Trafalgar Tour Day #5

 June 20th

This morning was an early start.  Luggage had to be outside our rooms at 6:45am and the coach departed at 7:45am.   I was worried that I’d not wake up in time so of course woke up way too early and was well ready!

First stop was Zwolle where we were handed over to a local guide, a man, whose name I never did hear.  He was a passionate historian and also extremely competitive so he kept saying “Amsterdam has …from the 17th century but here we have … from the 13th century”.  A cheery sort with a round face,  much like I imagine Dutch cheese makers to look like, he was an amusing guide and full of little stories as well as facts and historical dates.   Apparently the old city was an oval with a castle wall (only one gate and a small portion remain) which was then ‘extended’ by triangular ramparts until it became a star shape.  So there are the remains of an inner moat and an outer moat.   

Originally there was much trade on the river and it is from that the city industries were formed.   Our guide told us that the people of Zwolle are called Blue Fingers and apparently the reason for this is that in the late 1600s the church tower collapsed and the bells fell to the ground and were damaged.   Being strapped for cash the town officials decided to sell the bells to the neighbouring town of Kampen who gladly took them until they found that the damage had caused problems and the bells were no longer fit for use .  So the town officials of Kampen chose to pay for the bells in coin, of the smallest denomination possible - a copper coin.  When the mountain of cash for the payment was delivered the Zwolle town leaders had to count the money to ensure that full payment had been made.   By the time they had counted all the copper coins their fingers had turned blue, hence the nick name!

We ended the walking tour of Zwolle at a church that had been turned into a book shop and cafe.   The coffee was bitter but welcome and the book shop amazing.

We had free time to roam the shops in Zwolle and I found some interesting things.

I also found a craft shop that had just opened the day before.   They had yarn and some embroidery but nothing that tempted me to part with precious Euro.   One wall was pencils and reminded me of the Pencil Museum in Keswick so I asked the shop lady to take a photo for me.

Once we all eventually got back to the coach (some folks are always late aren’t they?) we set off for Giethoorn and a boat trip around the village.  Originally the area was a peat swamp and the people living there dug peat from the ground creating shallow trenches and lagoons no more than a metre deep.  Then in  the late 1700s a huge flood came and the trenches and lagoons filled with water.   However they made use of these canals and indeed added to them and they became the transport routes.   Today the network of canals are plied by special flat bottomed electric powered boats and around 2000 small motorised dinghy sized craft.   

The marshes around grow the reeds used in the thatched roofs of the houses and most of the places had immaculate flower gardens.   Today there are no farmers left and of course no peat is dug.   Along the canals are specialty shops, cafes, restaurants and numerous places to buy ice cream or gelato.   In the middle of the lagoon we visited is a large stone house used by schools for camps.   One such camp was in progress and I was amazed to see small punts of children around 11 years old sailing out on the lagoon without any adult supervision.   Of course the water depth is only a metre but nevertheless it did seem risky.     It was a charming village and I can see why 1 million tourists per year visit to see what the locals call “the Venice of Holland”.   We came back to the restaurant for a welcome cup of coffee and a piece of very sweet cinnamon and walnut cake.

Then it was into the coach and off for a 90 minute drive to Groningen.   

Here we once again met up with a local guide, Monique, who took us on a walking tour of the centre.   First stop was The Forum.   A modern multi use building this is part library, part community meeting place, part cinema.   It is large, light, modern and didn’t fit with my image of Groningen.   She did say it had been quite a controversial building and that in the 10 years it took to complete the functions of the building did undergo some changes.

Next we walked out to see some of the older buildings.   One of these was an Almshouse.  

 Originally built as accommodation for monks and nuns on pilgrimage that use became obsolete when Catholicism was banned.   So then the wealthy men of the city decided that they would be used as houses for the poor who could not provide for themselves.   Naturally such benevolence had to be acknowledged so there are plaques with these ‘guardians’ names listed and the year in which improvements and investments were made above the doors and windows.

Over time this use too became unnecessary and today they are small apartments where a variety of people pay a cheaper rent to live.  The only conditions are that they agree to tourists and general public walking in and around the grounds, and that they do not mind the small size of the residence.   

Inside the outer walls were many of these little homes grouped around a central garden courtyard.   It all seemed very pleasant but I wonder how the reality is.

There was a war memorial statue of St George slaying the dragon.   Apparently it is an allegory of the triumph of good over evil.   Around the base are symbols of the Nazi evil;  eagles, parts of swastikas all combine to show the triumph of the Allies over the Germans but the guide told us to note that St George is not depicted as victorious and triumphant but head bent and battle weary over a dragon that still has one eye open.  The artist is said to have meant to show that there could always be another such war.

The University Building looked old and imposing but in actual fact it was only built in 1916 but the architect specifically designed it to look old renaissance style.   

The entry lobby is impressive with a stained glass window depicting the history of the university which was founded in 1614.   

Upstairs is an impressive room used for ceremonial purposes.

I went to dinner with a group from the tour and had what the waiter told me was Dutch food - a large schnitzel covered with cheese bacon and red onion.  Accompanied by Fries!   It had been a long time since breakfast and the piece of cake at Giethoorn so I gratefully ate it and am now relaxing at the hotel.