The River Rhine 2009

Day 12 - Aug 13 - Rotterdam

If you look closely, the tower is tilted. When they noticed this during construction (centuries ago), they called in a master builder who figured out how to slowly bend the top to the right to compensate. It has a sort of banana bend.

Top of the tower.

Close up of the bells, which is known as a
glockenspiel because it is outside.

The Netherlands are also known for fresh (raw) herring with onions.

Jan (Yan) bought some for us to try. I'm always game, so I tried it. It was not so good for me, since I don't like fish, anyway.
Boy, that taste stays in your mouth a long time.

Small pancakes, poffertjes (puff art geez), with powdered sugar are a local favorite (or just something to sell the tourists). Jim, Joan, and we enjoyed the pancakes and hot chocalate.

Jim went searching for an ATM and was unsuccessful,
but we did stumble upon the flower market.

Click on the picture for a larger view.

Delft is well known for its blue pocelain.
Each piece is painted by hand.

I did find it interesting the person they chose
to put here in the tour.

To make them consistent, a black and white picture is put onto the plate and then painted over. The paint turns blue when fired in the kiln.

Here you can see the stages of the Delftware: no pattern; line drawing; black paint; blue (after firing); with lacquer finish.

After the piece comes out of the mould there a lines where the mould fits together. These are removed by hand.

Delft also makes tiles and facades for buildings.

The picture shows the Rembrandt picture "Night Watchmen".

Jim and Joan, with whom we spent a lot of time with.

That's 1,018 Euros, or about $1600 dollars for 1 large plate.

Here's Jim wiping his brow in relief. He just found out that Carolyn does not want to buy anything.

These are no bigger than the length of your hands and cost around $90.

But these are only $13.00!?! Because the are not painted by hand. The picture is applicated on and burned off.

Kinderdijk (Kinder dike), a World Heritage Site, near Rotterdam. There are 19 wooden and stone windmills.
This was an optional tour.

To change how much wind each blade (called a sail) captures there are clothes that can be opened and closed. Also, notice the support behind the windmill. The top of the windmill turns so the sails can be turned toward the wind.

Franciska, one of our cruise directors.
She is from Austria.

Who are those guys?

Robert and Brenda took their own mode of transportation to the windmills. They said it was only about 15 km (9 miles).

Inside the windmill where the keeper would have lived.

Cogs that transfer the motion of the sails to do the work of the windmill. Windmills can actual mill grain OR, as is more common, they are used as water pumps to move water over dykes to higher canals.

This is the windmill that is open to the public. It was turning while we were there.

The crank at the bottom right is connected to a chain. The chain is looped around the crank with the end fastened over a concrete block in the ground. By turning the crank the chain is shortened and pulls the top of the windmill around. Very simple and efficient.

The old windmills are still used for some pumping, but not when large quantities are required. For this they now have diesel pumps using Archimedes screws. An Archimedes screw turns and draws water up, as it did during Greek and Egyptian times. Each of the screws in this picture are five or six feet in diameter.