Our trip to Delta Park at Veere, home of one of the engineering wonders of the world  that I had seen on the popular TV show Megastructures, was inspiring.  In 1953 after a combination of high winds and a hurricane there were over 100,000 acres of land flooded due to the breaching of the dykes. More than 1,800 lives were lost. Because of this the Delta Plan was devised, which involved shortening the coast line by about 450 miles with a gigantic tidal barrier to protect Zeeland from flooding.  Several dam-like structures were interlinked and are incredible to behold. We walked through the insides of some of the dam walls, with the sound of the sea pounding in our ears.

After lunch we arrived in Middelburg, where with a local guide, we walked around the town, finishing up in the beautiful Town Hall where we were given an official welcome and offered delicious Dutch specialty pastries.  After the walking I did not feel too guilty eating them.

As usual, before dinner, we went to the daily port talk which covered what we were to expect the next day.  Most on board had a few drinks before heading to the dining room, we enjoyed the sounds of the on board pianist, who entertained each evening.  On many nights we were treated to local entertainers who disembarked before the ship’s usual late night departure.