Our final day on the Viking Magni was Saturday, July 29, and we were in a new country, the Netherlands. The morning was spent sailing the bucolic waters of the Rhine deep into the Rhine-Meuse-Scheldt Delta, through classic Dutch landscapes. In the rainy, early afternoon, we landed in Kinderdijk, and Daisy and I joined our shipmates for an included shore excursion.
Day 14, Saturday, July 29
Of course my day started with a meager breakfast. Daisy decided to sleep in, so I was on my own this morning. We were still cruising and had not arrived at our dock for the day. I had a good meal of hot tea, pickled herring, bacon, scrambled eggs, mushrooms, melon, and pastry.
By lunch time Daisy was looking forward to a light meal.
Shrimp cocktail and melon and ham came from the buffet.
From the waiter we ordered from the chef freshly prepared Rigatoni Alla Romana which featured spinach added to prosciutto, garlic. and pasta.
For dessert there was Dutch stroopwafel with ice cream.
Soon after lunch we docked, and from the ship we took a short walk to the windmills.
Located where the Lek and Noord Rivers meet, Kinderdijk is a village among low-lying tracts of land reclaimed from the sea by the power of water-pumping windmills and enclosed by dikes.
Kinderdijk is most known for its 19 remarkably preserved mid-18th-century windmills, which caused this area to be named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The windmills are at a lower elevation than the river, because much of this part of the Netherlands is below sea level.
The windmills of Kinderdijk were used by the Dutch to assist in their fight against the sea by pumping water out of the low lands through a series of canals and reservoirs then back into the sea so that the low lands could be farmed and houses built. They are used to drain and protect the developed land areas. The windmills can also be used for milling corn and lumber. This is the only place in the world with so many windmills so close together.
It was raining on the day of our tour, but this was one of the things I especially wanted to see on this river cruise. One of the windmills is open for tours, and we were able to climb the steep ladder-like stairs to see the mechanical workings as well as the living quarters of the family who kept the mill in working order. This particular one we visited highlighted one family that lived there. They had 13 children in a crowded area.
This photo shows part of the very small living room, and the next photo is a recessed bed for the parents, covered by a curtain. No space for a king-sized bed, and certainly not a master bedroom!
Next is an example of a child’s bed, again built into the wall. It reminded us of a bunk bed in an RV. The dining room table was also a work table.
We saw windmills from a number of different angles, and from any perspective it was a dramatic view.
Before we left this area I asked the guide about the unusual name for the area and its windmills. Here is the story that he related..
There was a major storm causing flooding in 1421 which threatened the windmills and dikes in the area. When the terrible storm with its high winds subsided, a man went to check on the stability of a canal dike between two areas that were used as holding ponds to see what could be saved. As he neared the dike, he saw a wooden child's cradle floating on the water in the canal. As it came nearer, some movement was detected. He saw a cat in the cradle trying to keep it in balance by jumping back and forth so that no water could get into it. As the cradle eventually came close enough to the dike for the inspector to pick up the cradle, he saw that a baby girl was quietly sleeping inside it, nice and dry.It seems that the cat had kept the cradle balanced and afloat. The dike and area was identified since then as “children’s dike” or Kinderdijk.
There was a bus waiting for a small group of us to take an optional tour to learn about Dutch cheese making. We drove through the countryside and saw attractive houses on the banks of the canals.
This was definitely an agricultural area, and we saw fields of corn and wheat and dairy cows grazing in the meadows.
Our destination was the Kuiper Cheese and Dairy Farm in the municipality of Giessenlanden. Jan and Thera Kuiper’s ancestors have farmed in this area for several generations, and in 1975 they started their own cheese factory. They raise 150 calves and milk 250 dairy cows. Thera gave us a tour of the factory and described the cheese-making process.
The base cheese that they make is gouda, and they use many different flavorings to add variety. After we sampled a large number of their cheeses, we bought a two-pound round of Paprika Garlic Gouda to bring home.
In addition to touring the cheese factory, we also got to see the barns where the cows and calves spend part of their time. There was even a “maternity ward” where the cows who were about to calve could be closely monitored.
While we were touring, our ship had sailed to Rotterdam, and our bus took us there to meet it. This was our last night on the ship, and we were on board in time for the Farewell Dinner. All four courses were excellent, and the Surf and Turf entrée featured a perfectly-cooked filet mignon and lobster tail. It was accompanied by a full-bodied French Burgundy.
Salmon Tartar and Pumpkin Mousse Ravioli with Lamb Loin and sweet chili sauce
Surf and Turf with vegetables Julienne, truffled potato mash, and a red wine sauce. Dessert: Chocolate Tart
The best part of the dinner, though, was time spent with special friends we had made on this wonderful journey. This was our last night on the ship. Our last river port would be Amsterdam.
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