Ever Ready: Kinderdijk, Netherlands

Wednesday, November 21, 2018

Kinderdijk, Netherlands

DID YOU KNOW

A significant part of the Netherlands is situated up to 21 feet below sea level. The Dutch have developed an incredibly innovative and intricate system that keeps the ever-rising seawater from flooding the land.
After a massive flood in 1421, someone on the dyke saw a cradle floating on the flood waters. As it came closer a cat was seen jumping side to side to keep the water out. Inside the cradle was a cat and a baby sleeping soundly. This legend became the foundation for the English folktale, "The cat and the cradle," and gave the city its name which translates to "children's dyke."
The iconic 19 windmills of Kinderdijk were a rudimentary pumping system that helped keep the land behind the dykes dry, even though it is lower than the water level of the river.
These 19 windmills in one place make for the highest concentration of windmills in a single area in the world.
There is a waiting list to accept applicants to set up residence in a windmill anywhere from 4 to 20 years.
Windmill residents are required to run the windmill 60,000 revolutions a year.
Due to fire hazard concerns the kitchen is a separate building from the residence.

This may have been the most informative and interesting part of the tour. In morning we had a visit to these 19 windmills which really was mind blowing. The living space inside was so tight hard to imagine a family living comfortably there. And when the windmills blades revolve its quite dangerous to be close by.
Outside each windmill there was a yard with a garden, tool shed and even a chicken coop.

At the end of the canal was a parking lot in which residents have to park. And then they take their bicycle with a cart attached to the back to take supplies to their home on the bike path.
I will say my bubble was burst over this whole operation when I heard really these machines
in photo below are doing the work of 19 windmills and maintaining the windmills are just a another way to preserve the Dutch heritage.

In the afternoon we were bused to a different location off the North Sea called "The Delta Works."
It is a very complex series of construction projects in the Netherlands to protect a large area of land around the Rhine-Meuse-Scheldt delta from the sea. The works consists of dams, sluices,locks, dykes, levees and the famous storm surge barriers. It was been declared one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World by the American Society of Civil Engineers. It was difficult to take any photos that would even do justice to the whole operation.

I highly recommend watching this video from the CBS Special (Sept, 2018) on the Delta Works for a better overview. It's such an interesting project.
https://www.cbs.com/shows/60_minutes/video/dEYC_Xf3G19069XuByZqupNcta3LtD_t/henk-ovink-and-the-dutch-solution-to-flooding/

We got back to the ship just in time for a 7 yes a 7 course meal for their farewell dinner. Now that is a whole blog in itself for a later date. But you need to know the meal was capped off with a spectacular baked Alaska brought out into the dining room with kitchen crew in a blaze of sparklers.