While we were in Zwolle we went to see Downton Abbey, the movie, at the luxurious new theater. As you may have already noted, the movie added to the story but did not cut any new paths. In fact it is a reinforcement of the absurdities caused by the Englishclass system. Among the lesson of the superb television series: you can not marry outside your class, you can not rise from lowly origins, you can not have sex outside of wedlock. Both of these norms were breached, causing great consternation. The absurdity was exposed in another way in the movie.
Spoiler alert! I am about to share the main plot.
The movie starts with a notice from the royal family (as a Republican in the English sense, I do not capitalize ‘royal’) advising of a pending visit. This was not a request but never mind that for now. The family and staff burst into action. The family – get those duds ready to show off. The staff: get the meat, veg and wine ordered. As the visit nears, word comes that the royals will be bringing their own servants. These arrive several days in advance with their noses in the air, ordering the family’s staff to simply stay out of the way. The staff is deeply offended, as to them serving the king was to be the highlight of their lives.
So incensed at losing the opportunity to put meat on a plate and pour a glass of wine for over-indulged (if genteel) guests who by this time were basically figureheads whose job it was to be spoiled and cut ribbons that the staff hatched a plot to displace the royal (pain in the ass) servants. Sleeping droughts, locked doors in remote bedrooms and the like were all painstakingly put in place so staff could cook a goose and carry it upstairs on a platter set before celebrities who were born into the position, not there by merit.
Nonetheless this is a fine farewell to the series, and I fear to the acting career of Maggie Smith, one of the finest actresses to ever grace the stage. My ode to her:
There is evidence of inhabitation in Zwolle (meaning ‘hill,’ a cognate of ‘swollen’) during the Bronze Age, circa 6000 bce. The Franks occupied the area during Roman times. The city dates from 800 CE. In the area around the hill upon which the city there are four rivers, IJssel, Vecht, Aa and Zwarte Water. The city center still shows its octagonal defensive formation. Zwolle joined the Hanseatic League in 1294. In the 15th century its wealth grew exponentially from trade. Thomas à Kempis, noted religious author, spent most of his life at the Augustan monastery that once stood here.
The city’s center of 125,000 is a superbly crafted mixture of the old and new. There is new construction that blends in well with the older brick structures. It is a shopping zone with residential areas nearer the edge. It is surrounded by the moat, where we sit on our boat just a moment away from the scene below, where there is much of the construction in brick to match the old.
Zwolle at night, followed by a day shot of the same general area:
Then there is the really old:
The old gate
Another example of the new but this is outside the old center.
Theater de Spiegel
Like everywhere we have been, there is a friendly and often festive atmosphere, the festiveness pronounced in the summer when people more readily enjoy socializing outdoors. The restaurants are busy, with lots of outdoor seating. Few people use tobacco so one is not bothered. Bikes galore run up and down the streets except in pedestrian only zones, which most bikers respect. The young, the old, the in between, the infant, all come to town on one type of bike or another.
There is easy banter with the people you meet. The Dutch not only understand American humor they gave serve it on their own terms. A waiter came to ask if we needed help with the Dutch – we have become fairly well versed on the menus – and I said I could translate into English for him. I pointed to something labeled “Mixed Platter” and I said, “Now in English we would say “Mixed Platter.” That’s a subtle joke (I am not claiming it is a good one), but he got it. Peg ordered that very thing. I commented, “You will need help with that,” referring to what looked like a large order. He climbed in next to me and said, “I’ll be glad to help.”
We were in Peace Corps Panama 2009-10. We worked with coffee producers. Some were using organic methods, switching after deeming chemicals too toxic for workers and the environment. One, Lito Lezcano, developed organic products to fertilize and fumigate the plants, which were shade grown under platanos and other trees. One of the things we did was search for a better outlet for Lito’s product and anyone else who cared to participate. Peggy was talking to another volunteer one day, mentioned this effort and he and his wife in fact were planning to import Panamanian coffee into their Vermont store. In fact they did and we bought some once when we passed by, and we stayed in their house a few nights while they were gone.
Lately Lito began selling directly to the public. His product is called Cafe Don Lito, and is some of the finest I have ever had, and that’s going some, as I have lived in Italy, Spain, France and other European countries I consider to have the finest products.
Photo of their ad shot, my comments on Instagram and their reply in English.
In a Hopper Cafe, Acrylics on Arches, 57 x 76 cm, 22.5 x 30”
“In A Hopper Cafe” is another in the series echoing the work of American artists Edward Hopper, this one inspired by Hopper’s ‘Chop Suey. Strong lines contrast with fuzziness in the figures, hard lines with soft, outdoors with the indoors, the comparative focus of the indoor scene with the uncertainty of whatever lies beyond with but a slim barrier of safety.
We are social creatures. Our connections keep us informed. Yet we are also separate. We have to reach across space as well as other barriers, whether the barriers be based in culture, gender or other factors.
In 2000 we came to Dokkum, a small town in Friesland, the northeast section of the Nederlands. It has two thatched roof windmills whose sails are lit at night with a subtle purple light.
On the way to Dokkum we stopped in a tiny town called Wijns (wines). There are 258 residents as of the last official count. Many were in the small park next to the restaurant, which was booked for lunch and had no reservation space for dinner, although we got in as it turns out there is a section reserved for those without reservations – who would have thunk it? Children frolicked in the canal. Women changed clothes behind trees and sun bathed topless. Boats loped past. Sheep plead for dinner, not to be it.
Wijns, a small village near Dokkum, pen and ink, Company, 6″ x 8″ 15 x 21 cm
To the southeast there is a route back to Leeuwarden, rather than the route we took to get here. There are 7 or 8 bridges that are barely high enough to pass under. We have to come to a complete stop and kneel on the deck as we pass under the bridge. Many of the bridges are lined with kids who dive or jump into the water on this hot day. At one bridge two older teens climbed onto our swim platform, talking to us as we proceeded. It was getting too far for a swim back to the bridge when they saw people coming towards us on a small boat. They asked for a ride back and were welcomed aboard. They swam over to the craft.
Southeast of Dokkum, barely three inches/8 cm to spare
We came to a mooring that promised shade for the remainder of the day. We had just this boat with two people and a gaggle of noisy Canadian geese for neighbors. Wine and cheese on the deck!
After a night in Lemmer, on the Ijsselmeer side of the lock, we ventured forth onto the Ijsselmeer with Force 2-3 winds predicted. It all went well enough in the protected area, with just a slight chop as you would expect from that level of wind. Once we left the protected area waves began to build and soon we were in 1/2 meter (about 18″) waves. This is not enough to cause discomfort in our boat. However after about 30 minutes we were in 1 1/2 meter waves and Force 4 winds. Our progress slowed dramatically, the bow forced well up to get over the waves, air making the ride very uncomfortable. We discussed turning around for a few minutes when a bit of flat water appeared so I opened the throttle fully and made the turn as quickly as possible hoping to avoid some severe rocking. Suddenly it seemed as if the water was flatter and we rode comfortably back to Lemmer.
My concern was only our discomfort but also that the pounding we were getting would stir up dirt in the bottom of the fuel tanks and clog the fuel filter. Changing filters, especially for the first time for me on this boat, would not have been fun. I changed the filters about a week later and I am extra glad that I did as it took a few times to get all the air out of the system so the engine would start. Diesels will not run if there is any air in the fuel as the injectors will not pop the fuel into the cylinders. It took about 10 minutes of trying to get the motor going, and this was while in a quiet mooring. In a rough sea with sea sickness a real possibility, it would have been much longer.
We paid another 5 Euros to pass through Lemmer’s narrow canal running through the center then headed for an island near Woudsend. We met friends at a good free mooring at which to wait out the wind. After a day or two we went to a mooring on the lake. We fought the wind to moor and just stayed a night. There is a better mooring close to Joure, so we moved there the next day. Joure is the home of Douwe Egbert, founded in Joure in 1753 as a general store by Egbert Douwe and Akke Thijssesa, later moving into coffee, tea and tobacco. Their son Douwe and his wife Ymke Jacobs took over. The company is still in the family. The aroma of coffee permeates the air in the area of the plant, sitting on the outskirts of town. The original shop is now part of the museum complex.
Joure’s central street is lovely, as you can see in the photo. While we were there one of the bars had live rock and roll music – the lively group played Jail House Rock while we were there – with a enthusiastic crowd spilling onto the sidewalk in the sun.
Joure’s main street (wiki photo)
The next day we moved to Sneek, mooring in front of the Waterpoort, the fabulous gorgeous gate facing the canal.
Waterpoort, Sneek, Nederlands pen and ink, Company, 6″ x 8″ 15 x 21 cm
Dating from the 10th century, Sneek (pronounced ‘snake’) was built on a sandy peninsula at a waterway called the Magna Fossa, built when the now extinct Middelzee became silted. There was a dike at the juncture, reflected in the street layout and names such as “Hemdijk”, “Oude Dijk” and “Oosterdijk”. While we were there I was also allowed to visit the Gamma, so I could repair the mast clamp which was damaged by the pounding in the Ijsselmeer. The Gamma is a retailer of bolts, nuts, screws, tools, paint, wood, etc. I went by bike as its over a mile. It was a ride made longer by the wind and threats of rain.
Sneek seems to be a center of entrepreneurial activity. A major clother CandA was founded in the city in 1867. There is quite a bit of industry in the city to this day, including a candy factory, steel, rope and machinery production.
Sneek is a small city in Friesland, the northeast part of the Nederlands. It has a gorgeous gate and other architectural gems. It faces the canal. We were moored just in front of it.
Waterpoort, Sneek, Nederlands pen and ink, Company, 6″ x 8″ 15 x 21 cm
We stayed on an island near Woudseen, from which I drew this scene. It is a tranquil spot with room for about 12 boats. The island has many mice who dig in the sand. We were there for two nights.
This mooring is on the outskirts of Lelystad, also a free mooring with room for 3 or 4 boats. You can get to Lelystad by bike easily. It’s a pretty ride through the forest part of the way. There were several groups of rowers while we were there for a few days.
On an Island Heeg and Woudsen, near Lelystad, pen and ink, 6″ x 8″ 15 x 21 cm
The Batavialand Museum in Lelystad offers a very interesting visit. The Batavia replica is a major attraction. The original dates from circa 1628. It was the flagship of the Dutch East India Company. The exploitation of the resources of Indonesia was the major contributor to the country’s Golden Age, from which much of its finest architecture and art dates. The Company made Holland the world’s largest trading nation at the time. Even today Holland is a major trading nation, the world’s fifth largest according to a guide. You can walk almost everywhere on the ship.
Sketch of the Batavia, Dutch East India Company, 6″ x 8″ 15 x 21 cm
There is a superb tapestry recounting the history of the region created by 27 volunteers, one of whom was inspired to do so after seeing the Bayeaux Tapestry. It starts around 6000 years ago at the time of the earliest known settlement, moving to the Roman era, the middle ages and Dutch Golden Age with the founding and development of the Dutch East India Cmpany. It then moves to the creation of the polder in the late 1920’s and up to the present day. Peg made a video of a large portion of it. [embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_4Utat-Go4[/embedyt]
There is an exhibit displaying the archaeological findings from the earliest period. Childen played in a waterworks exhibit, lifting and moving water and boats. So Dutch! You walk outside to get to the Batavia, build some 30 years ago and in need of major repairs. It will be coming out of the water soon and will probably be closed to visitors for several years.
