Kinderdijk, Netherlands

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Before I write anything else, a correction- cheers is German is Prost, not Brost, as a reader (thank you Ferguson, who ever you are...) so kindly pointed out to me... Holland- the land of windmills- We started spotting these tell tale icons shortly after dawn, through the mist and the fog. The air is damp and the skies are dark with threats of rain but of course, water is what this country has dealt with for centuries. The landscape has changed overnight. The hills and vineyards of Germany have been replaced by flat plains splattered with windmills and wind generators. The waterways are busier today too. There are many ferries, barges hauling coal and tankards of gasoline and chemicals. It is easier to transport this by water than land. Our stop today was in Kinderdijk, a world heritage site because of the 16 operational windmills that still stand there. The ingenuity of these machines is intriguing. Our guide told us that the mills today are built with the same engineering designs as in the 1700's. They are so efficient, no changes to improve the functionality have been made. In order to be a miller, 2 years of education is required, which includes not only learning how to run the windmill but also gain a sound understanding of the water systems, how to read the weather and anticipate the effect of rain on the water levels. Since 25% of the Netherlands lies below sea level, water management is imperative to the economic survival of this country. We sail tonight and will arrive in Amsterdam in the wee hours of the morning. We will raise one last glass of cheer with our new found friends. It has been a wonderful trip. Viking River Cruises has met all of our expectations. Thank you to the staff- Mihai our cabin stewart, Johnny the drink mixer extraordinaire, Lazlo tinkler of of ivory keys, Attila with the dry sense of humor, Caitlin the cruise director and all the others who have added to this most enjoyable way of seeing the sights and wonders of the Danube, the Maine and Rhine. Tonight we busy ourselves with getting our bags ready as the end of this leg of our trip draws near and new adventures in the land of zebras, elephants and wildebeests beckon to us. Mouahhh MnA

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Comments

[Bethany]

wow!
Loving your blog Michelle! Thank you for taking us with you! Safe travels as you move on to Africa!