Our Hometown
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A visit to Zeeland Province, Netherlands A group of 19 of us have returned home after a holiday in Europe. This was a lovely canal-cruise trip, restful and serene.
Entire towns and cities were destroyed during World War II and have now been completely restored. Our itinerary went somewhat as follows: On arrival, we traveled to the 80-acre Keukenhof Gardens in Lisse. It was raining, but cleared so many of us have absolutely glorious pictures of the millions of tulips, narcissi and hyacinths growing there. The blooms were so large! Daffodils on two-foot stems and hyacinths of every hue, bigger than both of your hands put together. We tried the poffertjes. Delicious! Some had them with butter and powdered sugar, others with fresh strawberries and whipped cream. A barrel organ with the name, 'De Adriaen' prominently displayed, was belting out old songs and new which could be heard throughout the park. We then began our travels of a week's Canal Cruise throughout the Zeeland Province of the Netherlands. This Province lies in the Southern area of the country, scenic, flat and beautiful. As we floated along down the rivers and canals, cars, buses and trains scooted along on the horizontal roads. The trees and flowers were just ahead of what we had left at home, so the Spring flowers were all in bloom and the rows of trees, lining the foot paths, the bicycle paths and the roads, were just sprouting their new pale, green leaves. We then traveled southward to Rotterdam, the second largest city in the Netherlands and the world's largest seaport. This city was completely destroyed during the war, but has been completely restored - a vital, busy place. We saw many greenhouses and, if you look at the labels, some of the vegetables in our local grocery stores are coming from Holland. We boarded the Salvinia for a Welcome Aboard Dinner and our home for the next seven nights. The next day, being Easter, we were invited to the church services offered in the lounge. All in attendance were uplifted by the service. During the services we were silently floating along and, before we realized it, we had slipped into the Province of Zeeland. Zeeland is an agricultural province that has had many acres reclaimed from the sea. A significant proportion of the country's fishing industry takes place here, also. We cruised to Veere, a picturesque harbor town with a massive 14th century church and old brick houses. This area is part of the Delta Works, which now regulates the salt and fresh waters. Here, we saw mussel fields, where this delicacy is harvested during the low tides.
On to Zierikzee, where we were treated by a Zeeland folklore group, after dinner. All were in elegant, original costumes and each was explained to the audience. By this time we were getting to enjoy, and expect, morning coffee at 10 and afternoon tea at 3, always with a delicious treat. Something we vowed to continue when we returned to the states. We cruised to the fortress town of Wilkmstad where we saw the First Protestant Church in the Netherlands and the 12th century old city hall and the mill of 1734. Along the way, we saw cows and sheep grazing in the fields and on the dikes and some folks fishing from the shores. We saw many, many swans, geese and goslings and blue herons. From our ship we could see lots of red-tile roofed homes and barns in the distance all complete with a church steeple in the center, all with a clock placed in its steeple. In Heusden, an old stronghold, fortified in 1581, we explored the town with its cobbled streets. Along our way we passed windmills of all types. Windmills were and are used for pumping, sawing and for grinding grain. After dinner we were treated to a vocal choir, absolutely breathtaking, with their voices blended in harmony. We stopped in Dordrecht, once the wealthiest commercial town of the Netherlands, where we took a walking tour and visited the Grotekirk, a historic church known for its beautiful wood carvings and its 1671 organ. All of the churches we visited had beautiful stained-glass windows. In the afternoon we passed the Kinderdijke with its 18 windmills, with their wings at rest. Millers live in each mill and must have a certificate to mill. Also, the windmills must be used once a week. (During World War II certain positions of the wings and the colors of the sails provided secret codes to the Allied Forces.) Before leaving Amsterdam, we paid a visit to the Anne Frank house, where the 13-year-old Jewish girl hid with her family and friends. They were all eventually sent to a concentration camp, and only her father survived. There were two optional tours offered, which some of us did not participate in this time since we had enjoyed them on a previous tour. The roadsides have the dandelions as we do, and pretty buttercups, and a white bloom much like our Queen Anne's Lace, making a pretty setting for what lies beyond the canal. I have to mention that the meals were great and plentiful! The breakfasts were typically Dutch, with cereals, assorted breads of every description, assorted meats, eggs and always fresh fruits. This was accompanied by hot, strong coffee and tea, if desired. A hearty way to start the day! One night, though, they served smoked herring. (I think it is an acquired taste.) In Europe, when they celebrate a holiday on a Sunday, they continue to celebrate on a Monday. All stores are closed and many other activities are cancelled. We were there for the Queen's Day on April 30 and for their May Day holiday on May 1. (So our shopping was somewhat curtailed.) Our trip was unforgettable and I recommend it to you all.
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Of course, we were joined by folks from all parts of the United States, some we had traveled with last year. We are back from where some of the buildings, churches, and castles are hundreds of years old, not at all like in our new 200+ year-old country. 
We enjoyed a walking tour of Middleburg, the capital of the Province. We were intrigued with the 12th century abbey with its 280-foot tower called, 'Lange Jan.' This town was also partially destroyed in 1940, but was totally restored to its original state and to its original glory.