Day 6: Good-bye Belgium, hello Netherlands!
Despite the views out the bus windows and their dialects of Dutch being very similar, the Belgians
and the Dutch know themselves to be quite distinct from each other. One difference Ellen pointed
out is that Belgium is predominantly farmland, the Belgians feel tied to the land, and it is a cultural
norm to keep one's curtains closed. But the Netherlands is a sea-faring nation, the Dutch are
more open and curious, and they tend to keep their windows and doors open inviting people in.
and the Dutch know themselves to be quite distinct from each other. One difference Ellen pointed
out is that Belgium is predominantly farmland, the Belgians feel tied to the land, and it is a cultural
norm to keep one's curtains closed. But the Netherlands is a sea-faring nation, the Dutch are
more open and curious, and they tend to keep their windows and doors open inviting people in.
"Welcome to Zeeland"
Our route to Delft allowed us the opportunity to get an up-close look at the Netherlands' famous
Delta Works. Ellen explained to us about the devastating North Sea floods in 1953, which overwhelmed
the dikes and resulted in nearly 2,000 lives lost. That tragedy spurred the Netherlands to develop the Delta Works, an extensive system of dams and storm surge barriers. Our first stop was at
Oosterscheldekering, the Eastern Scheldt storm surge barrier, to get a closer look at how the Dutch manage to hold back the North Sea.
Delta Works. Ellen explained to us about the devastating North Sea floods in 1953, which overwhelmed
the dikes and resulted in nearly 2,000 lives lost. That tragedy spurred the Netherlands to develop the Delta Works, an extensive system of dams and storm surge barriers. Our first stop was at
Oosterscheldekering, the Eastern Scheldt storm surge barrier, to get a closer look at how the Dutch manage to hold back the North Sea.
It was just a bit windy :-D
Our next stop was a lunch break in the lovely little town of Zierikzee. We stopped to admire the windmill on the outskirts of town. And in the town center, Ellen gave us a quick orientation and then let us loose to explore and get something to eat. I made a picnic out of Dutch apple juice and a delicious sandwich.
After lunch, we piled back on the bus and drove along the coast until we ran out of bridges to
cross and ended up at a ferry terminal. Sjeng drove the bus onto the ferry and we crossed the
Nieuwe Waterweg (New Waterway) to Hoek van Holland (Hook of Holland). The New Waterway
is a shipping canal and main waterway of the Port of Rotterdam. Hook of Holland is located at
the mouth of the canal into the North Sea.
cross and ended up at a ferry terminal. Sjeng drove the bus onto the ferry and we crossed the
Nieuwe Waterweg (New Waterway) to Hoek van Holland (Hook of Holland). The New Waterway
is a shipping canal and main waterway of the Port of Rotterdam. Hook of Holland is located at
the mouth of the canal into the North Sea.
Fun fact: At this point, we had also crossed from Zeeland into Holland. While many people use the terms "Holland" and "the Netherlands" interchangeably, Holland is actually a province in the country
of the Netherlands. You can be in the Netherlands without being in Holland, but you can't be in Holland without being in the Netherlands. :-D
of the Netherlands. You can be in the Netherlands without being in Holland, but you can't be in Holland without being in the Netherlands. :-D
Our next stop: Seeing the largest storm barrier in Holland. A part of the Delta Works, the enormous Maeslantkering (Maeslant barrier) is made of two barrier gates, each nearly 700 feet long. These
gates automatically close when the Port of Rotterdam is threatened by floods, and when the gates
are closed, the barrier spans the entire width of the New Waterway. It is one of the largest moving structures on Earth. I felt tiny standing underneath it!
gates automatically close when the Port of Rotterdam is threatened by floods, and when the gates
are closed, the barrier spans the entire width of the New Waterway. It is one of the largest moving structures on Earth. I felt tiny standing underneath it!
Now thoroughly impressed with Dutch engineering, we bid good-bye to the Delta Works and the dams,
and headed toward our final stop of the day:
and headed toward our final stop of the day:
Delft!
We arrived in Delft in the late afternoon, and after settling in at our hotel, Ellen took us on an orientation tour of the neighborhood. Along the way we admired the quaint (and green!) canals. We ended up at
the Markt where we admired a statue of pioneering Delftman Hugo de Groot and the towering New Church. We ended our walk at De Waag for another amazing group dinner.
the Markt where we admired a statue of pioneering Delftman Hugo de Groot and the towering New Church. We ended our walk at De Waag for another amazing group dinner.