Harlemmermeer Museum de Cruquius with Elisabeth

Cruquius Museum- The largest steam engine in the world along with two other similar pumps 

emptied out Lake Harlem in three years and three months in 1849. Hoofddorp where I am staying and many other towns and Schiphol airport were built on the reclaimed land. 

3 years and 3 months  to empty Harlem Lake (Harlemmermeer)

4 meters below sea level

Now it is only a museum.

Picture of different levels of land.

Many displays

Models

The big mechanism came from England.

Many signs 

Explanation in Dutch

Children looking down at te water

Up and down to force water up out of the lake

I took many videos to show the action.

This big part went up and down on the cylinder as well as the big arms above and the water holes outside.

Other displays

Wind power to steam power to water power to electric and gas power over the years
 

Another steam pump with big wooden wheel

Selfie by big wheel

Many photos and explanations

Elisabeth and I also watched a short video. Then she went downstairs on the motorized chair lift. I stayed and took some more photos and then went to meet her.

The BIG wheel

Model

I had to return one more time looking for Elisabeth's black purse but it turned out it was right beside her. We had a coffee and hot chocolate and I had a treat and we talked.

We stayed and stayed.

She was talking of her past rough life having lived in a concentration camp from age 5 to 10, having 2 autistic children, one of whom died at age 4 and the other who she has not seen for forty years and having a husband who ran away with another woman. At age 65 she was tired of life and wanted to end it but stopped because she felt God had a reason for her to still be here. 

We decided to order and split a salad and kept talking about our beliefs. The salad was nice with dufferent greens and strawberries, blueberries and nuts.

.

We landed up moving inside after for a tea and coffee and talked until it was time for her to go. We talked about the rapture and salvation and revelation and more.  I walked her to her car and we made plans to call the following Saturday. After backing into some fencing a little she left and I bicycled home but passed the house and kept going to the end of IJweg to the parking lot by the airport.