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Monday 14th April 2014
We woke early to a sunny morning but there dark clouds too, also a cold lazy wind. Still moored in the Amsterdam port.
We are off this morning on our first cruise tour, we're onto a coach and driving about 10 km north of Amsterdam to Zaanse Schans Zaandam. Around 1920 there were only about 50 windmills left of the 1000 that had made the Zaan district the oldest industrial society area of the world. In 1925 De Zaansche Molen Society was formed to preserve the remaining windmills and a working village was created. Each of the windmills is lived in and run as a family business, sons are now following on in the family tradition, a two year apprenticeship is served in learning how to run a windmill.
The windmill village is very interesting and we climbed right to the top of one, view was good but oh so windy and cold. Back on the coach for an hour's drive to re-board our boat that had left Amsterdam and had headed south to the Rhine Canal and was moored just below our first lock we were to go through. Most of Holland is very flat we noticed as we drove along in the coach, lots of canals everywhere, and very green, the soil looks to be fertile, with many fruit trees and market gardens.
Back on board and ready for lunch, we decided on the light lunch today, but that was still sumptuous and I couldn't resist the crème brulee' just magnificent!! It will be a strict diet when we get home and at least an hours morning walk!!
We soon cast off from shore and this was the first time we had experienced the boat moving, it's so smooth and if couldn't actually see the scenery passing by you would hardly know we were moving. No engine noise, apart from a faint hum almost like the boat is breathing.
We rested in our cabin for a couple of hours watching the scenery in the afternoon before meeting up with everyone for the Captains Welcome Cocktail before another sumptuous dinner. We've sat with lots of different people, all from Australia and interesting to talk with, I could really settle into this way of life.
The picture is the Windmill museum in Zaandjik
Chat again soon.
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