Kinderdijk, South Holland, The Netherlands (Sept 5th)

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(Typed at British Airways Lounge - Edinburgh, Scotland 9/16/16)

We cast off from Cologne about 11:30am, continuing our northward journey. Small towns, churches, fortresses and castles were scattered along the river.

About 3:00pm we docked at Kinderdijk, South Holland, The Netherlands. This is a UNESCO World Heritage site, where 19 windmills, built between 1738 and 1742, still line the waterways. They were the original pumps to remove water from the boggy ground and create usable land. This job for this region is now done by giant lifts that look like screws.

This was another walking tour. This one included going inside an operational windmill that once housed a family of 14. All the parts/gears are made of wood and when something wears out replacements are made the same way as in the 18th century.

The Dutch would like the world to believe they invented windmills, but the mechanism was noted for the first time in the 2nd century, then adapted for many purposes. The windmills in Kinderdijk were imported from Persia.

Our guide also mentioned that the country sent every piece of water removal equipment it had, plus several water experts, to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Gert said it was the least The Netherlands could do, since USA forces had liberated the country toward the end of WWII. This was a recurring comment in most areas where history was shared; European countries are still grateful 70+ years later.

We returned to the boat after about 5:45pm. We were to cast off at 6:00pm. Rog went to the lounge and I took a shower. While drying my hair the cabin phone rang at 6:02. The reception desk didn’t see Roger’s excursion card. Was he onboard? Yes. I sent him a text and he must have turned in his card, because we were underway at 6:06pm.

This night was the farewell dinner. Although not our last night, they’ve found that there’s too much frantic packing then. There isn’t a formal Captain’s dinner on these cruises, but passengers do dress a bit nicer for this evening.

We again enjoyed great food and pleasant company. Bedtime was about 11:00pm.

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