the elaborate figure head of the Statenjacht Utrecht, a replica of 1746
here they smoke eel
the catch of the day was auctioned here at the Visafslag
this is grandma, called Ootje
these old fishing boats are called botters
one of the many smalllift bridges
Volendam's old town is called the Maze because there never was any planned street layout
St Vincentius church
descending into the old town
it's busy in the Haven street
Volendam

Volendam used to be the harbour of Edam but in 1357 the locals dug a shorter canal to the sea making the old harbour obsolete.

They then built a dam and filled in the area, creating a new living place for farmers and fishermen called Volledam, meaning filled in dam. Over the next centuries Volendam carved out a living as a sea fishing village.

In 1932 the Afsluitdijk cut off  the fish from the North Sea, causing a collapse of the fishing industry all along the Zuiderzee.

The remaining fishers switched from herring to Eel, which earned Volendam the nickname Palingdorp, meaning Eal Village.

On New Year's Eve 2000 a fire in a cafe killed 14 and maimed dozens more.

Volendam is known for the Paling Sound, created and played by many local bands like The Cats. This may explain the unusual high cocaine and xtc residues found in the village sewage waters.

Today Volendam's main income comes from the tourist industry and we joined the crowd in August 2018.

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Volendam harbour
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the Visserman statue
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grandpa (de Bab) is not hungry today
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Volendam's sky line
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wooden shoes for tourists
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yes, there is a beach, be it a small one
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