Avalon 1 - Moving Day

July 9th - Avalon Day 1 - Imagery II - move in but staying in Port today.

Too early wake up for me to get down for breakfast and luggage at the door for 8am!  Well we dropped off some for the city walk about tour but 4 of us stayed on the bus.  We moved onto the ship but it was just disembarking previous cruise, cleanup and then our 11:30 light lunch with complimentary beverage.  

Here she is!!!

Then some of us boarded the bus for our Zaans historically restored windmill village tour.  They basically moved original houses, windmills etc from various places and built a "working" museum village.  Most country windmills are national monuments as oil, gas, electricity have replaced these wind generated working windmills and many destroyed with fires because of wood construction and reed thatched roofs.  There used to be 16,000 or so and now down to 15, if I heard that correctly, will check.  

I just love this!

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This was the mayor's house in whatever village.

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The clog making demo was very interesting and the many labour intensive hours of hand carving them is now taken over by machines, using a wooden clog on one part as the pattern to carve from the wooden block into a clog, a pair in 5 minutes!  WOW!!!  But talk about wood chip throwing off the machine, I got tapped by two and ducked a few more times.  

Reminds me of scroll saw ornaments.

The one and only!!!

Block on the left, made clog on right to follow for pattern.

The first step shaped.

Now to carve out the inside.

Here's where the chips were a flying!

Step two.

Now the trimming of the extensions. 

VOILA!!!

Need woolen sock or leather slipper inside.

I wanted thos green ones!

I did taste a couple Dutch cheeses and like the plain goat cheese the best.  But wasn't taking off my runners as there was a line up for photos!

Cheese asking she'd.

At the Family owned and working windmill we had an introduction from Petre, but the mill fans were not turning.  I did climb the steep and narrow ladder like stairs to the upper level of the paint making windmill for awesome pictures.  The guide was concerned but I told her I paid for this tour and with care wanted to experience as much as possible.  

From the top deck.

Paint dyes for sale.

I could not resist and bought myself 2 pairs of ornament sized clogs!  I wanted some Dutch ice cream here but it was time to return.  Pictures were taken as we entered and on sale for 10€ alongwith a calendar.

I missed a lot of the commentary but basically this area is below sea level and the water is controlled by canals and dams.  There was one section where the land was reclaimed and islands made with various residential buildings built or being built!

Somethings brewing!

So back to the ship, I finally unpacked and put my cases into the closet when lightening and boomers broke loose outside, the new storm finally erupted!  But short lived thank goodness!  We had the safety talk, champagne and canapés then the head crew members introduced.  I'm very sore again and very thankful there is a lift as 3 times of 2 levels of stairs was definitely enough!

My room.

During the storm.

Safety talk.

Well supper was just lovely and fancy - food and company wise - but the wine sure was a flowing and after the second half glass I passed on say five additional offers!!!  At this rate I may not remember the cruise at all!  Better keep up on my journal to fall back on!  Oh and Aruna was right!  I've had at least 3 couples that kept asking me to join them or they were looking for me to join them plus another couple asked to join me during the safety talk.  WOW!!!  This is the first partial day on the ship!!!