Today we caught a train to Rotterdam to meet up with Ineke and Ed. We almost missed them (it’s a big station) but we found each other, and headed off into Rotterdam to catch up on news and explore the city. First though, we had to have a coffee and a little something to eat at a café. We had our first Dutch waffles with cherries and cream – we may have some again. The heart of Rotterdam was almost completely destroyed by the Luftwaffe during WWII and was gradually rebuilt from the 1950s through the 1970s, so most of it is relatively modern.To experience a bit more of older Holland, we took a Waterbus( very similar to a Parramatta Rivercat) upriver to Dordrecht. The trip was great, I think we have an affinity to being near waterways, and there was almost a feeling of heading into the upper reaches of Sydney Harbour, but this is a real working waterway, and instead of being lined by houses and apartments, it was lined by industrial and shipping infrastructure.
Arriving at Dordrecht was a pleasant surprise, with buildings dating back to the 1600s. There were many narrow streets filled with quaint human-scale buildings, interspersed with some grander buildings and crisscrossed by canals.What's strikingly different is that many of the older buildings lean out into the street, some as much as 30cm at the 2nd floor – due apparently to the soft earth on which Dordrecht is built. Walking along some of the streets feels like being in a Matrix-like movie where you expect the buildings to close in around you. I don’t think it comes out in the photos as much though.
We had a pleasant late lunch in a Turkish café, sitting and chatting in the sun, and out of the wind. The rest of the afternoon was spent exploring Dordrecht, including the fantastic medieval Grand Church (Grote Kerk) of Dordrecht, or Dordrecht Minster, is a building which is rich in history and origins lie in the 11th century. It is not only the external architecture which is impressive, but also its monuments, chapels and choir stalls which make this church the most important building in Dordrecht. It also had a reasonable lean on it. In the photo you can see the entrance gates are vertical, but the main tower leans to the left.
We also visited Arend Maartenshof, which was built in 1625 and was named after the founder’s son. The guide told us of his generosity an building 38 houses for poor women around the boundary of the courtyard. The Wikipedia entry says that he was known as a money-grubber and tried to improve its reputation by this act of generosity. Nevertheless, the courtyard and small houses still stands and is home to elderly disadvantaged people. A room near the entrance contains a mural on the wooden ceiling by Arnold Houbraken (1660-1719), depicting Time fighting with Mars (god of war) the familysignifying that in time all wars will cease – hasn’t happened yet. The room also contains about 10 large portraits of his family in the Dutch style of the 17th century – all painted on wood which is part of the interior walls. This all original, no copies, and located in a building with a substantial lean on it!Later, we bid Ineke and Ed goodbye at the station and headed back to Zoetermeer. We look forward to spending some time with them in about 4 weeks, after traveling south to Italy and France.
