zondag 3 juli 2011

Czar Peter The Great of Russia

During the investigations on my motortrips on the trail of Napoleon Bonaparte I met in Zaandam (north of Amsterdam) with the little house of Peter the Great (1672 - 1725). He was the first Russian Czar who was interested in all the things abroad. So he went to Holland to learn the skills of a carpenter in shipbuilding.
He was incognito and he stayed in 1697 for 8 days in this little wooden house, existing of two rooms, two windows, a stove place and a little wooden comparment for sleeping.
After that days he was unhappily recognized. He felt sorry about that!





The litlle house is now (2011) covered with a stone house for protection.
Of course a lot of celebrated visitors were here. Between 1806 and 1810 King Louis Napoleon, the first King of Holland, entered this house. His brother Napoleon I did also on the 13th of October 1811.
After him all the Dutch kings and queens wrote their names in the book of visitors!

GPS in Google Earth: N 52 26.244  E 4 49.413