Choir Stalls

It may be clear by now that I have a passion for choir stalls. On a short trip in France (Burgundy), we explored Montréal, a well preserved jewel of a town, small, gated and walled. In spite of the rain it looked very attractive. Or perhaps because of the rain, for hardly any people – tourists – were around so that we could soak up the atmosphere of the place. The church is situated at the top of the village. Inside we discovered the most beautifully carved choir stalls. Perhaps they are well-known. The advantage of not reading a guidebook beforehand and just getting out of the car when a place looks interesting is that it is as if one is the first person to discover those delights, and one can be one's very own Livingstone.

 The three kings bringing gifts

John baptising Jesus in the river Jordan 

Mary and Elizabeth

Two drinking men, carved in wood and as a pub sign

At the end of the stalls scenes from the Bible are carved in great detail. The holy family in a very homely setting with Mary doing some household chores while the child Jesus looks on, and Joseph looking down on the scene from his workbench. The meeting of Elizabeth and Mary, Elizabeth greeting the child that is to be born by tenderly touching Mary's stomach. On top of one of the stalls two men are drinking. A pub on the main road just outside the gate of this town has the same scene cut out in metal hanging over the entrance door. The church seems rather big for a town this size, and has splendid views over the undulating land. The church was built in the 12th century and combines roman and gothic elements. The intricately carved stalls date back to the 16th century. 

 Biblical scenes

The holy family, Mary, Joseph and Jesus and an angel 

Adam and Eve. On top Jesus is presented in the temple

And I have not even mentioned the misericords

 Detail of the base of one of the pillars 

 The main doors. Below: detail

Whitsun, Almshouses and Concerts

Whitsun and time for the annual concerts in the 35 almshouses Leyden can boast of.

Here is a map of the almshouses I visited.

 Although the almshouses may look like the Beguinages in Belgium, in Holland they were not built for women who were beguines, religious lay sisters of the Roman Catholic church not living in a convent. Often the houses were built by rich women and men who took pity on the poor, on single women and widows, and so provided a cheap and safe place for them to live. The almshouses were governed by a board of directors, men and women who decided who could live there and who couldn't, and who saw to it that the inhabitants strictly observed the rules and regulations. Although they were not religious institutions, but secular ones, in most cases the inhabitants had to be members of a protestant church. Many almshouses in Leyden are now inhabited by students. They are peaceful havens in the middle of a busy city.

A. Jean Michelhof, when it was still dry. Young singer, having trouble with her voice because of the damp weather.

For several years concerts have been organised in the courtyards and enclosed communal gardens of those almshouses during Whitsun. Two days long it is possible to go from one almshouse to the next to enjoy music. There is a classical route, a young talent route, a jazz route, a Spanish route etc. It is very enjoyable to be so close to the musicians, who are all talented. Some are just building up stage experience and fresh from the conservatories. On Whitsun itself, the Sunday, we experienced a few hours of summer and sunshine, from 10 am till 3 pm, a most welcome relief after this cold spring. I had visitors after church, so we didn't go into Leyden but enjoyed coffee and drinks in the garden, a first this year. 

D. (hidden behind E on the map) Sint. Jacobshof (Roman Catholic, see noticeboard below). Typical entrance to an alsmhouse, which was often tucked away and accessible by a long passage behind a heavy wooden door.

On Whit Monday I and a friend went into Leyden to enjoy the concerts and see some of the almshouses which I am not so familiar with. Unfortunately the weather had changed completely and it was cold and very wet indeed! Instead of playing in those lovely gardens, when the rain came down in buckets after a few hours, the musicians had to take refuge in the covered gateways, amongst the parked bicycles of the inhabitants. 

 F. Barent van Namenhof. Spanish music in a covered bicycle shelter, next to the potplants

 G.Bethlehemshof, the lute player in the room for the board of directors.

H.Tevelingshof.The harp tucked away in a corner of the bike shed

Not the romantic surroundings they had dreamt of. Most of them were very brave, and did not walk away but just continued to play with frozen fingers, shivering limbs and in draughty porches.

I saw quite a few almshouses I had not explored before, and I will certainly go back on a brighter day to have a better look. A saxophone player did his show irrespective of the weather. He walked around the courtyard, playing his sax, like the pied piper, under an umbrella held up by his companion, before giving his splendid recital under a canopy, a bright orange party tent.

 D.Sint. Jacobshof, the sax player, undaunted!

F. Barent van Namenhof, sheltering under a party tent and umbrella's

When the festival was over, we were drenched, and tried to warm ourselves with "bitterballen" and a glass of wine in one of the few bars open on this special day, before returning home. A hot shower, dry clothes and piping hot soup were an excellent remedy against the cold.

 E. Samuel de Zeehof

 E. Samuel de Zeehof

I. Schachtenhof

Hopefully next year will be kinder to us, because the festival is a marvellous event and the choice of music and locations so varied it is impossible to hear and see everything in just two days.

Gable Stones

If one looks up when just walking around in the centre of an old Dutch town, one may discover a world of delights. There is hardly any country with such a wealth of gable stones and fanlights (or overlights). Think of Edam, Monnickendam, Hoorn, Enkhuizen , towns North of Amsterdam, and in the South of Heusden, Woudrichem, and even further south Veere, Middelburg and many other towns. Leyden also boasts many gable stones and a small book was published claiming to contain each and every of them in that old university town. In some places new gables stones are added, a delightful custom. The older gable stones often refer to the trades of the former inhabitants, with obvious signs for butchers, fishermen and milkmen or farmers. But the history of the colourful gable stones is not always clear. There is a website which aims to list all the gable stones, starting with Dutch cities and that accomplished extending their inventory to neighbouring countries.

Here are a few gable stones which I took photos of.

 Top and below: Alkmaar

 Brielle

 Brielle

Brielle

 Brielle

 Brielle

A modern gable stone; Brielle

Enkhuizen

Gouda

Heusden

Heusden

Edam

Edam

 Haarlem

 Haarlem

Haarlem

 Monnickendam

 Monnickendam

 Monnickendam

 Monnickendam

 Monnickendam. Who wouldn't want to live in a house enveloped by a guardian angel? At present it is even for sale, situated on a picturesque canal.

Monnickendam.

Several of the gable stones are surely quite modern. But there are also very old ones.

Monnickendam

Spring!

Today, Sunday April 21,  leaves are sprouting from the trees, to my delight spoiling the clear outline of bare branches against the sky. All of a sudden tiny pale pink blossoms appear on trees. Daffodils, blue scylla's, the bright yellow stars of lesser celandine, decorate the garden. Not long now before nature will again be a feast of colour, all in time for the installation of the new king and queen. It will be wonderful to see the many shades of green and copper of the young leaves, so different from the rather uniform green in midsummer. It is just a week ago that the first frog arrived in my pond, and already it is filled with spawn. The fish have been disturbed and woken by the comings and antics of the frogs, and are swimming near the surface to catch some sun and warmth. I am glad many seem to have survived the long an very cold winter and that there are tens of tiny young fish as well. Although not very clear, the water of the pond is at least healthy. The magnolia stellata is turning its pure white flowers towards the sun and the light. But there is still danger, danger of night frost which will kill off the blossom as it did the flowers of an earlier flowering magnolia. But whatever happens, spring has definitely arrived. And who knows, perhaps the tulips may also decide to show their colours, competing with the only colour in the bulb fields so far, the bright yellow of the daffodils.