It puzzles me why anyone would take a Spring cruise through the tulip fields of Holland if they had no interest in flowers, historic cities, museums or local culture. And why would you come on a cruise like this and spend your afternoons watching movies in your cabin?
But we all have our different reasons for traveling, I suppose.
The majority of passengers have decided that they do not want to be bothered with a trip to Floriade, the flower show and 
extravaganza that occurs in Holland once every ten years. I am disappointed – Jules says he will arrange to take just me if I really want to go, but it is easier to go along with the majority.
So instead we will go to Kinderdyke to see the famous Dutch windmills.
My run this morning is spectacular – Dordrecht is such a pretty place.
My run led me to a pretty street full of antique stores and art galleries. There are a tempting
number of lovely things in windows but alas we have to leave before the stores are open. My wallet is saved again.
The windmills are quite lovely to see – so quintessentially a Dutch landscape, with the line of windmills, dykes, canals and green fields. And bicycles. This is a popular 
destination for bike excursions.
We lunch in a curious place full of old memorabilia, and then the boat meets us and we sail through more lovely canals to the town of Gouda.
Lea has arranged a tour for us of the St. John’s church, famous for its windows. They survived the war because they were removed, crated up and buried in the dunes until the war was over.
They are lovely and tell the story of Dutch history. Our local guide for the church is Maurits – clever, funny, witty and so knowledgeable.
Then we walked with one of the other couples to the main square for coffee and returned to the boat.
Dinner tonight – wonton consumme, salmon tournedos, – cheeses are Baby Gouda, of course, and a petit Munster, followed by lemon cheesecake, and all washed down with a Meursalt and a Beaune.
Heidi, Editor-In-Chief
