This morning we docked for several hours in Kinderdijk, south of Amsterdam and just east of Rotterdam. Kinderdijk is one of the real low-lying spots of Holland and is supposedly where the young man of fables, Hans Brinker, stuck his finger in the dyke to keep it from failing. What’s interesting is that these ancient clay levies they call dykes are not the sort of structures like concrete dams that could or do spring leaks that could be plugged by a finger. I’m sure these dykes can be overwhelmed, but no kid’s finger would help fix that problem.
We stopped on our Rhine River cruise (technically we were on the Lek River, which led us to the Waal River , which should become the Rhine River at Tolkamer). We stopped to take a walking tour of an array of 19 traditional Windmills built and maintained in this area 500 years ago to pump water from the canals out into the adjacent marshes. These are mostly brick structures about 50 feet tall with four-arm blades that turn large hardwood gears to a pine spindle that turns a wooden turbine that moves the water from one side of the mill to the other. Our local tour guide was a retired engineer who had worked in the oil services business before making his life on the lowland canals. It’s a little hard to imagine what would attract someone to live in this swampland, but I’m sure there are worse places to retire…maybe. Windmills are actually very simple devices, which makes it surprising that man didn’t hit on the idea of harnessing the wind for energy earlier in his history.
We started the tour in a fairly strong wind and rain storm, which dissipated while we walked along the canal. The weather then cleared and even warmed so that our afternoon gave us a pleasant cruise along the widening river which we were able to spend on the sun deck playing a bit of shuffleboard and golf putting as we watched the Dutch countryside turn into the German countryside. By then we were on the Rhine proper and could see just what an important commercial waterway it truly is. There are literally hundreds of river barges plying these waters at all times of the day and night. It all seems well spaced and regulated so there is less chaotic hustle and bustle than just steady stream. There is almost a soothing calmness to the flow of traffic with occasional beach walkers and regular cow pasturing all along the route. There is an orderliness to this well-populated part of the old world with most people seeming to live in modern 4/5-story apartment buildings which seem well-maintained and functional but less “Old World” at this point in the river.
We’ve been onboard for two days now and have developed a rhythm to our routine with meals together in the dining room defining our day. Today we will walk through Cologne and see its famous cathedral that made it through WWII largely unscathed. We will also hear the final plans that Viking has made for our upcoming “broken play” weekend through the Rhine Gorge. It will start in Koblenz with the first of our castle tours and go to who knows where. There is a certain excitement in the anticipation and uncertainty rather than angst. A river cruise is a very calm affair, perhaps even more calm than us retired folks are used to. Maybe a little mix up will prove to be an interesting distraction rather than an upsetting disruption. At this point, having gotten an enjoyable taste of the calm, perhaps the lack of firm definition of what’s next adds to the adventure. I’m prepared to take that perspective for the moment.
It’s been ten years since our last river cruise, which was on Viking’s Blue Danube tour of approximate equal length of eight days from Budapest to Nuremberg. That tour happened exactly per schedule and whether because I was a decade younger or it was on the less commercial side of Europe, it was less soothing than this trip has been so far. I suspect traveling with cousin Pete and Nancy may be part of the equation that’s differentiating this voyage. It is always helpful to have another open and unspoiled set of eyes and hearts to help appreciate all that we are privileged to enjoy. There is a degree of gusto added to the mix and camaraderie that adds to the experience and brings an added element to the table.
My son Thomas’ book is still in my head and he has fed back to me through his prose a number of lessons that I have imbued in him over the years. It’s interesting to hear one’s offspring recite things like “you need to learn to want what you get in life” and then reflect on where that truth might be coming into your own life lessons. Kim and I work consciously hard to remind ourselves of how blessed we are in life. We have good health, a lovely home, nice family, great friends, Buddy, and a lifestyle that, while not lavish by the standards of many, is incredibly pleasant and uplifting. There is great beauty in the world and we are allowed to enjoy big chunks of it on a regular and enjoyable basis. That is something that should never be lost on us. We have trips on the docket over a rolling forward six month basis that keep life fresh and interesting and always far from dull. It’s hard to say how long that will be the case, but while it is it needs to be acknowledged for the wonders it brings. I know this is starting to sound like the Hallmark Chanel, but I can’t help myself. I am moved by the river or maybe the windmills. We grind away at our lives as productively as we can, but if we don’t stop to Appreciate each and every special sight along the way, we are missing the best part of the journey.
We are traveling through a world that was devastated by war 80 years ago. It has persevered and recovered through dogged persistence. I don’t see despair on the sides of this river, I see calm and peaceful prosperity and progress. I know that the rest of the world does not necessarily have it this good, but the realization of where we were and where we have come to should remind us of the possibilities of life and give us hope for a better tomorrow. We are one glance at CNN away from remembering that others have more challenges than we do, so as we steam up this great waterway of life, let’s remember that life is a grand cruise and we are just here yo take whatever enjoyment from it that we can. So, on to Cologne and Koblenz and bring on that bus ride to Strasbourg.