Kinderdijk, Windmills and Cheesy Cows

We were told the scenery would change as we approached the Netherlands. Germany has lots of mountains and it was surprising to us how infrequently we saw houses along the Rhine river. As we came closer to Kinderdijk, the land leveled off and we saw many more homes along the water. Somewhat surprising because Kinderdijk, as much of the Netherlands, is below sea level. As we approached our destination, the sun came out and rewarded us with a double rainbow.

The word Kinderdijk means ‘children’s dike,’ and refers to a legend of the St. Elizabeth’s flood in 1421, in which many were killed. A young boy who had survived the flood went to check on the local dam and was amazed to see a wooden cradle rocking on the water, with a cat jumping back and forth trying to keep the cradle from tipping over. Inside was a baby girl, wrapped in blankets and sleeping peacefully. The cat was named Dubbeltje and lived out her 9 lives with the baby girl, who grew into an elderly woman. This story is the basis for the phrase “The Cat in the Cradle.” Cats are greatly respected in Kinderdijk, and many kittens are named Dubbeltje in her honor.

We had a two-for excursion in Kinderdijk, a tour of the 19 windmills built in 1740 to drain the polder, and a visit to a cheese-making farm. The windmills in Kinderdijk are one of the most visited Dutch tourist sites and a World Heritage site. As we approached the windmills, we saw an homage in the water to the baby and the cradle. The windmills are functional, although the Dutch now rely on electric power to keep the reservoir safely drained. People apply to live in the windmills and are required to maintain the old ways. Those who choose to live in them tend to be very committed to the land and to growing their own food, and farming their plot of land. Our guide took us through a windmill maintained as a museum. I was impressed not only by the size of it, but of how technical it was. The large blades of a windmill can be moved to catch the wind by moving it block by block. The blades are huge and one would have to be strong and fit indeed to move them. Inside the lower level is a water wheel that picks up the water and moves it to maintain a safe water level. The people who live in these giants must be hardy people indeed. Our guide told us that the families who lived there often had many children, up to 10 or 12, and one climbs ladders to the many stories inside. I decided, after tripping my way up a ladder, that many children died by falling down these treacherous ladders. But maybe that’s just me. The kitchen was built outside, since the amount of wood inside put the windmills at risk for fire. Everything had a place and that would be important because space was at a premium. And of course there was the blue Delft china so prevalent in the Netherlands.

Aside from the ‘Cat in the Cradle’ reference, the phrase ‘Tilting at Windmills’ comes from Kinderdijk. In the book Don Quixote, the old man attacks a windmill, believing it to be a giant. It was cold and windy during our visit to the windmills, and I certainly wouldn’t have what it takes to live there. But they are beautiful and eerie, rising out of the marshy lands. Our guide shared with us that the people who originally settled this land did so because they felt it such a harsh environment that they could maintain their cherished freedom by choosing to live there. Surely warlords and politicians would leave such an unforgiving land alone. It was also in Kinderdijk where we began to notice that bicycles were major forms of transportation.

Once we were nearly frozen, we walked back to the gift shop and rest room, then boarded a bus for the cheesemaking part of our adventure.

Cheesemaking or Kass in Dutch is a serious business in the Netherlands. Our farm specialized in Gouda. Gouda are wrapped in colored paraffin, red, yellow and black, to reflect their age. They don’t spoil but become harder and saltier with time. Herbs and even nuts are added for surprising flavors. The drive to the farm passed long fields of cows, sheep and goats, and I was surprised by the sheer numbers of swans in the fields. Apparently they gather in this region before making their flight to warmer areas, and the fields were filled with them. Our guides at the farm took us into the cheesemaking rooms, and I do have to say that the smell was a bit off putting at first. Curdled milk. But you got used to it pretty fast and there sure was a lot of cheese in various states of readiness. We came out into the gift shop, and purchased a wheel of Gouda, vacuumed packed for travel, although our guide was quick to point out to our Australian and New Zealand travelers that they would not be allowed to bring the cheese in through customs.

Next, we walked over to the cow barn, to meet the actual makers of the milk for the cheese. Again, the odor of cow manure was overpowering, but they told us we would get used to it in a few moments, and they were right. Here we had a young lady who was part of the farm family, and she was joined by her 10-year-old son. We met cows—fully grown, teenagers and newborns, and Bob made friends with a baby cow. When we got ready to leave, Bob tipped the boy for showing us his cows and he was adorable about getting a tip.

We headed back to the Vali, and the Captain’s cocktail party and our farewell. This was to be our last night on the ship as we would arrive at Amsterdam in the morning. We took some pictures of Rotterdam, where we were slipped for the evening. Rotterdam is the second largest city in the Netherlands and was beautifully lit up. We enjoyed our final dinner with our shipmates and looked forward to arriving in Amsterdam. We planned to spend two days there in a hotel called the Pulitzer. Yes, that Pulitzer.