Day 23 - Ouddorp

After crossing back over the Haringvlietbrug this morning, far less treacherous at 10am, we head west across the Goeree-Overflakkee, the parrot-shaped island that sits between the Haringvliet and Grevelingen rivers, two outflows of the Waal. It's exceedingly more quiet, with tranquil farm fields inland and grassy marshlands on the water side, home to hundreds of geese, ducks, and other shore birds.

Johan's right of course: the river delta of southern Holland is fascinating, both for its manufactured reality, and the copious amount of natural habitat still left (or preserved) for water birds, mostly migratory. Mapping the rivers that originate deep inside Europe, it's clear that the Netherlands is, and was always meant to be, the marshy swamp where these rivers converge to flow into the sea. The amount of ingenuity, hard work, and just plain pluck it took for generations of Dutchman to turn their soggy land into a habitable homeland is awe-inspiring. They lead the world in taming the mighty power of water.

But it's not always a good news story. In one town we learn that much of the island was flooded during WWII when the occupying Germans ditched the dikes with the express purpose of inundating the land. Never mind the people who were living there or the farmers growing their crops. It was the Germans ploy to keep the Allied forces from using the island as a landing strip. The plucky Dutch, however, understandably frantic about living in knee-deep water, managed to convince the German soldiers to allow them to build dikes that would segregate off sections of the land for them to live on. Those who didn't leave the island during this time huddled together in these polders until the war was over.

Another town's signs tell us of the horrific floods of 1953 -- the one Johan viscerally remembers as a three year old boy, who's father was responsible for ensuring the lock near the home on the Oranjekanal would hold as the waters rose -- that saw the waters of the Haringvliet river breach the dike and flood the land. Over 500 island inhabitants lost their lives.

The present dikes are twice the height of those that protected the island nearly 70 years ago. New technology has also been established to work with the water, rather than against it, allowing highly regulated sections of the island to be flooded if hazardous storms come in order to save other built areas, houses, towns and industrial areas.

By 3pm the thermometre has reached its peak for the day, 28°C. The heaviness of the moisture-laden air matches my energy -- it's time to stop at an appealing cafe at the nose of the Oudoorp harbor, with full views of the Grevelingenmeer and the happy Dutch kids playing in the water on this hot day. The chalices of Affligem Blond go down well to cool us off and quench our thirst.

Afterwards, and before heading to our B&B in town, I dip my toe in the water to test my resolve to go for a swim. Feels pretty good. Out come the bathers I've been carrying around, unused, for nearly seven weeks. The wide smile that spreads across my face as I swim away from shore is enough to get Johan to strip down to his trunks, and he's in too, washing away the sweat and enjoying the first swim we've had for over a year (having lived through two winters, one in Australia, the other in America). Two happy ducks we are.