The last afternoon of our cruise we stop at Kinderdijk to visit the windmills. Living below sea level and therefore the constant pumping out of water so they are not flooded is fascinating. The fact that people still live in many of them is surprising to me especially as when you are inside them they are very noisey when operating and full of low beams and ladders to get around. It was however a great change from cathedrals and castles and was a lovely afternoon.
WH and I ditch the tour group and walk further along the canals. The sun is shining which feels good as it’s the first time in a few days. Our weather luck has run out and looking forward it only gets worse, so I shan’t look.
I have enjoyed the cruise but am pleased to be getting off. I have found the ship too small, too loud, too hi de hi camper. On the cruise ship although it wasn’t big there were lots of places to eat, to escape to, to move away if you wanted to but on the river cruise its more difficult. There were some quite big groups made up of 8 or ten or one of 12 travelling together and they seemed to overpower the spaces and you couldn’t escape them.
We managed to be on there a week and only once eat in the restaurant, a breakfast. Every other days we ate in the less formal bistro which only seated 16. The food was always good and there we got to know some other diners who liked the same casualness of it and of course the staff. The staff are brilliant, incredibly efficient and always friendly. Only 5 nights until we leave for home, but who’s counting.
