Q: Does Apple not understand the concept of cloud?

I upload my photos from my ipad to the icloud photo stream. I log in to the desktop app for icloud photos on my windows 10 PC. There are ZERO pictures to be found in any logical space. WHERE ARE THEY? Why is this so difficult? Every other cloud in the universe works "upload photos. THERE THEY ARE!!" How many hoops do I have to jump through to find where apple is hiding our photos????