A Casual Day (But Still Tiring in the Heat)

Maybe even a real rest day! I woke earli-ish (around nine) but then I napped and it was suddenly just shy of eleven - perhaps I'd needed some extra zzz time. Then a metro and a bus transported us to Molen van Sloten to view a working windmill. Very much more interesting than it sounds! 


When draining an area of marshland, a canal is first cut around the area. Then a windmill is built on a high part of the marsh, to pump water into the canal for removal to the sea. When the higher part of the marshland is sufficiently drained of water, a second, lower windmill is built to drain a lower section, pumping water to the first, higher windmill and then on to the sea. And so on.


The horizontal rotation of the mill blades' axle is converted to a vertical rotation down this square axle using a couple of cog wheels. An Archimedes screw (disconnected today because there has been no rain for weeks and there is no need to pump water) is able is able to move 60,000 litres/min. 


I am a little sceptical of the accuracy of this figure since it converts converts so immediately to 1 m^3/s. So, perhaps, some figure between 0.5 m^3/s and 1.45 m^3/s (between 30,000 l/min and 8700 l/min, quite a variation) depending upon the number of significant digits in the quoted figure? But that is my nerdity coming to the fore.

Nonetheless, it was a fun tour, and educational. Our guide was a spry old lady, in her seventies (I presume, maybe older, nipping up and down the steep stairs that are almost ladders) with a ready smile. 

The windmill has not been needed to be in use for a few weeks due to the recent absence of rain. This drought is affecting much of Europe, with the Rhine reducing traffic. Reports of taps running dry in Sussex (UK) today. Or was it Suffolk?

We wandered briefly through the village before returning to Amsterdam city for a visit to the Museum of Canals. Educational again, though not as compelling to me.

Then a very nice dinner with Bernd and Katja. :) 



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