In 1740, no less than 19 windmills were built near the Dutch village of Kinderdijk. There is a Foundation which maintains and preserves them to this day. According to legend, Kinderdijk gets its name from an event that occurred during a flood. A child sleeping in a cradle was carried off in a big wave but was kept in balance by a cat and landed safely on the slope of a dike.This spot was named Kinderdijk.

In 1869, the windmills received assistance from a steam mill or pumping station, which was replaced by a diesel pumping station in 1927. The pumping station was not able to function during the Second World War due to lack of oil and the windmills proved their utility. In the seventies, a new diesel pumping station was built and is still in operation today. In 1997, the windmills of Kinderdijk were put on the World Heritage List of UNESCO.

We took an old fashioned ferry over to Kinderdijk , enjoyed a lovely dinner at the Grand Cafe Buena Vista Restaurant, explored the charming village , and then shot photographs til dark. We panicked for a moment as we sat waiting for our van to be ferried off the island, but sure enough it came into view. I don’t think Kinderdijk would be such a bad place to be stranded!See if you can find the baby ducks below.

Grand Cafe Buena Vista

The restaurant had an old radio collection.

We saw these creative planters in someone’s front yard.