Today Jen drove us out to Kinderdijk, a World Heritage site where it is said that nowhere else in the world can you find a Mill Landscape such as this. There are 19 windmills of three different types and all but one was built in 1738. These windmills were all homes. It was the miller’s task to ensure that the water level was maintained at the right height. He needed to monitor the direction of the wind continuously and change the sails to catch the wind from the best angle. The Kinderdijk area has been inhabited since the 10th or 11th century. Kinderdijk can be seen as an example of the battle against the water, which has lasted over the centuries using the ingenuity and perseverance the Dutch are known for. The unsheltered surroundings needed to make optimal use of the wind are mostly still original. It was in 1997 that the site was placed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
After returning home for lunch, Jen and Al switched positions with Jen going to work at the clinic and Al taking over the tour guide duties. He drove us out to the beach near Hoek van Holland, just north of the mouth of the Rotterdam harbour. Currently the west coast of Holland features wide, white, sandy beaches for a coastline. They are working on a 25 year plan to reclaim more land by hauling in more sand, thereby adding to and building up the beaches. We enjoyed a leisurely walk along this part of beach and had the chance to see some of the many ships and ferries as they enter the harbour. Then back to Maassdijk to pick up Jen and have a view of their clinic.
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