Sunday, 26 May 2019

SUNDAY 26TH MAY - AMSTERDAM AGAIN


Yes, we are back in Amsterdam The cruise we are doing is actually two cruises back to back. The first was the Baltic Sea. The second is the fjords of Norway Today is change over day for those not doing both cruises.


Given that we have seen most things one can see within walking distance of the cruise terminal, we took an excursion to Zaanse Schans where we learnt a lot about windmills and the various purposes for which they have been used over time. Extremely interesting.

The windmills are located in a restored historical village where a number of craftsmen work including clog makers.

 
We also got an insight into the local cheese making industry.



One of the secrets of success of the local cheese industry is the incredibly lush paddocks in which the cows graze. The Netherlands is a water logged country, so much so that all paddocks are below sea level and are drained into ditches from which water is pumped into canals at a significantly higher level than the ditches. Dykes act as dams to keep the canal and river water from flowing back into the paddocks.

 
From there we went to the delightful village of Edam, in historic times the home of rich merchants who lived and worked in the area. Very cute.

 
We noticed these buses which attached themselves to overhead charging stations while waiting at their terminus – presumably battery powered electric buses.


Tomorrow is another sea day before four days of different Norwegian ports.

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