Americans at the Maeslantkering!

Prince Willem Alexander (our Crown Prince of the Netherlands) with 50 Americans examines our weirs (dams).

Today was a quiet day at school. However, we had a new teacher, teacher Tirza, she will give the lessons on Wednesdays, the rest of the week we still have our teacher Jelka.

After lunch we went to the bowling, because Dad is still free from work. I must practise for the school tournament what will start on January 24 th. I did not have my day today, it didn’t go very nicely... next time better!

Tonight I watched the news on TV and saw our Prince Willem Alexander. He was today with 50 Americans (also water management people just like prince Willem Alexander) at the Maeslantkering at Hoek van Holland.

These Americans wanted to know more about the Dutch struggle against water as a result of the hurricanes Katrina and Rita which caused large damage in the state Louisiana.
Also American people from a few companies traveled with the water management people, to see how the Dutch handle the water problems.
A solution for New Orleans would be building a dam such as our Delta Works, but that will cost the Americans 80 billion dollar. Building the Delta Works in the Netherlands took 40 years and was completed by the Maeslantkering in 1997.

According to the prince, the Netherlands and Louisiana are much alike. Both the countries have a density of people and are below sea level. “But there is another climate in Louisiana. A wave of ten meters is something else then a northwestern storm at the North Sea", thus the Prince.
Funny to see, that so many American people came all the way to the Netherlands to see how we solve the water problems over here.

I go to bed.... bye see you tomorrow!