Visitors

A visit of a friend from Minneapolis has turned me into a tourist in my own country for the past five days or so. It is really lovely to have such a mini holiday, with no responsibilities except being a tour guide - and a cook. Unfortunately the weather was mainly cold, wet and windy. We did see some sun, but compared to the weeks of glorious sunshine and summer, it was more like autumn or a very cold spring.

Instead of going for a tour of the Delta Works, showing what the Dutch are capable of when it comes to managing the threats of the sea, and the results of our technical ingenuity, we went to some towns and villages north of Amsterdam, an example of what Holland looked like in the former century.

Marken and Monnickendam, Volendam and Edam may now be in varying degrees tourist traps, but on a cold day, windy and with a fine rain coming down at times, the towns were not really busy on this Whit Monday. North of Amsterdam many towns still have houses built of wood, painted in blue-grey, or green with white stripes. At one time those towns were prosperous, when what now is the IJsselmeer still was the Zuiderzee (Southern Sea) and open to the North Sea. Most towns were sea faring towns, there were whalers, simple fishermen, but also the very wealthy East India Company (VOC) was based in these towns. Many houses and streets still bear the names of distant lands or of the products they used to store.

Durgerdam

We started in Durgerdam, just a small and narrow village along the dyke of the IJsselmeer, looking out over the expanse of water. At least, that used to be the case. To my dismay I noticed that Amsterdam had taken possession of many of the islands in the IJsselmeer. Once working islands and docklands, they are now residential areas with apartment buildings, encroaching on the views and the horizon. The houses have an extra, lower floor at the back, at the same level as the fields which are below the water level of the IJsselmeer.

We proceeded to Uitdam, where the houses are built mainly below the dyke, with no view of the lake. At this time of year they look like the illustrations from a book of fairy tales, the white and blue painted clapboard houses, the pink hydrangeas, the green lawns and the picturesque shutters. Even on  a grey day the houses look pretty.

Next was Marken, once an island in the IJsselmeer, now – since the mid-fifties of the twentieth century - connected to the mainland by a dyke or causeway. Because of its isolated position for so many years, it has its own local costume and its own type of houses, which seem to be put haphazardly on any piece of higher ground. The local costumes are very colourful, and it is one of the few places where local costumes are still everyday wear and not just worn for the tourists. Especially on festive days, like Whitsun, and on Sundays the costume is worn. Today we are not in luck. When I ask a shop lady whose tiny shop is full of large bolts of the colourful material the costumes are made of, why I see nobody in those costumes, she laughs and says that this weather would completely ruin the expensive clothes. The day before, Whitsun, it was sunny and so many people wore their costumes. In the not so long ago past, the inhabitants would only have these costumes and work in them in all weathers.

 The two ladies in the museum wear this every day. They never had any other clothes.

When the IJsselmeer was still open to the sea, the island was regularly flooded, so the houses are built in high places or on stilts. Now they have enclosed the stilts and have their sculleries, washing machines etc. housed there, as there is no longer any danger of flooding. The living rooms are over this basement. So in front of the wooden houses, stairs are leading to the front door. The houses are painted dark green with white decorations, built very close together.

  

Hay and fish were the products Marken traded in. The harbour still houses old fashioned sailing ships with brown coloured sails, working ships which are now privately owned and used for pleasure trips. There are fish stalls everywhere, and the smoked eel is absolutely delicious.

Because of the weather it is still relatively quiet on the island. I see parts of it I had never been too, for the island is divided into "neighbourhoods", mini communities.

For the tourists there is a factory where wooden shoes are made and demonstrations are given. I do not remember it was there 20 years ago. But at that time there was no big parking lot either and anybody could drive to the harbour. Now tourists have to stop and park and go through Marken on foot. It is still a working village, not a museum, and one hopes it will stay like that.

We spent a few hours here, and I even bought some lengths of material, and a pair of wooden clogs with leather uppers, Swedish clogs especially for work in the garden.

The next stop is Monnickendam, a different town altogether, also on the IJsselmeer, but mainly with brick houses and very beautiful ones at that. We have a drink on the terrace in the former fish banks on the quay of the harbour for the big old sailing ships.

Fish Bank Monnickendam

We admire the lovely gables of the houses, the gable stones, the fancy clock in the clock tower. Then we see an announcement of a Bach concert in the big protestant church on the edge of town, that will take place that very afternoon. It is an extra bonus. Our feet are protesting, and it is cold. We have done too much walking and sightseeing, so to rest them while enjoying a concert is a welcome prospect. The church is packed, and the concert with organ music for Pentecost and a cantata by J.S.Bach also written for this special day, is a joy to listen to. The musicians are excellent performers, singers and players alike, and we hear many an instrumental and vocal soloist.

Historic sailing ships

a gable stone, Monnickendam

organ of the church in Monnickendam

When we emerge after the concert it is dry, but the streets are very wet. We drive to Volendam, a dreadfully touristy place. Here the local costume is totally different from the Marken costumes, and only worn for the tourists, but not today. The dyke along the IJsselmeer and the harbour is very attractive, with a beautiful view of the lake. But it is rather spoilt by the crowds of people. Every other shop is either a fishmonger's, a fish stall, a souvenir shop, a cafe or a photographer's where one can change into the local costume and have one's picture taken. It has been made into a pedestrian area out of necessity. We just walk around the harbour and fortify ourselves with some deep fried cod pieces, called "kibbeling", before setting off for the next small town of Edam, well-known for its cheeses and cheese market. It is more rural and more like Monnickendam, with a mixture of wooden and brick houses. The church on the edge of town is immense and very beautiful. We do not go in this time but turn and drive back home. Time to put our feet up!


Here is one of the organ pieces performed. Quite a slower tempo than in Monnickendam, but nevertheless beautiful.