This morning we sail to Kinderdijk, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, for a tour of this ingenious network of windmills and other flood management devices. You learn why the windmills were built and see how they work, plus you enter a working windmill for a tour of its mechanisms and living quarters. Return on board for lunch and an enjoyable afternoon of Dutch diversions: sample handcrafted Dutch cheeses and jenever, a distilled juniper liquor, and take in a culturally enriching presentation on the Dutch Golden Age. We cruise through the night. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner).

Excursion included (Monday August 15, 8:30 am, 2 hours) Kinderdijk Windmills: the largest concentration of windmills in the Netherlands. See the picturesque Dutch countryside and the original technological marvels of historic Kinderdijk, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You will walk with your guide into the serene polder lands of South Holland. As you cross the dike to the windmills, you will notice that they in fact are at a lower elevation than your ship, as much of this part of The Netherlands is below sea level. Built in the mid-18th century, these 19 windmills, the largest concentration in The Netherlands, stand like sentinels on a hushed landscape. You will learn why they were built and see firsthand how they work, even stepping into a working windmill to observe its mechanics and living quarters. Families who live in these mills are required to keep them in working order. This excursion provides a revealing look at these marvelous buildings that helped shape the legendary Dutch landscape. Duration: 2 hours

(Reserved: Jim & Barbara)

 

OUR EXPERIENCE

There was no sailing to Kinderdijk since our ship could not travel on the Rhine. Instead, we would take a bus from Amsterdam to Kinkerjijk to see the windmills and then travel to Cologne to stay at the Marriott Hotel. Our luggage was sorted according to groups assigned (blue, green, purple, white). By 8:30 we were traveling on the blue bus southeast past The Hague and Rotterdam on the way to Kinderdijk, a 90 minute journey. This was to be our first excursion with listening devices and a guide. We snapped pictures at the first sight of the windmills then followed the guide to a gift shop, more windmills, and a windmill tour complete with a windmill operator.

 

 

By 11:45 we were back on the bus travelling to Dordrecht for lunch. Bev toasted lunchtime as we enjoyed a delicious French mustard vegetable soup, BBQ chicken with fresh vegetables and cheesecake for dessert.

 

We fought off bees as we ate and one stung me as I swiped at him. Before returning to the busses for a three hour ride to Cologne, the Viking cruise crowd scampered down a circular staircase to two very crowded restrooms.

When our bus arrive in Cologne, we had some free time to explore on our own. Barbara and I took a short walk to a nearby train station that was filled with shops for travelers. In search of a compact backpack, I found one in a sport shop featuring the local Cologne football team, FC Köln or FC Cologne in English. Now I would fit in with the locals:

 

We returned to the hotel in time for a "Port Talk" by Matt, our Program Director who was constantly busy trying to keep everyone happy with a bus tour instead of a River Cruise. He planned each day as best he could. He reserved excellent hotels and planned sumptuous meals.