blog | Gary J. Kirkpatrick Art and Travel Blog - Part 23

Churches of Thessaloniki: Agia Sofia

July 7, 2024October 1, 2019 by Gary Kirkpatrick

The Agia Sophia dates from the 8th century and is modeled after the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople (4th century), also still standing. Photos by Peg.

The Ascension is shown in the dome.

The church was converted into a mosque after the city’s absorption into the Ottoman Empire in 1440. Here you can see the remains of the minaret. You can see the arch in the Islamic style versus the Roman style which is rounded.

Thessaloniki, co-capitol of Greece, 315 BCE

July 7, 2024September 29, 2019 by Gary Kirkpatrick

October 2, 2019

Thessaloniki is the capitol of the Macedonian region of Greece (not the country called North Macedonia), the second-largest city in Greece. In Greek it is referred to as the co-capitol of the country, a position it also occupied in the Byzantine Empire alongside Constantinople. Founded in 315 BCE, it was named after the half sister of Alexander the Great. It was once home to a large Jewish community, some of whom came when expelled from Spain. It was devastated by the Nazis. Of the 49,000 shipped to death camps, only 2000 returned.

Also of historical import: the Apostle Paul preached in the Upper City and developed contacts that led to his letters to the Thessalonians that constitute two of the Bible’s 27 books. The city was part of the Ottoman Empire until 1912, almost 100 years after the Greeks successfully fought to escape Ottoman control.

There are many Byzantine and Paleochristian monuments, Roman and ancient Greek agora just two minutes from our place, the churches Hagia Sophia of Thessaloniki, Acheiropoietos, Panagia Chalkeon, all UNESCO World Heritage Sites, as well as Ottoman and Sephardic Jewish structures. You can see the fine equestrian statues of Alexander the Great and Constantine. The Archaeological and Byzantine Culture Museums are major attractions. The latter is a purpose designed building that flows smoothly between exhibits. There are paintings dating from the 1500-1600’s whose vivid colors jump off the wall. The bright red lips, as if lipstick were applied, attracted my attention immediately. It was not just one painting but many with this characteristic. I finally found a way to get my new mobile phone to get a good image in the dim lighting, which I then brought out further with GNU photo editor, which I use for all of the editing I do. The red on the lips was even more pronounced than what I have been able to produce.

The Archaeological Museum has many of the fine examples I have seen of pottery, gold, silver and paintings.

Scenes from the Old Testament of Joseph, 1687

Earrings 500 BCE

The White Tower, a symbol of the city, has 6 floors with a gallery dissecting the city’s long history in each one. It also affords great views of the huge bay and the city’s hills. The Thessaloniki Concert Hall is home to the opera. There are two symphony orchestras. There is an annual International Film Festival. The city reportedly has the highest concentration of cafes and bars in Europe. Judging by my experience so far, this is not an exaggeration. Coffee shops, bakeries, gyros (kebab) places, traditional Greek as well as a wide variety of other restaurants all abound. People walk about eating or sit outside in the mild and pleasant late September weather. The waterfront has 12 thematic gardens and parks.

View from the White Tower. The boat offers a tour of the harbor for the price of drinks

Retsina, the pitch flavored white wine

Viking in Dokkum 2

July 7, 2024September 23, 2019 by Gary Kirkpatrick

This is my second rendition of our boat in front of one of the two old windmills in the tiny town of Dokkum in Friesland, the northeast province of the Netherlands.

Viking in Dokkum 2, water color, 8 x 8″, 20 cm x 20 cm on Arches paper

Zwolle

July 7, 2024September 20, 2019 by Gary Kirkpatrick

September 18, 2019

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.”

The port area

Latest news from our time in the Peace Corps

July 7, 2024September 3, 2019 by Gary Kirkpatrick

September, 2019

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.

Don Lito was interviewed on Panamanian Television

Don Lito interviewed

Dokkum, crawling under bridges

July 7, 2024August 27, 2019 by Gary Kirkpatrick

August 25, 2019

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.

Viking in Dokkum, water color, 8 x 8″

Viking in Dokkum

Viking in Dokkum

File source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Joure,_straatzicht_met_kerk_foto4_2011-04-26_17.19.JPG

File source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dokkum,_straatzicht4_foto1_2009-09-19_13.04.JPG

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!

Mooring in the shage

Waves droves us back

July 7, 2024August 23, 2019 by Gary Kirkpatrick

August 15, 2019

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.

Old Burger Weeshuis. Kleine Kerkstraat. wiki

Giethoorn to Lemmer

July 7, 2024August 17, 2019 by Gary Kirkpatrick

Giethoorn is a waterland fantasy, a tiny village founded by a flagellant sect from somewhere in the Mediterranean, per the wiki. I think they were Italians as I have read so somewhere a while back. Now it is a major tourist destination and often referred to as the Venice of the North, it is best seen from the punters, traditional flat bottom boats. it is the combination of thatched roofs, lush gardens, canals and the 150 foot bridges that makes the place so charming. There is a mere 2700 inhabitants so a walk, bike or boat tour does not take more than an hour and a half.

My paintings and drawings. Some are still available for sale.

Giethoorn, 3 bridges post card A6

Giethoorn, Boat Nears Bridge, watercolor A6

View of Giethoorn (acrylics) A3 16.5 x 11.5″ in a private collection

Giethoorn Bridge pen and ink. Our boat takes us into the canals

Giethoorn Two Houses – watercolor on post card stock

Giethoorn, boat nears bridge, watercolor

Giethoorn Canal with Bridge pen and ink

Giethoorn Eyes Us – pen and ink

Peg’s photos:

Pagentry in the campo

July 7, 2024August 10, 2019 by Gary Kirkpatrick

August 9, 2019

Zwartesluis (Black lock) is a tiny village, so tiny that it’s main feature is the lock through which we passed. So where were all the cars, bikes and pedestrians passing by the boat going to? We got the bikes off the bow and followed the flow towards the bridge. There workers were collecting a paring fee from cars. I asked one where to go and the pointed over the bridge, telling us to look for the fairway, apparently referring to one of those small carnivals that visit country towns in the summer. There was always one in Pearl River, where I grew up and learned to dislike most of the rides.

Down the street about a mile we saw where most were turning left. We followed them into the crowd, where at yet another bridge over a canal, this a smaller one, there were vendors selling ice cream and fried fish (of course) and a large calliope belting out a polka. We followed the crowd along the canal to where the canal was lined with those awaiting the parade in front of thatched roof houses with beautiful flower gardens. I assumed it would be a parade of small motorized craft given the dimensions of the canal. I was wrong, as I learned as soon as the sun went down.

First came a floating band followed by someone in a boat making balloons for the kids. Then around the curve came this:

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfln3RkxNqE[/embedyt]

This all in the midst of a very friendly crowd with their children, dogs and bikes. We asked a man sitting on the grass in front of us about the parade. He said it was an annual affair. There are no sponsors indicated on any of the floats. Muck of the music on the floats was recorded, with some very amateurish dancing and acting to go along with it. But hey, they have never been to Broadway and this is a tiny tiny town, with more cows than people. Look at how elaborate these floats are! Bravo for them!

Here are the videos I took in the nearly dark skies. Video quality is limited.

Hoorn to Lelystad

July 7, 2024August 10, 2019 by Gary Kirkpatrick

July 30, 2019

Leaving Hoorn is an easy affair, passing by the wonderful old keep at the entrance to the old harbor. From there the crossing to Lelystad takes you across the Markermeer. We skipped the bird sanctuary just off the coast and then found the convoluted entrance to Lelystad. The bouys take you along the break water instead of directly to the entrance. Then there is a lock with a 5 meter (16′) drop to the polder, called Flevoland. The land that was recovered from the sea in the mid- 1960’s, thus all the towns are comparatively new and devoid of the traditional architecture that makes the country so interesting.

Going down! The lock at lelestad

After the lock there is a bit of a ride to moorings outside town. We stayed a night at one but finding a poor internet signal we found another, and it turned out to be quite a lovely spot!

Viking at Geldese Hout Bridge, pen and ink , 14.8 cm x 21 cm, 5.9 x 8.3″

Geldersebrug (Gelderse Bridge) at Geldersebrug Hout (Woods), pen and ink, 5.9 x 8.3

There is room for 4-5 boats, it is quiet and peaceful, and just a 5km ride to Lelystad, or you can take the bus whose stop is just 5 minutes by foot. There is a derelict boat, its windshield covered with paint, being the only blot on the scene. Someone is living on it, who is apparenty handicapped. A wheelchair sits on the dock. It came and went several times while we were there. We never saw the person, who must go to town to charge the chair as there is no electricity at this location. There were several friendly people on the other boats. Coming in, there was only room at the end of the dock, a difficult spot to secure. A woman came to us offering to move their boat, having just returned from their bike ride. They then helped us dock, as it was a tight fit.

We took the bus to the Batavialand Museum. It has several significant attractions. The Batavia is a replica of the flagship of the Dutch East India Company. The original was built in 1628. It carried a large cargo including spices from Indo-China, for which the people acquired a taste which remains to this day. Kip sate (chicken with a peanut sauce) is a popular offering. A rice tafel is an elaborate dining experience, with a wide variety of meats and veggies served on a lazy Susan.

Also in the museum is a huge tapestry, reminiscent of the Bayeux Tapestry. It is a history of the area, starting with prehistoric times. Link to video. It was done by a group of about 27 volunteers including artists, embroiderers and amateur historians.

Nearby there is an exhibit with an excellent English guide taking you through the exhibits of early settlements in the area, dating to 5000 BCE. They moved from place to place to find the high ground, often returning to the same locations once the waters receded.

Next we came to Dronten, a forgettable town with a pleasant harbor that is organized as an association, meaning in this case that everything is done by volunteers. One of them came from South Africa. He explained that there were conflicts between Africans and the white population, as well as between the Afrikaners who speak a form of Dutch and the English speaking population, of which he was a part. He was of Dutch heritage however. He also had huge properties in Mozambique. He lost them when the government forcibly removed control of land from foreigners.

Then came Zwolle, which we had visited in our boat Caprice in 2000. They were working on the harbor at the time. It is quite attractively done but from our point of view there are several shortcomings. The piers are short so when you dock you can easily come against the boats next to you. With the wind pushing us that is exactly what happened. However the people on the boat had anticipated the problem and were there to push us off and keep the bow from hitting the dock. Boaters always help one another like this. The second issue is the vertical ladder you need to get to the land. It is about 1.5 meters high. One slip and you could face a serious injury. Getting bikes up is quite a challenge. Fortunately our little bike is light so I was able to get it to the repair shop for a bit of wheel truing, although I had feared I would need a new wheel.

The remaining gate in Zwolle

In the morning we went to the street market on Gasthausplein. Lots of vegetables and fruit, as well as the fish truck. A friendly shop owner repaired one of our phones. He spoke no English. We are finding more people here than elsewhere who speak little or no English.

After a quiet night we backed out, with the wind pushing us into the boat on the other side of us, then passed under the two bridges without much delay, unlike when we entered when we waited for 20 or more minutes with the wind pushing us about. We were heading to Giethoorn, the magical waterland, with a stop along the way near Zwartsluis, a tiny town on the canal the other side of a lock with barely room for two boats of our length. The friendly lock keeper told us of an event that evening and also of the predicted strong winds, which showed up the next morning.

There is a large mooring area just outside Zwartsluis, with perhaps 20 boats already moored but room for many more. After a while we noticed much increased activity on the road. Cars, bikes and pedestrians were going north towards the next bridge. I thought there was going to be a boat parade or something like that, but we were in quite the treat.