Day 11: On to Brussels, Belgium

Our suitcases had to be outside our stateroom by 7:45 a.m., and we left the ship at 8:30 with Brian and Mary Beth for the drive to Brussels, Belgium.

Our brief view of Amsterdam

Kevin was our guide for the transfer. His job was essentially to ride with us in the Mercedes from Amsterdam to Brussels, then catch a train home. Originally from London, he now lives in the Netherlands. We talked about the recent heat wave, and he explained that Dutch apartments are designed to keep people warm, not cool. During the hottest stretch of the summer, his apartment reached 32°C (about 90°F) inside.

We made a quick rest stop in Oosterheide

The drive was smooth, with surprisingly little traffic. At one point, police were preventing additional vehicles from entering the highway we were traveling on. We never did learn why. As soon as we crossed into Belgium, however, the condition of the roads noticeably declined. Both Kevin and our driver laughed and said that was simply the difference between the two governments.

We arrived in Brussels just before noon, and our hotel, the Steigenberger Icon Wiltcher's, already had our rooms ready. While it wasn't quite as luxurious as our hotel in Lucerne, it was very nice and in a perfect location on Avenue Louise, surrounded by upscale shops and boutiques.

Sylvie, our guide, met us at 1:00 for a quick neighborhood orientation before leaving to meet another tour group arriving from Paris after a Normandy river cruise. She pointed out a few nearby places to eat, so Bill and I used Google Translate to select which sandwiches we wanted from a neighborhood shop, then headed back to the room to relax before our afternoon excursion.

Discovering Brussels

The forecast threatened rain, but fortunately our local guide more than made up for the gloomy weather with an abundance of enthusiasm.

One of the first things we learned was that Belgium is a multilingual country. Most people speak either Flemish (a form of Dutch) or French. Northern Belgium borders the Netherlands and is primarily Flemish-speaking, while southern Belgium borders France and speaks French. Brussels itself is officially bilingual but is predominantly French-speaking. There is also a small German-speaking community in eastern Belgium.

Our guide shared a few famous Belgians, including Karl Marx, who lived in Brussels for a time, and Audrey Hepburn, who was born there in 1929.

Belgium became an independent nation in 1830, with Leopold I becoming its first king the following year. Today, Belgium is both a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary democracy.

Leopold I's son, Leopold II, succeeded him in 1865 and remains one of Belgium's most controversial historical figures. He commissioned many of Brussels' grand public buildings, but he is equally infamous for his brutal rule over the Congo Free State, which he controlled as his personal possession from 1885 to 1908. Millions of Congolese died during his rule through forced labor, disease, and horrific punishments for failing to meet rubber production quotas.

After Leopold II died without a legitimate heir, his nephew Albert I became king. Known as the "Soldier King," he fought alongside his troops during World War I while his wife, Queen Elisabeth, served as a nurse.

Belgium's current monarch is King Philippe. His heir is Princess Elisabeth, who recently earned a master's degree in public policy from Harvard. When she eventually succeeds her father, she will become Belgium's first queen regnant.

Around the Royal Quarter

Our tour began with a bus ride into the city center. Brussels' streets are incredibly narrow, and it was amazing—and slightly terrifying—how closely our driver squeezed past pedestrians, parked cars, and other buses.

We drove past the massive Palace of Justice, another of Leopold II's ambitious building projects, before walking through the Royal Quarter.

The Palace of Justice. We saw no superheroes.

The Place Royal with a statue of Godfrey of Bouillon in front of the Church of Saint James of Coudenberg

The Royal Palace serves as the king's official workplace rather than his residence. Our guide pointed out that the flags were flying, indicating that the king was in Belgium and carrying out his official duties. Across the street is a beautiful park that once served as the royal family's hunting grounds.

The Royal Palace of Brussels

"Le Printemps" (Spring) at the park across from the Royal Palace

Nearby are the remains of the Palace of Coudenberg, which served as the residence of Belgium's rulers for nearly 700 years. The palace was destroyed in an accidental fire on February 3, 1731—possibly because someone left a candle burning. Unfortunately, the surrounding moat had frozen solid, leaving firefighters without an easy source of water. Today, the underground ruins can be explored as part of a museum.

The ruins of the Palace of Coudenberg are underground in this museum

We also passed St. James' Church (Sint Jacob in Dutch), dedicated to the Apostle James, and the impressive equestrian statue of Godfrey of Bouillon, one of the leaders of the First Crusade who helped capture Jerusalem in 1099.

Another view of Saint James' Church

Our walk continued through Mont des Arts, where we saw the René Magritte Museum. Magritte is perhaps best known for The Son of Man, the painting of a man in a bowler hat whose face is hidden behind a green apple.

The Magritte Museum has a Green Apple on top

Musical Instruments Museum

Nearby stands the Carillon of Mont des Arts, a large clock built for the 1958 World's Fair. Every hour, its twenty-four bells alternate between French and Flemish melodies while twelve moving figures celebrate important people and moments from Belgian history, from Celtic ancestors and medieval rulers to artists, soldiers, musicians, and workers.

The Mont des Arts in Brussels

Carillon du Mont des Arts, the famous clock with 12 figures representing Belgian history and culture

Waffles, Chocolate, and Rain

No visit to Brussels would be complete without talking about waffles.

Our guide explained that Belgians don't actually call them "Belgian waffles." There are many regional varieties, with the two best known being the Brussels waffle and the Liège waffle. We sampled the Liège version, which is richer, denser, and a little less fluffy than the Brussels style. Locals usually enjoy them in the afternoon with coffee or tea and nothing more than a dusting of powdered sugar, although tourists can find every imaginable topping.

Sylvie hands Bill a waffle

So many waffle types and so many toppings!

They were delicious!

Belgium is equally proud of its chocolate.

Jean Neuhaus, a Swiss pharmacist who moved to Brussels in 1857, first became famous for coating medicine with chocolate to make it more appealing to patients. His grandson later transformed that idea into the Belgian praline by surrounding a creamy ganache filling with a chocolate shell.

Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert, one of the oldest covered shopping arcades in Europe, and a great place to get out of the rain

Jean Neuhaus himself, crafted from chocolate

We also learned about Mary Delluc, who founded Mary Chocolatier in 1919. Because women were not allowed to become certified chocolatiers at the time, she cleverly opened a café and gave away samples of her chocolates. They became so popular that the rules were eventually changed, allowing her to sell them professionally. She later earned the prestigious title of Royal Chocolatier.

Mary Chocolatier's shop, the first female Chocolatier in Belgium

Throughout the afternoon, the rain came and went, and much of our walking tour involved darting into doorways and sheltered plazas while waiting for the showers to pass. We had packed raincoats, so we were fine, but several people in our group had not, making shelter a frequent stop along the way.

Like the other Belgian cities we visited, Brussels has a magnificent central market square lined with ornate guild houses representing different trades. The Gothic City Hall, built in the 1400s, survived both the French bombardment of 1695 and later served as a field hospital during World War I.

The Brussels Town Hall

Grand Place and its beautiful guildhalls - this stretch includes the hall of Haberdashers, Archers, Cabinet makers and Coopers, Carpenters, and Bakers, all built in the 1600's. 

The former Bread House, which is now a museum

A closer view of the guild house for Carpenters and Coopers, with all gold leaf trim

The House of the Belgian Brewers, which is now the Belgian Brewing Museum 

The Swan House once housed the guild of butchers, but also served as a meeting place for Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels

Our guide reminded us that French fries may actually deserve to be called Belgian fries. They are served almost everywhere, often with mayonnaise instead of ketchup. Our guide suggested that when the fried potatoes were introduced in the United States, because the proprietor spoke French, customers did not realize he was actually Belgian. 

A French (Belgian?) Fries museum in Brussels

Of course, we also sampled some chocolate. At Elizabeth Chocolatier, we tasted both pralines and truffles, and neither disappointed.

Elisabeth Chocolatier served us pralines and truffles, both were delicious

A chance to shop, eat, and get out of the rain

Bill also found some Belgian Roast coffee

One of Brussels' most famous attractions is the tiny statue of Manneken Pis, a little boy happily relieving himself into a fountain. Visitors can petition to have him dressed in costumes for non-political celebrations, although he was wearing his birthday suit when we visited. When I called Mom after we got home, one of the first things she asked was, "Did you see that statue of the little boy peeing? Your dad always thought that was hilarious."

Live and in person (sort of) - Manneken Pis

Despite the rainy weather—and despite my occasional concern that our bus driver was about to sideswipe another bus or a pedestrian—we had a wonderful afternoon exploring Brussels.

The bus safely returned us to the hotel, and that evening Bill picked up burgers from Huggy's Bruxelles 2. They were good, but they still couldn't compete with the burgers we have back home.

Our Belgian Burgers from Huggy's

Day 10: The Windmills of Kinderdijk

Preparing for the last day

Wednesday was our last full day aboard the ship before docking in Amsterdam. We spent the morning packing and getting organized. At 11:00, everyone gathered in the lounge for a meeting about disembarkation plans. Most passengers would be heading home, while a few were continuing on a post-cruise excursion in Amsterdam. We, however, were headed to Brussels, Belgium, with another couple we had not yet met.

At 4:30 that afternoon, we disembarked in Kinderdijk for a walking tour of the famous windmills.

Windmills in Kinderdijk

Hiking from the bus to our tour

Kinderdijk is located in South Holland, about nine miles east of Rotterdam. The name means "Children's Dike," and there is a statue of a cat sitting beside a cradle to commemorate the local legend.

During the St. Elizabeth's Flood of 1421, the area was inundated with water. After the storm had passed, a villager searching for anything that could be salvaged spotted a cradle floating in the floodwaters. As it drifted closer, they noticed a cat frantically moving back and forth, keeping the cradle balanced. When the cradle was finally pulled from the water, they found a baby inside—safe, dry, and peacefully asleep. According to the legend, the cat's efforts saved the child's life.

The Cat and the Cradle Sculpture

Our guide explained that a thousand years ago this entire area consisted of farmland about two meters above sea level. To drain excess water, people dug canals and ditches. Unfortunately, digging exposed peat to the air, causing it to decompose and the land to slowly sink. As the ground settled, the canals no longer drained properly, and flooding became a constant threat to the crops.

The solution was an ingenious system of windmills. Each windmill pumped water from the fields into a holding reservoir, where another windmill lifted it higher until it eventually reached the Rhine River.

Over time, however, two problems emerged. Windmills only work when there is enough wind, and the land continued to sink, making it increasingly difficult to move the water uphill. In 1868, the Van Haaften Pumping Station was built to supplement the windmills using coal power. It was converted to diesel in 1918 because it was less expensive and easier to operate. Today, the newest pumping station runs entirely on electricity.

Kinderdijk now sits about three meters below sea level and is still slowly sinking, although only about half a centimeter every hundred years.

Not all of Kinderdijk's challenges involve water. Geese have become a nuisance because they leave droppings everywhere. To discourage nesting, the water level is intentionally kept higher each spring, reducing the amount of dry ground available for nests. If nests are found, the eggs are gently shaken so they do not develop.

Lots of Geese try to make their home in Kinderdijk, despite local efforts

Lessons about Windmills

The people who lived in the windmills were known as millers. They were required to live in the windmills year-round with their families, especially during the wet season from October through March. Although they did not pay rent, they only received half a salary, so they found other ways to supplement their income.

The garden grew vegetables to feed the miller's family

A boat was used to navigate the canals and for fishing.
Bikes and boats are still the only way to travel in this area.

The outhouse was very cold in the winter

The kitchen was separate from the windmill to protect against fires

Storage houses and a small boat

Since most of the canal water is rainwater, it is fresh enough to support fish, and many millers became fishermen. They also harvested the tall grasses around the canals to make baskets and fences, and they trapped moles for both their fur and their meat.

A fence made from the tall grass

Once the coal-powered pumping stations could operate year-round, the windmills gradually fell into disrepair. Today, the Kinderdijk World Heritage Foundation maintains them so future generations can continue to appreciate this remarkable engineering achievement.

We were able to tour one of the windmills and climb all the way to the top using a series of steep wooden ladders. We were told that the mill had once been home to a family with thirteen children, which is hard to imagine after seeing how cramped it was inside. Every piece of furniture had been specially built to fit within the windmill's round walls.

The ladders were sturdy, but they definitely required careful footing. Visitors are encouraged to climb down facing the ladder rather than walking down normally. I was a little nervous about the climb, but the beautiful view from the upper windows made it well worth it.

The bottom set of stairs/ladder going over the wheel that scoops the water

Storage

For basic face and hand washing

The center pole connecting the blades to the wheel at the bottom

The first floor requires some ducking to manage.
You also need to be careful not to fall down the other stairs. 

The center pole in the windmill is turned by the blades

The view from the top floor

Corridor of the middle attic including clothes the family wore and the tools used to wash and dry them.

The beds are quite tiny, and apparently slept multiple people each.

Front room of the middle attic, where the children slept. They snuggled to stay warm. Sleep was difficult because of the noise from the mill, even at night.

The living room was where the family gathered, and it was the only heated room in the house. 

The stove provided heat, cooked food, and heated the iron for the clothes.

Dishes and other household utensils.

The windmill itself is impressive. The sails span 28 meters and consist of four wooden lattice blades covered with the same type of cloth used for sailing ships. When the mill is not operating, the cloth is rolled tightly around the blades, and a brake keeps the sails from turning.

Here the sails are open so the windmill can turn. The brake is released as well.

Rose is rolling up the cloth sails for the evening.

The position of the sails can even communicate messages to neighboring villages, signaling celebrations, mourning, holidays, periods of rest, or even warning of approaching danger.

The entire cap of the windmill can be rotated to face the wind using a large wheel that resembles a ship's steering wheel. It can turn as much as 180 degrees in either direction. The sails should never rotate faster than about 18 to 20 revolutions per minute to avoid creating sparks that could start a fire.

Rose shows us the wheel used to turn the cap of the windmill.

As the sails turn, they rotate a central shaft connected to a large wooden waterwheel below. The wheel lifts water from a lower level to a higher one, allowing it to continue through the drainage system. A single windmill can move about 45 cubic meters of water each minute. By comparison, a modern pumping station can move about 1,500 cubic meters per minute—roughly the volume of an Olympic-sized swimming pool.

The newest pumping station

The inside of the newest pumping station

The same basic mechanics could also power grain mills or sawmills. Millers communicated with one another using flags during the day and lamps at night whenever it was time to begin pumping.

Like any machine, the windmills require maintenance. The wooden gear teeth eventually wear down, and when they begin slipping, they are replaced. The old pieces are often repurposed into furniture.

Today, Kinderdijk is home to nineteen windmills. Sixteen are still occupied by millers, while three serve as museums. Although modern pumping stations handle everyday water management, the windmills remain fully operational and can be brought back into service whenever unusually high water levels threaten the area.

The windmills cannot be reached by car—only by bicycle or boat. Many millers still wear traditional wooden shoes while working because they are durable and made from locally grown willow. In the winter, special blades can even be attached to the shoes for skating across the frozen canals.

In several gardens, we noticed miniature windmills that were once used to teach children how the machinery worked. Our guide also shared a parenting technique from years ago: young children were sometimes tied to a rope attached to a heavy pot in the yard to make sure they couldn't wander too close to the enormous spinning sails.

The Last Dinner on the Gersemi

Back aboard the ship, we enjoyed one final dinner with Celia and Jeremy. After seeing it on the menu all week, I finally ordered the rib-eye. It was a little underwhelming, probably because we had recently enjoyed such excellent pork roast and chateaubriand.

The dinner menu from the last evening

Bill enjoys some poached Norwegian Salmon

My rib-eye with steak fries

Later that evening, we returned to our stateroom to finish packing for our trip to Belgium the following morning. The ship hosted a farewell toast and live music to celebrate the end of the cruise. Bill caught the tail end of the toast and stayed to enjoy a little of the band's performance before calling it a night.

It was a relaxing way to end our final evening on the Rhine and a fitting close to a wonderful cruise.

The view from our bed. The room was amazing; the views were perfect throughout!