Sep 25 - Veere, The Netherlands

We docked in Veere (pronounced Veer-ah) back in the Netherlands this morning. It was rainy and overcast, but right on schedule at 9:00 a.m., as we were about to start our bicycle tour, the rain stopped and the sun even appeared. There were 11 of us on the tour. With Josip in the lead and Manon bringing up the rear, each armed with a first-aid kit, we headed off on our electric-assist bikes. With my Belgian chocolate-induced guilt complex, I tried to use the power-assist very sparingly. Blessedly, the Netherlands is a very flat country, so there were no hills to navigate.

Veere is located close to the North Sea on a big inlet and was once a prominent port and wool-trading centre because of its proximity to the supply of high-quality wool for the flourishing textiles industry coming from England and Scotland. However, a vicious storm surge (like a European tsunami) in 1953 caused widespread flood damage and took many lives. In response, a dam was built to block the sea. The inlet is now a man-made lake. Fishing, the main industry of the town, was decimated. The population of the town dropped from 5,000 to just under 1,000. The main industries now are agriculture and tourism. The salinity of the lake is carefully controlled by allowing measured amounts of salt water in, the result being that the lake is now a popular fishing and holiday resort destination. On our last cruise, we toured the Delta Water Works and learned how the dam and its gating system works. The Dutch are world-wide experts in flood control and water management and widely-sought for their expertise in this area of engineering.

Our bike tour took us through the town with its wonderful gothic buildings and busy harbour and then out into the bucolic countryside. We passed prosperous farms - the main agricultural crops around here are sugar beets, cabbage and asparagus. We stopped at a dairy farm - it is moving towards a fully-automated milking system where the cows self-regulate their milking and the milking is done by robotic machines using lasers for precise placement of the suction equipment. Doug had a tour of such a place near Almonte a few years ago and was able to give add some details. We were able to sample the wonderful cheese that is made right there on that farm. From there, it was a brisk ride back to the ship. In all, I think we did about 15 kms/10 miles. I think that amount of exercise should be built into the daily schedule to combat the fabulous food selection and constant availability on this floating hotel!

After lunch, armed with an umbrella, as the skies were threatening (again - a common occurrence in the Netherlands), we headed back into Veere for a leisurely stroll. It’s a very pretty town - we walked through it on our last cruise. It’s hard to tire of looking at the unique architecture - nothing like it exists in Canada.

I’ve hunkered down in the lounge, hoping for better internet reception - it’s turning out to be a vain effort - but at least it’s a different view than from our cabin.

Tonight is the Captain’s Dinner - dressier attire and a fancy dinner. Doug had fabulous roast beef last night. I’ve been working my way through the seafood selections. Beautifully done each time. I wonder what the chef will offer up tonight?Baca selengkapnya