White Windmill on Water with Red Roof, Leros, Greece

Windmill on the water

Asked to picture a windmill, most folks' minds will conjure up images from the plains of Holland or the writings of Cervantes. Windmills probably originated in ancient Persia, spreading across Asia well before they reached Europe. The example in our photo lies in between, situated on a European island just a few short miles from Asia. Leros is part of the Dodecanese chain of islands, which hugs the Turkish coast but is a part of Greece. It's one of many Greek isles that feature traditional medieval windmills: painted stone cylinders with conical roofs and thin-spoked sails. Built to pump water and grind grain, many of them can now be rented as vacation homes.