My mini summervacation, Day 2/2
Had a wonderful night in my hotel in Haarlem; the bedroom is next to a quiet garden and I slept very well. Because of Corona measures, breakfast is in timeslots and I'm assigned 10-11 a.m, which is fine with me. I want to make the most of my time in this fancy Presidential Suite, so I'm in no rush to leave my room and thus start my day with another soak in the hammock bath, haha! Beware of my smug bubblebath pose below;)
Although I already did a bunch of sightseeing yesterday, there is still a lot of exploring left to do. So, let's have a hearty breakfast and go!
Haarlem DAY 2: Monday July 20
I brought my salted caramel bubblebath <3
Blue skies above, smug soaking below:)
The cook offered a freshly baked pancake and of course I accepted. She also made a delicious omelet with bacon. Additional breakfastfoods: a bowl of fruit (kiwi, watermelon, honey melon), a croissaint with chocolate sprinkles, bread, hot chocolate milk and a strawberry/orange smoothy.
Oh, had I already mentioned I had a Japanese toilet in my Presidential Suite? (With a seatcover that automatically opened)
Then I take a deep sigh, say goodbye to my boudoir and leave the hotel.
I cross the Jansbridge into town for more exploring. I have decided to combine two walks: the monumental route and the 'hidden green oases' route. (I only get lost once, ha!)
Nieuwe Gracht 5, an awesomely decorated building next to House Barnaart, the former residence of the first king of the Netherlands, Lodewijk Napoleon (brother of Napoleon Bonaparte). Believe me: this building is much more interesting than number 7:)
Flowery Kruisbridge and cool old building in Kruisstraat.
Luthers Hofje (Lutheran almshouses*, 1648) next to the Lutheran Church
*There are a lot of concealed retreats in the city. Behind hidden entrances, you will find the almshouse communities of Haarlem (Haarlemse hofjes) with quaint little houses arranged around an inner courtyard garden. The first type of almshouses (for beguines) date back to the 12th century. Later, church councils established almshouses, because they considered it their religious duty to provide a form of housing for the needy. In the 17th and 18th centuries, wealthy families established almshouses to ensure that their family name lived on in the name of the almshouses.
Experience demonstrated that men were unable to cope with running a household on their own, so the almshouses were allocated especially for widows and destitute, unmarried women over sixty years old. The men were accommodated in ‘old men’s homes’, such as the building that now houses the Frans Hals Museum. (I'll walk there later today:)
Entrance gate and garden of Frans Loenen Hofje (1607)
Old gateway to Coomans Hofje (closed in 1871)
Former postoffice by Joop (Joseph) Crouwel (1919)
Prinsenhof, the old herbal garden of the former monastery -that now houses cityhal- has another statue of Laurens Janszoon Coster (1722) with on its footstand the knife and the treetrunk that inspired him to invent letterprinting. (For more on LJC see yesterday's walk)
Gate from 1631 to Huis van Schagen, former school (1881) now apartments.
The well hidden entrance in the back of an alley to Bruiningshofje. This was not a traditional set of almshouses for unfortunate women; Jan Bruininck Gerritsz had seven children and bought all the houses here for his family around 1610! These days, members of the Baptist community serve as regents.
Since 1849 apothecary Van der Pigge has been selling the cure for all ails: Haarlemmer Oil. (It can be ingested or used as a balm, apparently. I bought a bottle, will keep y'all posted on its use;)
Tiny seal of Harlem (no sexy mermen holding this one)
The backwall of the Frans Hals museum.
Back and front of Frans Hals Museum, moved to this location in 1913, originally the former town orphanage (it also housed old men, see history of almshouses above)
Gate to St. Elizabeth Gasthuis (1612)
Entrance to Omvalspoort.
First department store in Haarlem (1899) was build by V&D (Vroom & Dreesman, founded in 1887, declared bankrupt in 2015. As a student I worked in one of their department stores in Groningen, so it will always have a special place in my heart)
Another cool gate.
Do you understand how I ended up with hundreds of photos in two days? So much cool stuff to see all over this town.
The gate of oldest still existing court of almshouses in the Netherlands, which unfortunately wasn't accesible because of Covid19. Established in 1395, take note of the inscription above the gate, which translates as: ‘Dirck van Bakenes for women eight and twice six’. This refers to the number of women who could live here, 8 + (2x6), thus a total of twenty, and the minimum age they had to have: (8+2) x 6, thus sixty years.
When I get back around to the St Bavo's Church (Grote or St. Bavokerk) in the middle of Haarlem I just have enough time for a quick visit, before I have to make my way to the St. Bavo's Cathedral (Kathedrale Basiliek St. Bavo) outside fo the city centre. (Yes, both buildings are called Bavo, which causes much confusion. Named after Saint Bavo of Ghent (622-659), the patron saint of the Kennemerland region)
Why does the city have two Bavos? Grote or St. Bavokerk at Grote Markt square was originally a Catholic church (1370) but after the Reformation in the 16th century, it became a place of Protestant worship. When the episcopal hierarchy was re-established in 1853, Haarlem was once again a diocese. As every diocese needs a cathedral at the end of the 19th century, the Kathedrale Basiliek St. Bavo was build.
The Grote (Big) or St. Bavo Church has magnificent stained glass windows and an impressive wooden roof.
The current building dates back to 1370 and it houses the famous Müller Organ from 1738; it's the biggest organ in the world. It was played by G.F. Händel in 1740 and ’50, who travelled to Haarlem especially for this purpose, and in 1766 ten-year-old Mozart played the organ when he visited Haarlem with his father!
I don't know about these funky animal carvings, but there were loads of them and I will have to get back one day to take a longer look.
From the St. Bavo church I walk to the South of Haarlem, I pass the city's theatre with a new 'melting iceberg' design attached to the original old building.
I cross the water and arrive at the Cathedral of St. Bavo on time for my 15:30 entry ticket to Creatures of the Cathedral, a walk across the roof of the chapels to get a closer view of the statues high above!
Can you see the creatures?
I have little time to appreciate the interiour of this Cathedral, as I'm on my way to the tiny spiral staircase in one of the chapel towers.
The climb up is kind of claustrophobic as you can't see up and simply have to keep going on the staircase until you reach the tiny door and can step unto the roof for an upclose look of the statues on top.
Well worth it, it's so peaceful up here:
and you do get really close to the creature statues!
I also get a close up look of the stained glass windows, pretty from the outside too!
Look at all the decorations.
Can you see my shadow waving from up above?
I wasn't kidding about the claustrophobic spiral staircase. I go down and then wander through the cathedral even further down to the vault below...
There is spooky music playing in this additional exhibition with extra information on all the creature statues; this is the Nun and the Elephant (a symbol of loyalty).
Back in the cathedral I discover this flattened dude supporting one of the beams.
I have time for another climb, even higher than the dome: more spiral staircases to go up one of the dual towers at the back of the cathedral!
Even higher than the Creatures and an even more spectacular view. It is very windy:)
See the flags on the women's tower? I'm standing on the men's tower. When they raised money to build these, the women of the community managed to raise more than the men, so they named the 'prettier' tower with the clock the women's tower;)
After climbing down again, I make my way back to the trainstation. I'm very relieved to come across a busstop, so I don't have to walk all the way there.
I also don't have to wait long for my train home, so I can sit down and rest and read:)
What a great two day trip it has been!
Day 1 in Haarlem [DW]
And then I spent a whole day making picspams, haha, it truely felt exactly like days worth of traveling:)
J.
X-posted from https://beelikej.dreamwidth.org/561330.html
Although I already did a bunch of sightseeing yesterday, there is still a lot of exploring left to do. So, let's have a hearty breakfast and go!
Haarlem DAY 2: Monday July 20
I brought my salted caramel bubblebath <3
Blue skies above, smug soaking below:)
The cook offered a freshly baked pancake and of course I accepted. She also made a delicious omelet with bacon. Additional breakfastfoods: a bowl of fruit (kiwi, watermelon, honey melon), a croissaint with chocolate sprinkles, bread, hot chocolate milk and a strawberry/orange smoothy.
Oh, had I already mentioned I had a Japanese toilet in my Presidential Suite? (With a seatcover that automatically opened)
Then I take a deep sigh, say goodbye to my boudoir and leave the hotel.
I cross the Jansbridge into town for more exploring. I have decided to combine two walks: the monumental route and the 'hidden green oases' route. (I only get lost once, ha!)
Nieuwe Gracht 5, an awesomely decorated building next to House Barnaart, the former residence of the first king of the Netherlands, Lodewijk Napoleon (brother of Napoleon Bonaparte). Believe me: this building is much more interesting than number 7:)
Flowery Kruisbridge and cool old building in Kruisstraat.
Luthers Hofje (Lutheran almshouses*, 1648) next to the Lutheran Church
*There are a lot of concealed retreats in the city. Behind hidden entrances, you will find the almshouse communities of Haarlem (Haarlemse hofjes) with quaint little houses arranged around an inner courtyard garden. The first type of almshouses (for beguines) date back to the 12th century. Later, church councils established almshouses, because they considered it their religious duty to provide a form of housing for the needy. In the 17th and 18th centuries, wealthy families established almshouses to ensure that their family name lived on in the name of the almshouses.
Experience demonstrated that men were unable to cope with running a household on their own, so the almshouses were allocated especially for widows and destitute, unmarried women over sixty years old. The men were accommodated in ‘old men’s homes’, such as the building that now houses the Frans Hals Museum. (I'll walk there later today:)
Entrance gate and garden of Frans Loenen Hofje (1607)
Old gateway to Coomans Hofje (closed in 1871)
Former postoffice by Joop (Joseph) Crouwel (1919)
Prinsenhof, the old herbal garden of the former monastery -that now houses cityhal- has another statue of Laurens Janszoon Coster (1722) with on its footstand the knife and the treetrunk that inspired him to invent letterprinting. (For more on LJC see yesterday's walk)
Gate from 1631 to Huis van Schagen, former school (1881) now apartments.
The well hidden entrance in the back of an alley to Bruiningshofje. This was not a traditional set of almshouses for unfortunate women; Jan Bruininck Gerritsz had seven children and bought all the houses here for his family around 1610! These days, members of the Baptist community serve as regents.
Since 1849 apothecary Van der Pigge has been selling the cure for all ails: Haarlemmer Oil. (It can be ingested or used as a balm, apparently. I bought a bottle, will keep y'all posted on its use;)
Tiny seal of Harlem (no sexy mermen holding this one)
The backwall of the Frans Hals museum.
Back and front of Frans Hals Museum, moved to this location in 1913, originally the former town orphanage (it also housed old men, see history of almshouses above)
Gate to St. Elizabeth Gasthuis (1612)
Entrance to Omvalspoort.
First department store in Haarlem (1899) was build by V&D (Vroom & Dreesman, founded in 1887, declared bankrupt in 2015. As a student I worked in one of their department stores in Groningen, so it will always have a special place in my heart)
Another cool gate.
Do you understand how I ended up with hundreds of photos in two days? So much cool stuff to see all over this town.
The gate of oldest still existing court of almshouses in the Netherlands, which unfortunately wasn't accesible because of Covid19. Established in 1395, take note of the inscription above the gate, which translates as: ‘Dirck van Bakenes for women eight and twice six’. This refers to the number of women who could live here, 8 + (2x6), thus a total of twenty, and the minimum age they had to have: (8+2) x 6, thus sixty years.
When I get back around to the St Bavo's Church (Grote or St. Bavokerk) in the middle of Haarlem I just have enough time for a quick visit, before I have to make my way to the St. Bavo's Cathedral (Kathedrale Basiliek St. Bavo) outside fo the city centre. (Yes, both buildings are called Bavo, which causes much confusion. Named after Saint Bavo of Ghent (622-659), the patron saint of the Kennemerland region)
Why does the city have two Bavos? Grote or St. Bavokerk at Grote Markt square was originally a Catholic church (1370) but after the Reformation in the 16th century, it became a place of Protestant worship. When the episcopal hierarchy was re-established in 1853, Haarlem was once again a diocese. As every diocese needs a cathedral at the end of the 19th century, the Kathedrale Basiliek St. Bavo was build.
The Grote (Big) or St. Bavo Church has magnificent stained glass windows and an impressive wooden roof.
The current building dates back to 1370 and it houses the famous Müller Organ from 1738; it's the biggest organ in the world. It was played by G.F. Händel in 1740 and ’50, who travelled to Haarlem especially for this purpose, and in 1766 ten-year-old Mozart played the organ when he visited Haarlem with his father!
I don't know about these funky animal carvings, but there were loads of them and I will have to get back one day to take a longer look.
From the St. Bavo church I walk to the South of Haarlem, I pass the city's theatre with a new 'melting iceberg' design attached to the original old building.
I cross the water and arrive at the Cathedral of St. Bavo on time for my 15:30 entry ticket to Creatures of the Cathedral, a walk across the roof of the chapels to get a closer view of the statues high above!
Can you see the creatures?
I have little time to appreciate the interiour of this Cathedral, as I'm on my way to the tiny spiral staircase in one of the chapel towers.
The climb up is kind of claustrophobic as you can't see up and simply have to keep going on the staircase until you reach the tiny door and can step unto the roof for an upclose look of the statues on top.
Well worth it, it's so peaceful up here:
Click to view
and you do get really close to the creature statues!
I also get a close up look of the stained glass windows, pretty from the outside too!
Look at all the decorations.
Can you see my shadow waving from up above?
I wasn't kidding about the claustrophobic spiral staircase. I go down and then wander through the cathedral even further down to the vault below...
There is spooky music playing in this additional exhibition with extra information on all the creature statues; this is the Nun and the Elephant (a symbol of loyalty).
Back in the cathedral I discover this flattened dude supporting one of the beams.
I have time for another climb, even higher than the dome: more spiral staircases to go up one of the dual towers at the back of the cathedral!
Even higher than the Creatures and an even more spectacular view. It is very windy:)
See the flags on the women's tower? I'm standing on the men's tower. When they raised money to build these, the women of the community managed to raise more than the men, so they named the 'prettier' tower with the clock the women's tower;)
After climbing down again, I make my way back to the trainstation. I'm very relieved to come across a busstop, so I don't have to walk all the way there.
I also don't have to wait long for my train home, so I can sit down and rest and read:)
What a great two day trip it has been!
Day 1 in Haarlem [DW]
And then I spent a whole day making picspams, haha, it truely felt exactly like days worth of traveling:)
J.
X-posted from https://beelikej.dreamwidth.org/561330.html