I am trying to do a little more with my photography. Cee has given me some awesome ideas here:
Walls:
I wanted to give you all a little better glimpse of my recent trip to PA to visit with my son.
Willem and Mirjam Jackson, Son Ian with Brenda
After church on Sunday Brenda’s friends Willem and Mirjam took us to Zaanse Schans. This is the Dutch equivalent of Plymouth Plantation, or Old Sturbridge Village. The houses are about the same time period but people actually still live in them! I am not sure I would pay top dollar to live in a neighborhood that attracts thousands of tourists a yearn unless of course I was operating a shop nearby that benefitted from thousands of said tourists! 🙂
A little windmill, Zaanse Schans
Apartments in the Zaanse Schans neighborhood
Brenda and the Windmill
The Lowlands
This would make a great VanGough painting
Apartments on the islands
I hope you have enjoyed my tour of the Netherlands. This is the last in this series. But if you would like to see more of my pictures you can follow me on Facebook!
After touring the Ten Boom museum (which if you did not see go back to Netherlands Pt. 7 for a look-see) Brenda and I had lunch with Mona at one of the street-side cafes. Christian camaraderie is such a sweet gift from the Holy Spirit!
When at last we had to say good-bye or as they say it in Dutch “Dooey!” Brenda and I decided our time in Haarlem was not over. We wanted to tour Corrie’s home church, St.Bavo’s (pronounced Boffo’s).
St. Bavo’s sits in the center of Haarlem Square.
Admission to the church was 2 Euro as there was no service going on.
The sanctuary of St. Bavo’s
the facade of the pipe organ, Mozart played a service here…but not while we were visiting 🙂
The ceilings of St. Bavo’s
Ancient cathedral sanctuaries were built in the shape of crosses. This is the ceiling at the center of the cross.
A view along the North side of the sanctuary, St. Bavo’s. The floor is made of gravestones from the 1500’s. The inside of the church is also a cemetery.
A grave marker in the floor of St. Bavo’s
Brenda in the choir loft. St. Bavo’s
While Brenda was busy pretending to pray, I found this little cross- shaped hole in the wall.
Since the adjoining doors were bolted, I stuck my arm through the cross-shaped hole and snapped this picture. So glad my arm didn’t get stuck!
This window was given to St. Bavo’s by Queen Beatrix.
There is so much to see in this little city. After we left St. Bavo’s we walked through the square just enjoying the sights and sounds.
the statue outside of St. Bavo’s. Mona could only tell us it wasn’t St. Bavo.
Street cafe, Haarlem Square
Street performers, Haarlem Square
Haarlem truly is one of the most beautiful little cities I have been too. Don’t pass this little gem by if you are in the area!
Museum Street!
You might get the idea I like museums.
The Nemo. Didn’t make it here but it looks llike a cool museum to visit!
You would be right.
A still life at the Rijks
I love to wonder at the talent it takes to make something like this look like a photograph with nothing but paints made from plants and bugs.
Rembrandt
Brenda at The Hermitage, Amsterdam
The Cheese Museum Alkmaar
A Stained glass window at The Hermitage, Amsterdam
It is interesting to look at what others have collected. It speaks of what they valued of what they thought was important.
A rich lady’s doll house. To expensive to ever be played with. The Rijks museum
Sometimes what I see speaks of how easily we are distracted from the important things in life.
The Ten Boom Museum a home and family dedicated to rescuing Jews during the Holocaust
Then sometimes what I see restores my faith that not everyone has lost touch with the truly important things in life.
On this trip to The Netherlands I stayed well to the West of the country. I stayed in Womerveer which is northish of Amsterdam and travelled as far North as Alkmaar and as far west as Haarlem.
Until you have been to Holland it is hard to fully comprehend the national appreciation for two things: chocolate and cheese. So Brenda planned in a day for us to see the cheese show and market in Alkmaar. You may laugh a little but honestly how could a country with a city named Gouda ( pronounced howda with a guttural at the front) not be fully dedicated to cheese?
Alkmaar is a beautiful old world city dedicated to cheese!
The most prominent building in the square is the cheese museum
I bet there were 500 people gathered for the cheese show
The man in the orange heart is “The Cheese Father”. Honorary leader of the cheese show!
We arrived a half hour early for the cheese show and it’s a good thing we did. By the time the show started (which by the way is translated from Dutch into English, German and French) people were standing 4 or 5 deep. Some lady used Brenda’s head as a tripod to take pictures!
The Cheese Maidens!
The Cheese Inspectors inspect the cheese to make sure it is mature. No really that is the job. That and giving out samples. So yummy!
The Cheese Racers load their cheese sleds with Gouda and take it to the weighing house.
The Cheese Judge weighs and records the cheese
The Cheese Racers then take the cheese off of the scale and run it wagons to be taken to market.
I am assuming that at the end of the race the team which clears the most cheese wins. But you cannot prove this by me. We left after 45 minutes of cheese racing. There was coffee to drink, shopping to shop and pictures to take.
An open air cafe on a cool and windy day
Back street shops, Alkmaar
Brenda on the canal bridge, Alkmaar
Cheese Museum in background
Alkmaar
Alkmaar
Alkmaar is reachable from Wormerveer by a forty-five minute train ride. If you go make sure you hit the city on market day. Take in the cheese show. Drink a capuccino.Take in a nice restaraunt and shop the artist’s market which I thought kept pace with the art markets on Museumplein in Amsterdam. What a great day! Thanks Sis!
Of course I love to travel. Seeing new places is one of my great joys. But my trip to Holland was not primarily about Holland. I never would have thought to travel there had my sister not moved. Brenda is in Holland assisting missionary Judy Mensch with a theater project. You see, my sister is both a Rev. and a professional stage manager; So she certainly fits the bill for this calling. If you would like more info on Judy and Brenda’s project go to www.gonetherlandsAG.com
Life’s a play. And it’s a comedy!
Brenda by” Fishing For Souls”
I thought it fitting to get a picture of Brenda by this picture since it is her purpose in Holland. From here however our museum journey quickly devolved into madness!
Brenda by “Portrait of a Dead Bunny”
Brenda saying “Don’t eat fruit that looks like this.”
Bugs on fruit
Brenda and the “Angry Swan”
Brenda has made many new friends in the church.
Brenda and Judy Mensch
Brenda and friends Willem and Mirjam Jackson with son Ian
Brenda and Friend Mona Lichtenveldt at a cafe in Haarlem
Brenda and friend The Dutch Leprechaun
So as you can see, Brenda is adjusting well and meeting many new and wonderful people. Still no one can quite replace her big brother.
Brenda saying good-bye
I made it into Amsterdam three times while I was visiting my sister in Wormerveer. Brenda bought me a chipkart (The Netherlands version of a Charlie Card for you Bostonians except it gets you anywhere in the country or Europe as far as I can tell) and put 50 Euro on it for me. Love the little Sis!
So much to see! So much to see!
Amsterdam Centraal. Some train station huh?
The back-side of Amsterdam Centraal. Like many things in Holland what’s up front cleverly hides what’s in back!
The Netherlands has a Queen. Her name is Beatrix.
Portrait of Queen Beatrix by Andy Warhol
We rode past her house in Amsterdam on our way to the Hermitage.
The Royal Palace of Amsterdam
While in Amsterdam don’t miss the museums.
the Hermitage, Amsterdam used to be a poor house. Now it’s a world famous art gallery!
A wall sized reproduction in the Hermitage
“The Brazen Pan”, The Rijks Museum
You could certainly spend a week just visiting Amsterdam but if you only have a day do not miss the canal tour. It’s a great way to see the city. Oh and always, always buy the audio tour for every site that offers one. You won’t be disappointed!
St. Nicolas Church, Amsterdam
Silly Jack, Amsterdam’s Big Ben leans to the left and has never kept time.
“The Dancing Houses” so called because settling causes them to sway into each other over time.
Love the mauve shudders!
More tomorrow!
In Holland every town has market day. Vendors set up in the square selling their wares. Wormerveer’s market day is Wednesday. So on my first full day in The Netherlands Brenda
The open air market in Womerveer
and I went grocery shopping!
Brenda at the green grocer
I did notice that Brenda’s fruits and vegetables do not last as long as the veggies and fruits I buy in the States. It makes me wonder what’s in the food I eat.
The cheese vendor
Cheese is a major part of Dutch society. The cheese and potato vendors seemed to be among the busiest booths.
The Potato Vendors
When we finished our shopping for the week Brenda treated me to Freits with Freitsaus (French Fries with a mayonnaissy like sauce on them).
A lady carrying Freits from the Freit vendor.
Walking back from market I got some shots of Brenda’s neighborhood!
the canal behind Brenda’s home.
Brenda’s dream home on the Zaan
A funky car
The church garden next door
Brenda’s box garden before I took shears to it.
Brenda’s box garden after I took shears to it.
In case you are wondering I did make it out of Wormerveer. On Friday we will explore Amsterdam together. Check in tomorrow because PAstor Wrinkles will be back with more chapter charts….
Well I am finally back. I am, slowly getting caught up on all my reading of fellow bloggers. I will be responding to all your comments soon. In the meantime, here for your viewing pleasure are pictures of what I have been up to!
Vacation began on June 18th with a flight out of Boston at 9:30 P.M.
By 6:30 A.M. on the 19th ( which I suppose was sometime around 2 A.M. EST) I was arriving in Iceland. This is a place I would just love to explore someday if God permits!
By 7:30 I was back in the air heading for Schipol, The Netherlands. I arrived at 1 P.M. after a three-hour flight (I know time change in the air is really confusing).
My sister greeted me with grapes and soda for the train ride to Wormerveer.
We were about an hour on the train and the bus which dropped us off almost on Brenda’s front step. Her home is called “The Young Prince” by the people of Womerveer and is a converted bed and breakfast. That’s it on the right next to the river.
Here is what Brenda sees from her front porch every day.
A houseboat across the river.
The city of Wormeveer upon the Zaan River.
Longboat racers practice on the Zaan
Well dear readers, there will be more tomorrow!
Reinventing the We'll 