Delft Pottery, Cheese & Windmills

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The ship arrived in Rotterdam this morning (not a mediaeval city - it was bombed in the second world war so mostly quite modern!) and we headed in different directions.

Maurice went to Gouda, for a city tour, to make a stroopwafel, and to taste cheese (including marijuana cheese!!).

After a bus tour around Rotterdam, I went to Delft, yep, you guessed it, a walking tour!! After the guide showed us around, managed to find a cheese shop that was offering tastings, (coconut one was not so good) and an ice cream shop that was pretty good. We then went to the Royal Delft Blue pottery factory for a tour - interesting to see how it is made. The most expensive items are hand made and hand painted, then there are items that are painted using a transfer, but still hand made. Then there is the cheap stuff made in a factory in Asia - which they also sell in the shop at the end of the tour!

Back to the ship for lunch, then sailed to Kinderdijk - a UNESCO World Heritage listed site that has 19 windmills dating from the 18th century. A tour around the site, a short movie about the history of Kinderdijk and windmills, and then going into one of the windmills they have set up as a museum.

This evening we had the Captain's Farewell cocktail party in the lounge where we were introduced to all the staff (except for the one who was driving the boat!). There are 50 crew on board, with 14 different nationalities, and the biggest group were the chefs! And any that I have had contact with have been great.

Dinner tonight was at the Chef's Table restaurant (a small restaurant at the back of the boat) which seats only about 30 people, and serves a tasting menu, with paired wine. Amazing food! Then, a local singer in the lounge, singing songs from musicals!

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