Kinderdjik and an afternoon and evening at sea - December 3rd

The ship docked briefly at Rotterdam to drop off those who were doing the cheese farm tour, then went on to Kinderdijk where we met our guide and walked a short distance to the World Heritage site with 90 windmills built as early as the 1600's and into the 1700's. All are still in working order and there are families who live on site and maintain and run the windmills to keep them operational.  It was another cold day, 36 degrees,panda windy with a light rain falling.  Good thing we kept walking, that helped me keep warm.  It was interesting to hear the stories of why these were built and what is now being used to manage the water that would cause severe flooding if not carefully managed.

Modern solutions for water management

Solutions from the past

This is the apparatus that turns the top of the windmill to catch the best wind

After the tour we walked back to the ship and participated in a safety drill, followed by lunch and some time socializing with folks from our tour and others who are on the cruise.  We left Kinderdijk at 12:30 heading to Cologne for our adventures tomorrow.  We will sail overnight and be dropped off at the city of Zus tomorrow at 9.  From there it's a 30 minute bus ride to the city center.  

I ended up taking a short nap today.  I guess the time change is still bothering me.  We had another delicious dinner, Chateaubriand, not something I would get in my every day life.  About 9:30 we left the Netherlands and are now in German waters.  

One of the fun things we got to do today was go to the bridge.  I was surprised to find no wheel and lots of technology.  The captain or crew sit in a chair and keep an eye on three large screens with all kinds of information.  Most of the time the ship runs on auto pilot, so they only use manual controls when passing another ship or docking. 

We ended the day with a Christmas quiz in the lounge, which our team won.  We also decorated ornaments and hung them on a tree in the lounge.

Jackie has a few pictures I will share later. The Internet connection wasn't great last night.