The windmills of Kinderdijk

Another cycle ride today, and we left Rotterdam in bright sunshine and excellent cycling weather.

After a few kilometres we reached the ferry that would take us across across the water to the Kinderdijk.

The ferry journey only took about five minutes and cost one euro, and there was far more bicycles on board than cars.

Once on the other side it was a short cycle ride to the 19 windmills.

I have looked back on my blog and we visited here in September 2018. Not only that but it was also a beautiful day, we caught the exact same ferry, and took the same photos, and then a similar route to Rotterdam.

So to avoid repeating myself, I will have to try and say something a bit different about this lovely place, so here are a few facts lacking from last time.

* The windmills were built between 1738 and 1740 to help drain water from the surrounding fields.

* Some of the windmills are still in use, but most of the water is pumped nowadays by two diesel pumping stations.

* The windmills are one of the most famous sights in Holland and the whole area is a UNESCO world heritage site.

In keeping with the rest of Holland, there are immaculate cycle paths all across the site, and we followed the route to a nice town with an excellent café and intriguing monument.

After that we cycled back to Rotterdam, but this time we managed to cycle through lots of industrial estates, although they were very nice in their own way.