WINDMILLS IN HOLLAND (NETHERLANDS)

Today we visited the UNESCO World Heritage Sight with 18 windmills from the 17th and 18th century.  About half of The Netherlands is built on land below sea level.  Their solution was to build dikes and use windmills to pump the water out of the ponders (the reclaimed parcels of land) back into the ocean; the result, dry land. The windmills were built in the 1600's and 1700's.  Their function has been replaced  by electric pumps but the windmills are still beautiful.  Here are some pictures from the day.

A BRICK WINDMILL

A WOODEN WINDMILL

THIS GEAR IS ABOUT 15 FEET ACROSS

THIS FAMILY LIVED IN THE BRICK WINDMILL

THE KITCHEN FOR THE WINDMILL (NO FIRES ALLOWED IN WINDMILL)

SIZE 8.5

THE MODERN SCREW PUMPS THAT GET THE WATER OUT OF THE PONDER

A BARGE OF JOHN DEERE TRACTORS ON THE RHINE RIVER

These two ladies are from Philadelphia.  They were both raised in the USSR.  They came to America, in 1980,  became citizens, became hair dressers, (one of whom was a pharmacist in Russia)  were successful enough to come on a river cruise today.  They love America and have lived the American dream.

GERMANY IS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RED BRIDGE.