Houses that are built on sand in the Netherlands - particularly those occupying the sandy ridge that runs parallel with the sea to the West command higher prices than those built on the boggy peat and mud further inland. In a country where there is almost no rock sub-strata, sand foundations are highly prized. Close to the town of Abcoude trucks and diggers dumped and compacted sand ready to build on, the contours of this tyre marked terrain picked out nicely in the afternoon sunlight.
