Zaanse Schans Windmills...

Also in mid-May, I went with a small group from the AWC to Zaanse Schans, one of the Netherland’s most popular tourist attractions. I had only visited once before during our first winter in the country.

Built in 1961, this open air museum recreates a colorful living and working neighborhood reminiscent of the 18th and 19th centuries. Many of the buildings were relocated from around the region on flatbed trucks.

There were once 600 active windmills in the region. We visited one of the smaller windmills, which was used to grind spices, but opted not to pay the extra fees to visit the other windmills.