Reitsum day 2

Today we explored a bit of Friesland. It is a beautiful and fascinating area. Not far from where we are staying is the De Heining Pumping station. It’s one of the giant pumping stations that is used to pump water from the lakes and canals and reclaimed farm land out to the salt marsh on the other side of the dike.

Giant screws used to pump water
Salt marsh

Next we went to the village of Minnertsga where one of my distant ancestors, Hendrick Epke Banta was born. The writing on the stone next to the door of the church says the tower was built in 1505. The drive through the villages and farmland to get there was fun.

Giant draft horse we saw on the way.
Windmill and wind turbine
The church in Minnertsga

The sandstone plaque by the front door

Our last stop on our exploration was the Fries Museum in Leeuwarden It all about the history and people of Friesland.

An old map of Friesland
Originally the towns in Friesland were built on mounds to protect them from flooding. Now the mounds provide archaeological finds.

We had dinner in the nearby town of Dokkum at Grand Café de Waugh

grand Café de Waugh
My chefs special pork
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Author: marionvermazen

I am a traveler, hiker, avid reader, Sun alumnus, computer geek, Spanish and French language student, knitter and genealogist. I am retired after working for almost 30 years in the Computer Industry. I live in Reno, Nevada with my husband Duke.

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