For this week’s throwback, let’s take a look at an amazing trip from several years back. After Covid settled down and life began to take on its veneer of normalcy, my wife and I went on our first river cruise, which took us from Amsterdam to Basel. It was a fantastic trip and a wonderful way to ease back into traveling after such an uncertain time. Along the way, we enjoyed beautiful scenery, charming towns, historic cities, and the simple pleasure of watching the landscape unfold from the comfort of the ship. Every day brought something new to explore, from leisurely walks and fascinating cultural sites to memorable meals and relaxing evenings on the river. The journey was filled with special moments, and it remains one of those trips we still find ourselves talking about years later.
Part of the fun was seeing the country of my birth through more of a tourist’s perspective, especially as one of our side trips was to visit Kinderdijk, the famous locale of windmills. Walking among the historic windmills, canals, and wide-open Dutch landscapes offered a memorable glimpse into the country’s distinctive character and centuries-old relationship with water management. The peaceful scenery made the visit feel both picturesque and meaningful, and it was wonderful to experience such a well-known landmark from a fresh perspective. Here’s a view from that visit…
As you can tell from this image, it was a typical Dutch weather day, with clouds gathering overhead, rain sweeping across the landscape, brief bursts of sunlight breaking through, and everything mixed together for good measure. The changing conditions transformed the scene from one moment to the next, creating a constantly shifting atmosphere that felt both restless and beautiful. This moment, with all the Dutch elements gathered in one view, said it all to me: the unpredictable weather, the ever-present water, and humanity’s ongoing struggle to find balance between nature’s forces and our own desire for order, comfort, and control.
A side note is that the tour guide, with whom I got the chance to speak some Dutch, asked me if it was my first visit to Kinderdijk. Indeed it was, as most of the Dutch population has no need to go see a bunch of windmills: they are just about everywhere!