Rotterdam, day 2 and Kinderdijk

Day 18

Rotterdam Day 2

The day began cloudy and with mists drifting by. I was wishing I had taken the chance of booking the same guide as yesterday for today's adventure but had not anticipated how well the first day would go and so we had to stay with a pre-arranged bus tour today. This day would go well but much is lost in group tours.

At 7am we dropped down to the terminal, to which our ship is attached with a walk-way, and did a face-to-passport appearance and had our passports stamped. I guess yesterday they were too busy to check our papers for entry into the EU and just relied on the electronic registration provided by the cruise line.

Onto a bus and rode to Kinderdijk, which means “Children Dike” to experience the quintessential symbol of the Netherlands, the windmill. Here are the famed 19 Windmills of Kinderdijk which date back to the 1700's and are now a UNESCO site. The mills still function, by the way. We arrived along with many other buses, tours from Viking River Cruises, group land tours with people from Europe and Asia and Hollanders. It was so crowded that we changed the itinerary, postponing the audio/video introduction and proceeded with crowds to the mills. Later we took in the presentation.

near Kinderdijk

One mill is open for visiting inside while the blades were turning in the soft breeze. The mill is furnished in the period and gives a very fine look and feel of the home of the mill family. These are fascinating examples of the early ingenuity and engineering skills of the people here, skills which continue today and make the Netherlanders experts in water pumping and low area water management.

Mills of Kinderdijk

shoe rack, first floor

in the mill 2nd floor

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in the mill ground level

inside mill ground level

After our return we walked a block up the island to the New York Hotel, the former headquarters of the Holland America Line, now hotel, museum of HAL and restaurant. We enjoyed the fresh seafood lunch overlooking the channel and downriver. It was hard to ignore the number of dogs in the restaurant, on leashes and well behaved. A restaurant here may allow dogs into a restaurant and this one even provides a treat and a bowl of water.

typical nieghborhood

Cube houses

Central Market shopping mall, apartments on sides and atop

Central Station (trains)

MS Rotterdam (center)

The bus returned us to the ship where a musical group in costume was performing traditional songs on the wharf right under our deck. Sailing time at 3:30pm came and went as a “Bright Star” alert went out on the ship; we had a casualty aboard. An hour later, and more music from ashore, the unfortunate guest was taken ashore by EMT's to an ambulance and her cabin packed up by crew and taken ashore as well. We heard later she was recovering but would probably not sufficiently to rejoin the ship at Belfast.

pierside entertainment

New York Hotel, where we had lunch

Notice was given the guests/passengers that today was a big event for our ship, that this was the final departure or the MS Rotterdam from Rotterdam, her home port and the port for which she is named. Not made clear is the why. Scuttlebutt has it there will be a new home port and her itineraries will be changed and she will not be the flagship of the European fleet. Wait and see. She is a fine ship. A fireboat was dispatched to salute us on departure and there was great honking of horns from the Rotterdam and from another cruise ship. Just down river we passed the old MS Rotterdam which is now a floating hotel and museum. Signals were exchanged here too. In apartment buildings and in parks people came out to wave to the Rotterdam and a few horns were sounded as we passed down the long way to the sea. Just leaving the river we looked for the world's largest ship which was reported to have been here undergoing modifications before being put into service. Unfortunately, the Pioneering Spirit had sailed the night before for Norway.

The Fireboat saluting our departure. photo compliments of hoghorn Barb.

The Rotterdam, now hotel and museum

view on the way out

typical small tanker

Pioneering Spirit, largest ship.

At 1900 we entered the North Sea. The wind was SW at 49 knots (force 8) and some swells were rolling up on us. Later the ship would turn left and head South to the English Channel, pass below England then head up the Irish Sea between England and Ireland.