Monday 11 July 2022 Enroute Kinderdijk

 

When we awoke this morning, we were still sailing. The weather is cool and cloudy again and was even foggy for a while. There were occasional small groups of cattle or horses by the shore. It seemed odd to me that most of the cattle were lying down. At home it seems that most stand grazing, while only a few lay down.

Around lunch time we briefly docked at a small town where several people, including Carla and Tyler, got off for a tour about Dutch cheese making. They visited a farm where various aspects of cheese making, storage, and aging were explained, and they ate some samples. It was OK, but they had hoped for better. For Carla, the worst part was the bus ride.

After dropping off the cheese tour our ship carried on to the Kinderdijk Windmills. Carla and Tyler’s group also joined us there after their tour. These windmills date to the 1700s and were used to pump water out of low-lying areas. A windmill generally lifts water about three feet/one metre. So, a series of windmills pumps water in a series of steps over the dike into the river. We were able to tour inside one of the windmills.

 

Tyler announced today that he has been suffering with a cold since day one also, but he is so used to dealing with allergy symptoms that he has been able to manage pretty well with medication. Meanwhile, Carla has been suffering with her usual discomforts. She has been trying to avoid scents and enduring ship vibration and bus rides.

A Comment About Cleanliness

The Germans have a well-deserved reputation for keeping their property neat and clean. I have been in many small German towns and villages, and they are invariably picture perfect. My recent experience with cities has been less perfect, however. They do make the attempt. I note that street cleaners went by our hotel in Munich very early every morning. But there are a few factors, primarily human behaviour, working against them.

Beer seems to be virtually always in glass bottles, so bottles are often left standing on the street and broken glass is common. Many streets and sidewalks are cobblestones. The spaces between the stones can fill up with cigarette butts, bottle caps, and broken glass.