Netherlands #4of6

(Except Amsterdam and Giethoorn)

Rotterdam was nearly destroyed during WW II, and was rebuilt in a modern, rather lackluster style (in our opinion). Almost none of the original city-center remains. Euromast, Rotterdam’s 607 feet high TV Tower, is visited first by a regular to the observation deck at the 341-feet level, then by a special that winds 360 degrees around and around the tower, above the observation deck. We were the only customers that morning, so the operator (who had lived in the US for awhile) took us up a second time, at no additional cost.

One year, as we approached Rotterdam to board the Polish ship TSS Stefan Batory, to sail across the Atlantic, we stopped at a rest stop to buy a map of the city. As we neared downtown Rotterdam it came in very handy. Since we had the map, I confirmed, that without a doubt, we had just missed our off-ramp. Without the map, we would not have been so sure.

We drove north through Edam, Hoorn, Enkhuizen, then on a large dike across what had been known as the Zuider Zee. A vast drainage project, begun in 1920, split the old Zuider Zee into the IJsselmeer, and the Markermeer, two seas divided by the 17 mile dike, identified on the map as Route 302.

On the east side of these huge lakes, there were interesting “combined” farm buildings. Many times there was a large long building with a very high steep roof, with bright roof tiles over the house end, and plain tile over the barn end of the building.

In Delft we looked around the town, and visited a porcelain factory where they made and painted the Delft Blue dishes. Very nice, but not our favorite, and most items seemed very expensive. A year or so later we arrived in Delft from a different direction, parked at a different place, but I remembered exactly how to find the Post Office. It had been many months, a couple of dozen countries, hundreds of cities and towns, and many Post Offices since we were here last, but it was located with no problem. The ‘ol homing pigeon at work.

At the town of Barendrecht we stopped in the Post Office to use the phone. When the several phone calls from Holland to California were complete, the woman said they were free since she forgot to reset the meter before we started, so didn’t know what they had cost. We didn’t object, we said, “Thanks a lot.”