John H. wrote:
We didn't get out to the North Sea, but we did manage to go for a nice little ride
around Stolwijk. Here we're leaving the town with the slanted church steeple,
Stolwijk. The guy in front is my good friend Adri. The 'Captain' is his grandson,
Tim.The slanted steeple is visible for miles, so it's hard to get lost on a bike
ride.

http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l2...d/P1010436.jpg

A short jaunt brings us to a rare sight, a foundry metal drawbridge built in the
early 1800's. This used to be a toll bridge, but now is free. There are only two of
these remaining in the region.

http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l2...d/P1010439.jpg

Muskrat traps are common along the waterways. Professional muskrat hunters set and
monitor the traps. One might wonder what's so important about muskrats, until
realizing the damn things build tunnels in land bordering water. That includes dikes.
All of the area you can see in the pictures is below the level of the rivers
surrounding this area.

Mama duck isn't fond of boats. The picture gives a good idea of what the terrain is
like in the 'Krimpenerwaard', a region in South Holland. A nice site for some
information on the area is:

http://www.b2bplaza.com/gebied/nieko/body__english.htm

Seems like labs are the same everywhere. Thought maybe this was Greg whipping by us
with his hound up front. But he's only got one.

http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l2...d/P1010442.jpg

Of course, no Holland trip would be complete without a picture of a windmill. This
one just happened to be in the right place at the right time.

http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l2...d/P1010445.jpg

That's it, trip's over.

Looks like an interesting place with a ton of history.