September 22, 2011 Dordretch to Viannen

Today we visited Kinderdijk.


Kinderdijk lies in the Alblasserwaard, at the confluence of the Lek and Noord rivers.
In Alblasserwaard, problems with water became more and more apparent in the 13th century. Large canals, called "weteringen", were dug to get rid of the excess water in the polders. However, the drained soil started setting, while the level of the river rose due to the river's sand deposits. After a few centuries, an additional way to keep the polders dry was required. It was decided to build a series of windmills, with a limited capacity to bridge water level differences, but just able to pump water into a reservoir at an intermediate level between the soil in the polder and the river; the reservoir could be pumped out into the river by other windmills whenever the river level was low enough; the river level has both seasonal and tidal variations. Although some of the windmills are still used, the main water works are provided by two diesel pumping stations near one of the entrances of the windmills site.

working windmill


The miller

September 21, 2011 Zierikzee to Dordrecht

Highlights of today's journey...
A rare "photo op" stop by Albert, seagulls helping with the potato harvest, was actually pretty cool.


These caissons (hollow concrete floating blocks) were originally used in the D-Day landings in Normandy. They were reused to in the 1953 floods to reinforce the dykes. The museum (not open) is located inside the caissons.


We spent our coffee break checking out a local super market...dutch chocolate, beer and Magnum bars were purchased.


Village of Willemstad, as seen from above, was the home to William of Orange.
He was the main leader of the Dutch revolt against the Spanish
that set off the Eighty Years War.






Dordretch, the oldest city in Holland, was a pleasant surprise.

September 20, 2011 Middleburg to Zierikzee

First stop today was Veere, a one time fishing village turned into resort town,
quaint and pastoral with a smell of salt in the air.










Ever wonder what a dike was? This photo shows a good example complete with sheep which you can't see to keep it well groomed.






The second leg of today's ride had cross these barrages, billed as the most
difficult ride of the week we were indeed blessed by a steady tail wind.
The barrage is made up of a series of hydraulic lifts that control the flow of water from the North Sea, quite the engineering feat.


This church tower is all that remains of Koudekerke, a village destroyed by the flood of 1953.

September 19, 2011 Ghent to Middleburg Nl.

Today we got a late start as we were sailing to the Holland border but had to wait for a bridge to open. Strangely, it opened at 7 AM on Sunday but not until 8:30 AM on Monday.
Everywhere we went today seemed to be closed and there were no people to be seen. I mean 10:30 AM in a small town and the only sign of life were 21 people riding bikes
in search of rest rooms.
Also I can find almost no photos taken that day...some kind of "bank holiday" time warp was occurring!

View of a power station taken during the cruise.


I do remember cycling through the polder (reclaimed land) area where we saw many farms growing corn, apples and two types of sugar beets.
Also we had a strong head wind ("dutch hill") for most of the day.


Blacksmith shop/cafe where we had lunch


Another shot for my bicycle series.


Houseboats on the canal in Middleburg.

Sunday, September 18 Bruges to Ghent

We were greeted with a beautiful sunny day for our first day of serious cycling. The path along the canal was perfect. Every so often we would pass concrete bunkers ("pill boxes") constructed by the Nazis in the second World War. We also saw numerous corn fields and pockets of industrial areas.










The skies opened up as we reached the city of Ghent, we managed to find shelter but not before getting soaked. I wonder if these tourists all just happened to like colorful umbrellas or if it was the tour boat driver's fancy?



Gent is another Gothic city that dominated in the Middle Ages but unlike Bruges, Ghent is still a thriving port and University town.










Ron and I found shelter from the rain in the local package store.

The Barge, the bikes, fellow adventurers and the trial run

The WENDING, our home for the nest seven days. This deck proved an more than adequate spot for post ride conversations and libations.



Our bikes lined up and ready to roll, I'm sure we looked like a mother duck with her ducklings as we rode in a row of 21. Our tour guide Albert is quiet and all business.


Our guide Albert



Captain and cook, Jan and Nicole









Our test ride was to Damme, a small town seven Km outside of Bruges along a picturesque canal complete with working wind mill. We were all impressed with the consideration of cars and other cyclists we encountered.





Damme at first glance appears like a miniature Bruges but has it's own charm. We encountered our first rain as we rode into town. Cobblestones are even trickier when wet! Part of our group preparing for the ride back to the boat.
We are a group of mostly North Americans with a couple from Austrailia and a girl from Germany.

September 16~17 BRUGES continued

Dogs live a civilized existence in Europe.






In Belgium, beer is more than just a beverage - it is a culture. With over 450 different varieties, many Belgian beers have personalized beer glasses in which only that beer may be served. This was my favorite local brew, enjoyed on a lovely patio by a canal.



Belgium is also famous for chocolate. I managed to eat all the chocolate I
bought for gifts before I came home. It was so good!


Woke up really early the first morning in need of coffee, the young man setting up this cafe let us in before he opened and saved the day. I liked his display of jams and nut butters. Best coffee in Bruges!


All this talk about food and I forgot to mention the fries. Belgium invented the french fry, there's actually a Frites Museum in Bruges. They are wonderful. We had ours with la sauce provençale, the natives eat theirs with mayonnaise. YUM!

random window display...