Whilst on the Belgium/Northern France border one August, we stumbled upon a little traditional windmill that appeared to be working. When we ventured up the hill and into the farm, we found a huge birthday party in progress. It was the local community (many outlying farms and several villages) celebrating the 200somethingth birthday of the windmill. It's used several times a year for grinding wheat for special celebration breads. They had been grinding earlier that morning and were baking bread made from the flour they produced, and in the resulting smoke, were smoking hams, sausages and garlic.

I went up the windmill, right into the crown, where there was '1802' carved into a beam that had been a repair. This windmill saw Napoleon's army march across France, the Kaisers' and Hitlers armies in bloody, muddy battle (Poperinge and Ypres are about 15-20km away), and was being given a birthday party by the grateful people who owed it their living.

Wonder how many 'elegant' turbines will get a 200th birthday party?

LTS