Bye Bye Europe

Dear family and friends,

Our " tasting of the seasons" is coming to an end. It has been a wonderful, wonderful 9 months, a time to treasure forever and look back on with fond memories...!

The last exchange address for us is Zutphen, a very old Hanseatic town lying on the Eastern bank of the river IJssel. The town was part of the Hanseatic league, a group of towns with great wealth. The league was the economic centre in that part of Europe during those times.( 15th, 16th and 17th centuries)

In WW II it was bombed several times. The bridge over the river IJssel was vital to support the German troops at Arnhem. However many old buildings remain and it is a wonderful city to visit and wander around in, even in winter!

 

Wijnhuis tower.

Bridge over the river IJssel .

Part of the city wall and the circular fortress built to protect against Viking attacks.

 

Towards the beginning of December, the people prepare for the celebration of Sinterklaas, also called Sint Nikolaas or de Goedheiligman (the Holy Man). This feast is celebrated on the eve of his name day ( 6 Dec.) He is the patron saint of children and sailors and the celebration was an occasion to help the poor by putting money in their shoes, which evolved into putting presents in children's shoes. Sinterklaas is assisted by many mischievous helpers with black faces and colorful Moorish dresses.

 

Zwarte Piet,( Black Peter) allowed us to take a picture of him, while he was on his way to assist Sinterklaas.

 

Here they are, Sinterklaas and his 2 helpers.

In the very first week of December it started to snow!!! What a beautiful sight, with its own special magic, it seems the world becomes much smaller and it is soooo quiet...! You can hear your own footsteps crackle in the snow.

Trees laden with snow.

Even the bikes get covered in snow.

It can get very slippery and so the footpaths are cleared of snow very quickly, only the bike is left....!

We went for a River Rhine cruise to Germany, to visit Cologne and Dusseldorf, and to visit the Christmas markets. We went with a couple from Nijmegen, Frits and Marian, a couple we exchanged house with for the very first time in 1999 and have stayed in contact with ever since!

In Cologne with in the background the Cologne Cathedral.

The Catherdral from closer up. Officially called the High Cathedral of St. Peter.

Inside this magnificent cathedral.

The beautiful organ.

Downstairs in the Treasury , with precious reliquaries, liturgical artifacts and garments on display.

I was particularly impressed with the gold embroidery, ( I had just recently attended a gold thread embroidery workshop). This is part of the precious Capella Clementina garments of the Cologne Archbishop Clemens August Von Wittelsbach, a brother of Emperor Karl VII. He had ordered the regalia on the occasion of his brother's coronation in Paris in 1742.

The Mitre/ Miter, ceremonial head dress of the Bishop. Part of Capella Clementina garments.

In front of some of the Christmas market stalls.

We had to try a Glüwein!

And then it was time to prepare for the Christmas season, with lots of beautiful lights indoors and outdoors.

Interior decorations.

In the meantime the temperature had risen, which means a lot of melting snow and a lot of grey skies and drizzle.... And the water of the river IJssel was rising... and rising... and rising !!!

Just a little spot to stay on, to keep our feet dry..... Here at the quay of the river IJssel.

Celebrations are in order..... Lourens brother Henk turned 80!!! Lourens presenting him with an E Reader.

From left bottom row: brother in law Wim (next year 80), brother Henk, the birthday boy! sister Cathrien, Lourens. Top row: brother in law Poul, Simone, wife of Henk; Lies, sister Carin.

In preparation for Christmas lunch/ dinner. The table is set !

Everybody contributed with some dishes, which makes it a lot easier for everyone. We Aussies now that already.......! Here the starter to the meal , turkey with salad.

Dessert.... Charlotte Russe.

The next generation, Lourens nephews and nieces, surprised him for his birthday and organized a wonderful lunch for him.

Proost!!! Cheers!!!

They collected a number of old photos, from our various visits back to Holland through the years, and combined them to be made into a book with a copy for us and for Hanneke and Richard! Lourens, nephew Pieter, oldest son of Henk and niece Jose, daughter of sister Cathrien. A treasured memory of great family times!!

 

In the meantime the weather pattern is changing and the temperature is constantly below zero. This is our last weekend here in Holland and it has started to snow steadily.

Here in the backyard of Lourens sister Carin.

The roads are getting covered in snow...!

Snow, snow snow, if it keeps going we will have to start sweeping the pathways for people to travel to where ever they have to go. It can get very slippery!

Well, that's it from us here in Holland.

We hope to catch up with you soon, but first we will take a little break in Bali, to get used to the different time zone and to "warm up" a little ....!

Till then,

Fondest greetings from Lourens & Simone.xxxx

 

Autumn2012

Dear all,

 

Finally an update on our "tasting of the seasons" . In the meantime it is now December and we have seen the first signs of snow, but it does n't last yet...., the ground is still too warm, so it melts as soon as it hits the street or pavement! And of course " officially" it is not winter yet....!

 

So here goes....

 

Autumn was beautiful, with all the trees changing color and the leaves falling. It was picture perfect and we really enjoyed it. At the start, the days were still warm and sunny and we could even sit outside during the middle of the day, it started to cool down quite quickly after 3 pm though... And of course autumn also brings some really rainy days...!

 

Nevertheless we visited some interesting places in Belgium, we really enjoyed our stay in Wommelgem , near Antwerp. The house was comfortable and easy to maintain. We even had quite a lot of relatives visiting and so we could return some of their hospitality for a change!

The trees at the back of the garden changing color.....

The leaves are falling.........It is autumn!!

My cousin Gerben and his partner Lindy admiring the horses. They " lived " in the meadow next to the house we stayed in. Most of our peelings, potato, carrot, turnip etc. went to them.

The tree next to Lourens's sister's house in Veldhoven. Notice the change in the light during the day time, this was taken about 3 pm and the sun is already starting to disappear behind the horizon . By now ( 3rd of Dec.) it gets light at about 8 - 8.30 and it is dark by 5.30 pm.

A view from the top of MAS ( Museum aan 't Stroom in Flemish) in Antwerp.( www.mas.be.)This museum opened in 2011 and is very impressive indeed. In the distance the river Schelde with lots of ports.

View from the panorama deck,this time towards the city. This deck has a 360 degree view.

Antwerp, view from the bridge. In the distance Onze Lieve Vrouwe kathedraal, the largest Gothic church in the Low Countries.

One of the city squares in Antwerp.

Inside the O.L. Vrouwe kathedraal.

Beautiful led light glass windows in the Cathedral.

Another O.L.Vrouwekerk. This time in Brugge (Bruges), a charming fairy-tale medieval town. Bruges ' medieval prosperity came from trading and manufacturing textiles from high-quality English wool.

Picturesque canals link cobbled streets and market squares.

Enjoying the view of the many tourists passing by on little boats. "Who are all these people"? ( ref. to a TV add in Holland).

Lace display in one of the many many boutiques.

Lace, lace and more lace!

Not to mention:........ Belgian Chocolate!!!

The fabulous 13th century Belfort,(Belfry), towering 83 mtr above the square. The building itself houses the medieval deed of the municipal rights of the city of Bruges.

The City Hall built between 1376 and 1420.

The 13th Century Market Square in the centre of Bruges, lined with medieval stepped gable houses.

Bridge over " het minnewater" (nicknamed lovers bridge) The house on the left is now a guesthouse called Nuit Blanche, a fabulous B&B in a romantic location.( our pick in the Lonely Planet Guide). The building started out being a tannery in the 15th- century.

The " Begijnhof ". It originally dates from the 13th century. Today residents of the whitewashed garden complex include a convent of Benedictine nuns.

Me and my sister in law Jannie taking a carriage tour through the city.

The Gothic Hall. A dazzling hall with polychrome ceiling, hanging faults, romantically historicist murals and upper frieze of gilt figures.

Another view of the Gothic Hall.

Polychrome ceiling in the Gothic Hall.

Of course we had to visit the brewery " de Brugse Zot". Our son Richard had proclaimed that that was the best beer he had ever tasted, ( somewhere in Holland), but this beer is not available in the shops. What to do.....? A visit to Bruges was the only option! However, we ran out of time ...., so we and my brother Piet and his wife Jannie visited for him!!!

Bottles and bottles of beer de Brugse Zot.

Of course we had to have a taste!! ( and I am not a beer drinker......!)

View of the city Bruges from the top of the brewery " de Brugse Zot".

In the city square of Ghent, the soaring Unesco listed 14th -century Bellfry, topped by a big dragon as its weathervane, which has become a sort of city mascot. Next to it is the " Lakenhal", and together they formed the trade centre in the Middle Ages.

Ghent. Sint-Niklaaskerk. (St. Nicolas Church).

Ieper (Ypres). The Lakenhalle, (cloth hall) is one of Belgium's single- most impressive buildings.Its 70m- high belfry has the vague appearance of a medieval Big Ben. The original version was completed in 1304 beside the Ieperslee, a river that once allowed ships to sail right up to it, to unload their cargoes of wool.It has been brilliantly reconstructed and now houses the In Flanders Fields Museum, which gives a balanced, but moving introduction to WW1 history.

The Menin Gate. Unveiled in 1928, it is a huge gateway inscribed with 54,896 names of British and Commonwealth troops lost in the quagmire of WW1, who have no graves. Every evening at 8pm, traffic is halted while buglers sound the Last Post, a moving tradition that started in 1928.

Many of the names inscribed on the wall.

A tribute from a great great grandson. Many come and visit the Menin Gate to show their respect. Flanders ' WW1 battlefields are famed for red poppies, both real and metaphorical.

From 1914 the area suffered four years of senseless fighting during which thousands of soldiers and whole towns disappeared into a muddy, bloody quagmire. The fighting was fiercest in the Ypres Salient, a bulge in the Western Front. Here the world saw for the first time poison- gas attacks. This is one of the many beautifully maintained war graveyards.

We went for a 3 day trip to Luxembourg. Felt, as we were so close, we should visit. Also, we as "Dutchies" , share a bit of history. During one of the French revolutionary wars and after Waterloo in 1815, Luxembourg was declared a Grand Duchy under the Dutch king. After the Treaty of London in 1839 a part of the Grand Duchie remained Dutch, with Luxembourg City as its capital. When the Dutch King William III died in 1890, his daughter Wilhelmina became queen of the Netherlands, however by Luxembourg 's then -current 'Salic' rules of succession, only males could rule the Grand Duchy.This resulted in Luxembourg 's independence becoming a reality. So, indeed we share a bit of history !

In front of the Royal Palace in Luxembourg City.

Parking square in front of Hotel Petry, Vianden, where we spent a night.

Map of the historic town, the medieval city of Vianden.In 1308 it developed as a major leather and crafts centre.Its craftspeople had formed their own guilds by the late 15th-century , by which stage the county of Vianden had become part of the greater Nassau lands. In 1790 Vianden was swallowed up by revolutionary France, but after 1815, when the French withdrew, a large part was given to Prussia. Vianden became an impoverished backwater and trade died off. The Dutch King who had been handed the town, saw little use in its gigantic, hard to heat castle and sold it to a scrap merchant, who stripped it bare.It was not until 1977, when the Grand Ducal family formally gave the castle to the Luxembourg State, that long time restoration went ahead. The result was spectacular and the castle has since formed a tourist magnet and also the backdrop set for several movies.

The beautiful medieval castle rising high above the city of Vianden. A vast slate roofed castle complex.

A 900 m climb to the castle. Close to the entrance, near the river Our.

The pilgrim route of Santiago de Compostelo runs past Vianden.

A view from the castle. The township of Vianden.

Detail of a tapestry, of which many adorn various walls.

One of the many rooms in the castle. This is the conference room, dating from the 15th-century. The tapestry depicts a biblical theme " bruiloft te Kanaa". It dates from the 17th -century.

The great water well. This well was dug during the 11th-century. It is 54 m deep and completely hacked out of the rock wall.

Hail and wet snow on the road. Heading towards winter!

Frost on the meadow next to the house in Begium.

The weather is changing, so time to do some embroidery. The Birth Sampler for the second daughter of my cousin Mirjam.

 

Well that's it for now. We have just moved to our adress in Zutphen, where we will stay till the end of January.Plans sofar include a trip to the Christmas Markets in Germany. We will join a couple , The Gesthuizen 's , which we exchanged with the very first time. That was in 1999-2000. We have kept in touch ever since and it will be great to catch up in person.

 

We hope we will be able to get some really nice pictures of the winter season with all it entails! Till then, greetings from Lourens & Simone.