Travel: Europe:Netherlands: Barging I

Amsterdam & Flevo Barging I Tulip Time Barging II Belgium

The Princess Royal, here docked at Schoonhoven, was our home for a week. Click to see interior shot with Chef Rolf.

Our Overseas Adventure Travel group, with guide, the fantastic Marieke, at front and Capt. Rien

The cruising started in Vreeswijk, a small picturesque town.

Of course, there was a church.

This statue honored the men of Vreeswijk who cleaned the sand from the canals, and sold it for landfill to help the town survive.

Canal-going ships are still being refurbished at the shipyard in Vreeswijk, where traditional skills still are practiced.

The drawbridge at Vreeswijk is one of the many, many styles we saw along the way.

A lovely willow greeted us as we sailed into the harbor of Schoonhoven, known as a "silver town."

And, another of our favorite little Great-crested Grebes ... and another view

There were also Muscovy ducks in the city's waterways.

But the best part of Schoonhoven were John, Ramona (a Texas native!), Johnny and Ramon, who entertained four of us at their home and introduced us to some Dutch delicacies, including "Hangop" or "Hang Up."

It was a gloomy day at the Kinderdijk windmills, but a visit to reed harvesting farm brightened us up. The reeds are used for garden fencing.

This special scythe was the original tool to cut the reeds growing on the marshy edges of the canals.

Today, a mechanized harvester means no one has to wade in the muck. At least not as often. A view from another angle.

The family of reed harvesters had lived at the site for generations around this cozy yard.

The windmills in Holland were mainly used for moving water. Most of those at Kinderdijk still operate.

A wider view of Kinderdijk. Click to see the sign that explains a bit how the windmills worked pumping out the water.

This mallard and coot were so used to tourists and cameras, Jack was able to get good up-close shots with lots of detail.

This beautiful modern span is in Rotterdam. We cruised through the city's canals for over an hour.

This is the type of ship used for many European river cruises.

Much of Rotterdam has been rebuilt since WWII when most of the city was destroyed by bombs.

This is the old section that shows the beauty of the city before the war.

Most of the Netherlands immigrants to America, probably including my great-grandparents, left from this Holland-Amerika depot.

With cheese replicas overhead, you know you're on a street in Gouda. At right is the old City Hall, in the center of town.

The animated musical clock still performs regularly.

The old cheese weighing station in Gouda. Click for a detail of the mural.

This memorial honors the Jewish victims of WWII. Click for close-up of the inscription

St. Janskerk is known for its detailed stained glass windows.

Of course we had to visit a cheese shop.
Photo by Mary Goddard

Back on board, the view from one of the three portholes of our tiny cabin.

Flowers are everywhere, including planter boxes on deck of the boat.

Another type of drawbridge.

In many urban areas, apartments overlook the canals.

Amsterdam & Flevo Barging I Tulip Time Barging II Belgium

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