Day 8 Walking in Veere and Touring the Delta Works
I slept really well last night until 3:56 in the
morning. Then I couldn’t go back to
sleep so I got up, got dressed and went out to the lounge. I had hope that I wouldn’t disturb Sue, but
it turns out that she woke up at 3 and didn’t go back to sleep. I took my computer and read all alone in the
almost dark lounge for a while. We were
traveling through the water very quickly and it was just a really peaceful
time. I stood up to watch up go through
a lock and that was when another man came in. Then other people started
filtering in about 6 or so.
Some of us met at breakfast at about 7 and I had my usual
fruit plate with lots of bacon and hot tea.
Then I went back to my cabin, put my bed back down and took a nap until
9. It was a wonderful nap. I was on the
shore by 9:30 with the rest of group to take a walking tour of the village of Veere.
We had to walk across two other riverboats to get to shore and that
meant a trip up steps on one of them and down steps on another one.
Insert photo of ships
We walked to the top of the dyke and then on the pathway on
the top for quite a ways to the edge of the town. We saw lots of pretty doorways, buildings,
cobblestones and lace curtains in the windows.
Our guide told us lots of interesting stories about the village and also
told us about the flood of 1953 – that was a really terrible flood for this
region. We went down a non-car street
that is the main tourist street of the village and saw more beautiful buildings,
flowers and nice shops.
The rest of the group went back to the ship and planned to
return to the village after lunch to shop more.
Since I planned to go on the optional trip to the Delta Works, I had to
do my shopping before returning to the ship.
I went into several stores and in one of them found just what I
wanted. I try to buy a place setting of
china on each trip so that I have a variety of them. I had considered getting a
Delft place setting
but knew that would be very expensive.
In one of these stores, I found a very inexpensive set that I just
love. I also found an apple baker and a
mug that I just had to have.
Insert photo of dishes
I got back to the ship and found the girls in the lounge
where the silversmith was giving a demonstration and his wife was collecting
money hand over fist selling what he had made.
Thing is, nothing was cheap.
People were spending hundreds of dollars at a time. I talked myself into and out of quite a few
things, but I ended up not overspending.
I did get Rachel and my Aunt Martha a windmill necklace (sorry about
spoiling the surprise, Rachel) and then I walked away. However, I walked back again. He really made beautiful things and I finally
got myself what I really wanted. It was
expensive, but I do really like it and might actually start wearing necklaces
again so that I can wear it.
After several of us spent our retirement on the silver
jewelry, several of the group went back to town for their afternoon
entertainment. They had a very good meal,
asparagus soup and cheese sandwiches, tomato soup and ham and cheese sandwich
and a ham salad. They sat in the sun for
lunch and some of them think they actually got some sun. They went to some shops and some of us bought
souvenirs (sheep) and went to the pastry shop and got bolus (sticky buns). They
came back to the shop where they held a bolus party. After the paper, most of them were worn out
and napped.
The rest of us stay on the ship for lunch and then I went on
the Delta Works optional trip. It was,
thankfully, a short bus ride. We watched
a 15 minute movie about the Flood of 1953 and the man next to me snored the
whole time. Then we watched a 25 minute
movie about the building of the Delta System and I slept through about half of
it, so I don’t have a total understanding of the construction process. We then rode the bus to the actual dams. Here is a short description of the process. After the big flood, they built several huge
dykes across the areas where the North Sea enters Holland and by doing this they created huge
freshwater lakes which no longer flood.
In this area I visited today, they built two islands, one of them three
miles long and to connect these islands to each side of the mainland, they
built a system of 62 dams that can be lowered to block the North
Sea from entering this huge waterway. The dams are kept open almost all the time
except when there are fierce storms that would cause floods. These dams have
been closed only about twenty something times since they were finished in
1986. They are all lined up in long rows
and are true miracles of engineering and I’m very glad I got to see them.
Insert photo of the dams.
We then rode back to the ship and we gathered in the lounge
for the Inner Circle Party (for people who have made three or more trips with Grand Circle). They met in the front of the lounge and the
rest of us met for talking in the back of the lounge. One of the Inner Circle members told the group about
her most memorable trip – it involved taking two pills during the night only to
wake up and find out that she had taken one pill and one earring!! She said that about 36 hours later,
everything came out okay!!!!! One couple
is now taking their 23rd GCT trip – that’s a lot of money but I’m
sure they have enjoyed them.
Daniel then gave our port talk telling us about tomorrow
when we visit Rotterdam,
which is where he was born and raised. While some people go to Rotterdam,
others will head to Delft
to see all about Delft Ware, and who knows, we might even do a little shopping.
We will also be sailing to a place with 19 windmills – and I am really looking
forward to that. It will be a busy day,
as usual.
Dinner was typical.
We start about 7, after one of us races to the dining room to make sure
we get OUR table and dinner ends after 8:30.
That’s a long dinner, but we have a cold appetizer, a hot appetizer, a
main course, dessert, coffee.
Whew!! Sometimes some of us even
have a little wine, just to help with digestion of course. Tonight we had haddock, pork wellington,
potatoes, sponge cake, ice cream and lots of other stuff.
Insert photo of food or menu
The weather today was the best so far – mostly sunny blue
skies until about 6 p.m. when it started to rain and it has rained ever
since. It was very windy and cold at the
Delta Works but it wasn’t too bad inland where the ship was docked. That didn’t sound right because the ship is
docked on water but it is away from the North Sea
and is somewhat protected by the land.
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