I still have to read all our copies of The Daily - the printed information sheet distributed each night on the boat advising of the next day's activities, giving some details of the local area and some fun facts and figures. I have just been reading the first page for 'what's on'.
Today's second page included a story about the cat's cradle - which I didn't read before we saw a sculpture of the basket and the cat and the child on our way out to see the windmill - and it would have made more sense if I had read it first. It tells the story of how the area - Kinderdijk - was named. After a flood, a baby was floating in a cradle and the cat was there with it, and was shifting the balance of weight in it as waves hit the cradle, to make sure it stayed upright and the baby didn't fall out and drown. The baby was saved and the dyke where it was found was named 'Kinder' for child - making it Kinderdijk.
We had chosen to do the barge excursion where the barge takes you out to a windmill museum and a guide explains what it was/is like to run a windmill because they are still in operation. Sooz wasn't up to the excursion so we offered her ticket to her 'boyfriend', Jeff from Illinois, whose wife is also a Sooz although I don't know if they spell it the same way. Jeff is asthmatic so the walk to the windmills in the cold was not the best option for him, and we were glad to offer him the ticket - which he gratefully accepted. We refused their offer to pay for it because it would have gone to waste otherwise.
I don't know how I hadn't realised that windmills were about water management rather than any other kind of primary production or that it is possible for one person to change the direction and height of the sails of the windmill. It can be dangerous work though. Our guide - who grew up in a windmill and who is on the waiting list to run one - explained the operation and that she leaves a pair of long-johns on the washing line to add some authenticity to the 'tour'. And it certainly was cold. When we left the boat, there was blue sky. By the time we reached the barge, the weather had turned and there was a cold(er) mist rolling in. It made for some quite eerie pictures.
I hadn't expected to see animals there - some horses, goats and some rabbits! That kind of makes up for the ones I didn't see in Vienna.
Back on the boat, we set sail for Amsterdam, stopping off at Rotterdam on the way to pick up the folk who had gone on the cheese-making excursion. M had gone on it and has a photograph of her holding a cheese wheel - which weighed just over 12kg! Imagine lifting that up, wiping the bottom of it, putting it down, and coming back the next day to turn it over - and doing this for ALL the cheeses.
Rotterdam by night was lovely and as we waited there (the bus wasn't there when we arrived) I was thrilled to look out the window to see three white swans gliding past. I tried to get a video of them but it was a bit dark - but it was wonderful to see them.
During the night we are going to go through our last lock of the trip - and this one will take us 'up' because we are currently below sea level.
It is our last night on board and it is going to be a shame to say goodbye to Milos, who takes wonderful care of us in the dining room, and Tijana who looks after our stateroom. They are both exceptionally nice people and we left tips for both, including a handwritten note to each thanking them for their care and attention.