Windmills, tulips and other jewels

The trip, offered through the Concordia Alumni Travel Program, attracts travellers from American and Canadian college and university alumni associations. It took minimal arm twisting to persuade a good friend, Jeanne Maranda, BA 87, to accompany me on this adventure.

I highly recommend the trip, especially to strengthen anyone's thigh and calf muscles! Every day took us to new places and adventures. We boarded our ship, the M.S. Switzerland II, in Antwerp, Belgium. The ship was ideal for a small cruise, allowing for nearly 100 passengers and more than two dozen crew and staff members to have at least some facial recognition--and often more--before the cruise ended. The service was courteous and personalized and the food and wine delicious. In fact, everything was "shipshape and Bristol fashion," as they say in Britain.

There were about a dozen Canadians on board&--Americans significantly outnumbered us. The guides had obviously been trained to discuss only American experiences. I had to intervene on several occasions to point out that the Canadians fought in the Second World War from September 1939 onward and didn't wait until December 1941 to become involved! I urge more Canadians to participate on these cruises to mark our presence and cultural differences.

While the Queen cancelled all other formal activities, the celebrations continued. That evening, the streets along the canals of Amsterdam, where our trip ended, were filled with young and old, crazily drinking, eating and singing. Amsterdam has aged in the 10 years since I was last there. There are too many cars, too much pollution and too many "bicycle terrorists," as the locals call the reckless cyclists who endanger pedestrians. But the city has retained its charisma with its countless museums and other attractions. It was an appropriate way to wind up to a charming cruise.