Along the Vliet

Cycled along the canal De Vliet (pronounced like 'fleet') and spotted these folks in their boats sailing into the weekend at the hight of Voorschoten.

This canal Vliet runs from Leiden to Delft and I looked up its history in Wikipedia ~ never knew it was initially dugged out under the command of a Roman general. However, the Roman Empire's soldiers reached up till the Scottish border and the Netherlands were ruled by them too, so I could have imagined that the Vliet has its origin in their heads and hands.

Wikipedia says:
The Vliet is a canal in the Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. It starts at the Oude Rijn at Leiden and joins the Delfshavense Schie canal at Delft. Places along its banks include Voorschoten, Leidschendam, Voorburg, The Hague and Rijswijk.

The canal was dug in 47 AD under command of Roman general Corbulo, who wished to connect river Rhine, of which the current Oude Rijn stream in Roman times was the main branch, to the Meuse estuary. It is unclear what the canal's trajectory was beyond the current city of Delft; the Delfshavense Schie canal, which connects Delft to the Nieuwe Maas river was not dug until 1389.

In the Middle Ages the Vliet was an important trade link that attracted all kinds of trade, as it flowed through the heart of the County of Holland.[1] Windmills have been constructed alongside the Vliet, including the completely renovated mill 'De salamander' in Leidschendam. The Vliet area was particularly attractive among richer families, who built their mansions along its banks.