* the basement floor, or entry into the windmill
* floor 1 - area where grain is sacked

* floor 2 – area where grain is crushed by these huge mortar and pestle things that actually extend to the top of the windmill.

* floor 3 – area where the gears operating the grinding arms are located

* floor 4 – area where the huge crank wheel is located. This wheel is turned by the windmill arms on the outside of the windmill and gives the mill its power.

To move from one floor to the next, we were required to climb narrow, steep ladders (see photo with Buddy for a look at the ladders). As we reached the top floor, as if on cue, the wind picked up the outside windmill arms and began to rotate them. Of course, these arms no longer operated the gears inside the mill, but it was still quite fascinating to see the arms whirling by (each floor had a little window that you could look out).

This charming village also has a fabulous church (in which we entered and listened to a bit of an organ recital), an old fortress wall that still surrounds the entire city, and several old lookout towers…here is a view from the top of the windmill.