On Day 7, the last full day of our Rhine River Cruise, in the afternoon we left Amsterdam to travel to see some windmills in the rural north.
Zaanse Schans, which is north west of Amsterdam, is the Netherlands in a nutshell. Here, in an area consisting of authentic houses, a historic shipyard, a pewter factory, a cheese and dairy farm, an age-old grocery store, clog-making demonstrations, and 6 windmills, you can get a vivid impression of the Dutch way of life in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Some 250 years ago, well over 600 windmills were cramped into this relatively small area, performing a wide range of industrial duties, such as producing shelves, paint, mustard, oil and paper. Today the mills offer wonderful views, plus three of them are open to visitors. (12-10-13-4880)
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