A Dutch Prairie Day

 A Dutch Prairie Day

Today turned out to be the calmest weather day of our tour. While we breakfasted, the captain sailed to Willemstad, named in honour of its founder, William the Silent. Mostly sunny, temps 25 to 28 with only a few gusty periods. Rain gear stayed in the panniers, and sunscreen came out. The earthen walls of the old fort are still intact, but not open to the public to explore. The walls form a seven-sided heptagon, with seven bastions at the vertices. 

It was declared a city in 1585. The first Protestant church in the Netherlands was built here in 1607. 

A very rural path today. Yesterday the crops were mostly market garden crops - onions (we could smell them), potatoes, sugar beets, tomatoes, cucumbers and flowers. We didn't stop much so no pics. Today it was grain and corn fields. The corn was at least as high as an elephant's eye, despite the drought conditions of the last two months. While not to the scale of our Canadian fields, for this country they were large and flat. A small scale Saskatchewan. 

We did stop at a huge lock system. Even with the flatness of the country there are a number of locks on the major rivers. Some ships are having to detour from their usual route due to low water levels. 

Our guide Corinne stopped in a small town and said she had a surprise for us. We were at a seafood shop and were all offered a raw herring. Head off and gutted and salted. It's a Dutch treat she said. Extremely tasty she said. Marvellous health benefits she said. Great for digestion she said. Just hold the tail, tilt your head and it's 3-4 bites. I'm not fond of fish unless it is very mild. But ..... I HAD eaten a tarantula in Cambodia. So I threw my hat into the ring. Seven out of 40 of us said yes, all others declined.

I did not want a picture taken in case I gagged. Head craned back looking up at that carcass, I wasn't sure. With the first bite I came very, very close to gagging. Can't embarrass myself and offend my hosts the voice in my head was saying. So I pulled up my big boy pants and chewed and swallowed. Four bites until there was just a tail in my fingers. It was oily and the consistency of cream cheese. The last bite was actually not bad. Not good enough for the offer again. But honestly, I preferred the tarantula. 

Not me, but what it looks like. 

We met the ship in Bergen op Zoom. A cold beer from the bar was my reward after a sweaty ride (after a shower of course) and to wash the herring taste from my taste buds. Our amazing chef prepared another 4 course gem. The pasta was sublime as was our plum based dessert. 

To settle our dinner we cycled into the town which was celebrating their "Happy Days Festival". Our guide explained that it's illegal to be sad in this city. 

The smallest house in the city. 

The old canal beneath this plaque eventually became a sewer. Many Jewish and "undesirables" were led to freedom through the sewer, which the Nazi's never knew existed. If one is feeling low or angry, they are to stamp and jump on the plaque - let it all out while thinking of the happiness of those who escaped death. Although we were all feeling quite happy we took turns jumping on the symbol of a happy miracle. 

Pottery was the industry here for years. The local clay has a high iron content so pots could be placed over fire without cracking and breaking. However, after two disastrous city fires caused by the pottery industry, the potters had to relocate outside the walled city's gates. The gates closed at 8 pm and  you were either in or out all night. 

The potters felt vulnerable outside the city walls and eventually new walls were built so they were protected and the old main gate did not need to be monitored. So the towers became a prison rather than a guardhouse. 

The original street that housed the potters, appropriately called Potter Street (pictured below), now has a movie theatre. The first Harry Potter movie premiered in the Netherlands there. On August 29th this year, there will be a continuous 24 hour screening of the complete saga to commemorate the 25th anniversary of its showing. 

Cycling back to the Magnifique, we were treated to a lovely calming sunset. 

Ironically it did NOT presage a sunny calm tomorrow.