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The former municipality of Dirksland consisted of Melissant, Herkingen, and Dirksland. The 1953 flood did not have such an enormous effect on these places, because the lands they are on lay generally higher than the rest of the island. Dirksland was the biggest of the three and also has the only hospital on the island. The Van Weel-Bethesda hospital is one of the smallest in the country, but has an excellent reputation, coming out very high in national hospital grade polls. Dirksland is recognizable from a distance by the biggest water tower of the country. The towns are agriculturally focused and have several camping grounds for people who prefer a quiet locality in contrast to the busy Ouddorp area, but who still want to be close to the shore. Dirksland has an inland harbor with a newly restored gate complex. Herkingen lies on the south side of the island and borders the Grevelingenmeer, a saltwater lake that has been disconnected directly from the North Sea by the Brouwersdam, but still connects to the Oosterschelde which is saltwater. The Grevelingenmeer is a large watersports area with the main recreational areas on Schouwen-Duiveland. Herkingen is trying to join in with the tourism industry and has quite a large yachting harbor. The town of Herkingen currently hosts several of the biggest modern windmills in the country.
The shortest day has passed, and whatever nastiness of weather we may look forward to in January and February,
at least we notice that the days are getting longer. Minute by minute they lengthen out. It takes some weeks before
we become aware of the change. It is imperceptible even as the growth of a child, as you watch it day by day,
until the moment comes when with a start of delighted surprise we realize that we can stay out of doors in a
twilight lasting for another quarter of a precious hour.
There are places that somehow manage to get under your skin, even though you don’t really know them all that well. Bruges is that kind of place. A warm and friendly place, a place made for people. A city whose history made it great, resulting in a well-deserved classification as a Unesco World Heritage site.
Boxtel is a small town, but its big church shows that it was an important place once. Just outside the town you'll find a park in which lies this castle, Kasteel Stapelen. The entire complex was given a new look in early neo-Gothic style in 1857-1858, to fit the then popular ideas about what a medieval castle should look like. Towers were heightened, the facade of the chapel was renewed and countless battlements were added to places where there never had been any. Since 1915 the castle has been used as a monastery. In the Middle Ages a miracle occured here which is still celebrated each year with a big procession.
Surrounded by a wide moat, stands at the edge of the graceful Mastbos. The castle is first mentioned in documents dated 1554. In 1614 it was converted into a hunting lodge. Kasteel Bouvigne borders on a beautiful garden. Nothing is known of landscape gardening in the16th century. The present garden is open to the public and integrates French, German and English styles of the 20th century. Bouvigne castle is a charming building outside Breda, in the Mastbos forest. Its present look dates mainly from the 17th century. For a long time, the princes of Orange used it as their summer house. The castle, that stands in the water, was built in a typical renaissance style. Its beautiful gardens are open to the public.
On the west side of the village Vleuten is the ancient Ham-tower on an island in a canal. This seven-story donjon is the remnant of a water castle, knight-hof city of Ham. For the first time in a document from 1325 mentioned castle was initially built as a residential tower. It is suspected that it was built around 1260 which was strategically chosen for an inlet of the old Rhine river as it became more defensible. The castle was able to exercise the owner power of the surroundings. Several cases were Den Ham deployment of battle. In 1481 it was partially destroyed, then it was expanded to include a second tower. In 1536 the States of Utrecht recognized the castle as knight-hof city, the residents were then admitted to the Knighthood. In 1642 the gatehouse was rebuilt giving access to Den Ham. In 1857 the castle was owned by Willem Jan Royaards. One of the current owners is a descendant of him.
Around 1872 the castle wrong in dilapidated condition and was, at the western keep and part of the east wing after aborted. Between 1962 and 1975 the tower was restored. Today the tower is private property. The moated tower has five feet thick brick walls about 27 meters high. On top is applied include a bypass and the total height is approximately 35 meters. Inside, it has six floors and a basement with medieval girders are preserved.
When you have enough money € 1.900.000,-
The former municipality of Dirksland consisted of Melissant, Herkingen, and Dirksland. The 1953 flood did not have such an enormous effect on these places, because the lands they are on lay generally higher than the rest of the island. Dirksland was the biggest of the three and also has the only hospital on the island. The Van Weel-Bethesda hospital is one of the smallest in the country, but has an excellent reputation, coming out very high in national hospital grade polls. Dirksland is recognizable from a distance by the biggest water tower of the country. The towns are agriculturally focused and have several camping grounds for people who prefer a quiet locality in contrast to the busy Ouddorp area, but who still want to be close to the shore. Dirksland has an inland harbor with a newly restored gate complex. Herkingen lies on the south side of the island and borders the Grevelingenmeer, a saltwater lake that has been disconnected directly from the North Sea by the Brouwersdam, but still connects to the Oosterschelde which is saltwater. The Grevelingenmeer is a large watersports area with the main recreational areas on Schouwen-Duiveland. Herkingen is trying to join in with the tourism industry and has quite a large yachting harbor. The town of Herkingen currently hosts several of the biggest modern windmills in the country.
Oude Loo Castle, locally known as Kasteel het Oude Loo, lies in the gardens behind the 17th century Royal Loo Palace, in Apeldoorn, in the province of Gelderland in the Netherlands.
In the name Oude Loo Castle, Oude translates to 'old' and Loo meant 'forest on sandy soil'.
Oude Loo Castle started out as a farm in the early 15th century, probably built by an Udo Taholt. Later that century it was owned by a Gerrit van Rijswijk who probably fortified the farm.
Later it came into the possession of the Bentinck family. Johan Bentinck rebuilt the castle around 1538-40 into the moated castle we see today. It was rebuilt in an U-shape when residential wings were built against the older front with the round corner towers. In those days it was used as a hunting lodge by Karel, Duke of Gelre.
In 1684 Prince William III, Stadtholder of Holland and Zeeland acquired the castle. He also used it as a hunting lodge. But because the castle soon became too small for his hunting parties he built the Loo Palace at a short distance in 1686-88.
In 1795, when the French occupied Holland, the castle was used as a military hospital and the castle fell into neglect.
In 1806 Napoleon Bonaparte appointed his brother Louis Napoleon as King of The Netherlands. Louis resided in the castle during summers. He filled up the moat around the castle because in his youth it was predicted that he would die by drowning.
In 1904 Queen Wilhelmina of Orange ordered the restoration of the castle. This was done by the famous Dutch architect dr. PJH. Cuypers who also built the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and rebuilt De Haar Castle. Also in the 1950's and 1960's restoration works were carried out. The castle is now the private property of the Dutch Royal family who use it at a regular basis. The castle itself is not accessible but the grounds surrounding it are, during April and May.
this happened 20-7-2020
On Tuesday morning, a windmill blade was broken off on the Molenkade in Goudriaan. The cover of the Goudriaanse Molen was damaged. Miller Johan Barten is quite shocked. The mill did not turn fast because of the gentle wind, says Barten. "Last Saturday it had turned a lot because of the strong wind, but now the mill turned quietly." Barten was not outside when the blade broke off. "I had just taken the car from the parking lot and put it in a different place. When I came in, I heard a loud thump. It was really going. The tail of the wing went back and forth. Then I saw from the room. hang the wick. The rods of the blades of the Goudriaanse Mill are 35 years old. The mill was built in 1779. "You sometimes hear stories of broken blades, but this was very special. You don't expect this in a calm wind", Barten responds surprised. "It could have ended much worse."
At the moment they are busy repairing the blades
Castle De Haar is one of the most famous and visited castles in all of Holland and was originally founded in the late 1300’s by the Van de Haar family, whose standing in society allowed them the comfort of building a fortified abode.
By 1449, the castle became the property of the Van Zuylen family thru marriage. In 1482, the castle was destroyed due to differences of opinion (quarrels) between the city of Utrecht and its bishop
By the 17th century, the Van Zuylen family line had become extinct and the castle was inherited by the Van Stembors, who originated from the south of Holland - present day Belgium. French soldiers attacked and damaged the castle during the years 1672 and 73.
In 1801, Castle De Haar passed to JJ.van Zuylen van Nijevelt, a distant cousin of the Zuylen family. JJ had inherited a castle that was in a poor state of repair due to 200 years of neglect. Upon his death, these magnificent ruins passed to his son Baron Etienne van Zuylen van Nijevelt in 1890.
The rebuilding of the castle was started in 1892 under the guidance of one of Holland’s most famous architects Dr PHJ Cuypers. It is his influence on Castle De Haar that we see today. PHJ Cuypers rebuilt the castle as close as possible to the original outlines and were there was not sufficient material to work with he used his own ideas of what a medieval castle should look like. The interior was rebuilt to a luxurious standard with the inclusion of electricity. A new bailey with an entrance gate was built on its original foundations.
Today the castle is surrounded by parkland but this was not always the case. From the medieval period to the end of the 19th century, the village of Haarzuilens had been surrounded the castle. Haarzuilens was completely demolished and relocated some one and a half kilometres away to the west. The village chapel however was saved from this wilful destruction and incorporated into the new park.
Castle De Haar is now a museum and opens to the public except during the month of September when the Van Zuylen van Nijevelt family turn it back into a home for their month long stay.
.
The adres for the car navigator, Kasteel de Haar,
Kasteellaan 1,3455 RR Haarzuilens.
In the picturesque harbor area next to the Groothoofd, Kuipershaven, Wolwevershaven and the Merwekade, dozens of steam-powered ships, machines and vehicles will be on view.
Steamboats will be making round trips on the river. For children, miniature steam trains will be operating. Various (steam)ships will be open for visitors. Sidewalk cafes and live music will provide a sparkling atmosphere. In the Wolweversharborarea ships and facades will be magical highlighted.
Dordrecht has harbours, but no canals. The Voorstraats- harbour forms the backbone of the old city. Graceful bridges connect the Voorstraat and the Wijnstraat, streets that lie on either side of the water. To effectively handle trade, the Nieuwe Haven (1410) and the Wolwevers-harbour (1609) were created, followed later by the Maartensgat and the Kalk- harbour. The unchanged attractive harbour quarter with its warehouses, merchants' mansions, quays and - now - pleasure boats is found between the Grote Kerk and Groothoofd.
in the most romantic part of the Moselle Valley, where the river curves between two hiking paradises - Eifel and Hunsrück - lies the old town of Cochem. Even the Romans sang the praises of this remarkable landscape. It is true - a few things have changed since then, but the attraction has remained because the past centuries - above all the Middle Ages - have left their marks here.
The magnificent Reichsburg, the big castle, situated on a precipitous rock high above the town, dominates the landscape. The many delicate pointed towers, battlements and oriels give the impression of a typical fairy tale castle, particularly as it is one of the few castles in Germany, which was rebuilt in its original style after its complete destruction. As impressive as the castle itself is the view of the Moselle Valley with its beautiful forests, meadows, fields and vineyards, as well as the old part of the town.
The town of Cochem itself is a sight worth seeing, not only because of its narrow streets and twisty alleys, the lovingly restored half timbered houses with the typical slate roofs, the historical market-place, but also because of its medieval town gates, churches and walls. The wine-growers and restaurant owners would also like to take the time to introduce you to the variety of their excellent Riesling wines.
You can enjoy another facet of the town walking along the Mosel promenade which is decorated with flowers and where many benches invite you to a quiet break. A further attraction is a river tour on one of the Moselle boats, either during the day or at night with music and dancing, when the lights of the castle and the town are reflected in the water. Have fun and relax in the only indoor swimming pool with artificial waves in this area. It is a wonderfully situated leisure centre between meadows and vine-yards and offers all the luxury of a modern swimming pool in fine and bad weather.
better view or press L
Goudriaan is a village in the Dutch province of South Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Graafstroom, and lies about 25 km east of Rotterdam.
On 1 January 2006, the village of Goudriaan had 843 inhabitants. The built-up area of the village was 0.028 km², and contained 309 residences.
Goudriaan was a separate municipality until 1986, when it became part of Graafstroom
DISCOVER ZUID-HOLLAND ZUID, THE BEST OF HOLLAND.....
If you turn yoDISCOVER ZUID-HOLLAND ZUID, THE BEST OF HOLLAND.....
If you turn your back on the coastline of Holland and set course inland, you will land in the exceedingly Dutch polder landscape of Hoeksche Waard, Alblasserwaard and Vijfheerenlanden.
The protracted early winter cold of late 2010 was attributable to two surges of intensely cold Arctic air across Nordwest Europe.
The first, in late November, was from the northeast and outstanding for the heavy convective snowfalls originating over the still-warm seas, with some associated convective streamers extending inland downwind of coastal inlets.
In contrast, during the second cold wave (from the north), a small cyclonic development resulted in a significant,indeed locally very heavy, snow event
across this region on 18 December
Surrounded by a wide moat, stands at the edge of the graceful Mastbos. The castle is first mentioned in documents dated 1554. In 1614 it was converted into a hunting lodge. Kasteel Bouvigne borders on a beautiful garden. Nothing is known of landscape gardening in the16th century. The present garden is open to the public and integrates French, German and English styles of the 20th century. Bouvigne castle is a charming building outside Breda, in the Mastbos forest. Its present look dates mainly from the 17th century. For a long time, the princes of Orange used it as their summer house. The castle, that stands in the water, was built in a typical renaissance style. Its beautiful gardens are open to the public.
The estate Oldenaller is a typical property in the English scenery style with typical wooden embankments and moor fields. In the old deciduous forest with long avenues one can wonderfully go for a walk. In addition, a blue heron colony is on the estate.
estate Schovenhorst, an about 150 one years old Arboretum, lies on the east beach of Putten. Here you go over broadly invested avenues, narrow, moss covered paths, surrounded by a variety of trees from the whole world. A warm drink on the terrace of the teahouse belongs to it of course.
In the wood "Sprielderbos" the castle "Groot Spriel lies from the year 1880 with his splendid towers, the old clock and a park from the time when one still moved with coaches. They are in an oasis of the rest and nature in which the view axes of the 40 hectare park over and over again release the look at "Groot Spriel", quite all the same where you are.
If you visit Gouda by boat, you can moor at one of the town’s 200 berths. Small and medium-sized boats can moor at the Turfsingel, the Gouwe, the Regentessenplantsoen, the Haven and the IJsselkade. Yachts larger than 12 metres can be moored at the Turfsingel. If you are the proud owner of a historic ship, you can join the other floating gems in the Museum Harbour. For conditions and rates, please contact the harbour master of the Museum Harbour.
The bridges and locks in Gouda’s town centre open during sailing season.
I am back from a A heart valve operation. What they have done.
Replacing the mitral valve through a small opening (keyhole) is also called Minimally Invasive Mitral Valve Surgery or MIMC. For this operation on the mitral valve, the surgeon makes a relatively small incision in the right breast fold and opens the chest cavity, a kind of keyhole. A camera is placed in the chest cavity to support the surgeons with images during the operation. During this procedure, the heart must be stopped and a heart-lung machine is needed. The surgeon repairs or replaces the valve through the left atrium. A temporary pacemaker lead is attached to the bottom wall of the right ventricle. The procedure on the heart is the same as open-heart surgery, and the results are also comparable. The main difference is that the opening in the chest is smaller. This means you have less pain after the operation and you recover faster. An additional advantage is that the scars are smaller.
I am glad to be back home
The most common way that this mushroom was eaten was when it had been dried. The Druid or Druids fasted for at least 3 days, drinking only water although sometimes small amounts of purifying herbs may also be taken and meditating before consumption of the fungi. This was done for a number of reasons, not only to purify the mind but also it purified the body because the body acts in a strange way to this fungi. When consumed the body removes the Mind-Expanding substances before the poison. So the Psychedelic is in the body before it starts to react to the poison. This reaction is violent stomach emptying as the body rejects what's left of the mushroom before it absorbs any more of the poison. The Druids were well prepared for this sickness as it was part of taking the fungi. After the poison is rejected the Psychedelic starts to act, this is when the second reason for body purity was needed as the first urine expelled after consumption is nearly all Psychedelic and this was either consumed at the time to give full effect of the fungi or stored for a later ritual. It may also have been used in some of their Beverages or Potions. This may sound a bit sick to some but with the 3 day fast and only water going in, only water was coming out.
Dordwijk was built around 1635 as a country estate for wealthy city dwellers who wanted to get away from their noisy urban surroundings for a while. In the 19th century the garden architect Zocher Jr. redesigned the park along the lines of the English landscape style. In the Victorian Kitchen Garden old fruit and vegetable varieties and herbs are grown according to traditional methods. The estate was for some time a protected nature reserve, inaccessible to the public, but groups may now tour the park with a guide.
The first house was build in the thirteenth century as a hunting lodge used by the counts and dukes of Gelre. The house was named 'Pauwenburcht' (Peacock Castle) because of the white peacocks they kept there. The dukes of Gelre used to wear the feathers on their helmets.
The present house was build in 1905 on the foundations of a house dating from the seventeenth century.
Staverden Castle is build on the foundations of a seventeenth century house.
At the backside of the house lies a small island in a pond. On the the island you can find the tomb of Eleonora. This Eleonora lived at Wildenborgh Castle, one of the eight castles of Vorden. She had a lover, who went on a crusade in the Holy Land. When he was away, another man wanted to gain her by force. When her lover returned home, he was killed by his rival. Eleonora wanted to escape this evil man and fled to Staverden, where a mighty knight lived, who gave her protection. She stayed there for the rest of her unhappy life, always dressed in black.
After her death she was buried on the island in the pond. On moonlit nights, the black lady is seen there, walking to and fro on the island, wringing her hands and lamenting about her lost love.
Oude-Tonge is a town in the Dutch province of South Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Goeree-Overflakkee, and lies about 16 km south of Hellevoetsluis. In 2001, the town of Oude-Tonge had 4,164 inhabitants. The built-up area of the town was 0.9 km², and contained 1,615 residences. The wider statistical district "Oude-Tonge", which includes the surrounding countryside, has a population of around 4,750. Oude-Tonge was a separate municipality until 1966, when it became part of Oostflakkee. Last one has made part of the new municipality of Goeree-Overflakkee since 2013.
Goeree-Overflakkee is the southernmost delta island of the province of South Holland, Netherlands.
In the spring, the island is known for it's tulip-fields in the most amazing colours. Every year a lot of, mostly Japanese, tourist will visit the island just for the tulips.
Fog can be considered a cloud at ground level. The processes forming it, however, are usually different from those that form clouds.
Like clouds, fog is made up of condensed water droplets which are the result of the air being cooled to the point (actually, the dewpoint) where it can no longer hold all of the water vapor it contains.
For clouds, that cooling is almost always the result of rising of air, which cools from expansion. But for fog, which occurs next to the ground, there are usually other reasons for this cooling.
For instance, rain can cool and moisten the air near the surface until fog forms.
Or, as is more often the case, infrared cooling of a cloud-free, humid air mass at night can lead to fog formation - this is called "radiation fog". Radiation fog is most common in the fall, when nights get longer, airmasses begin to cool, and land and water surfaces that have warmed up during the summer are still evaporating alot of water into the atmosphere.
Finally, a warm moist air mass blowing over a cold surface (usually snow or ice, or over a cold ocean surface) can also cause fog to form-this is called "advection fog
Modern mechanized hay production today is usually performed by a number of machines. While small operations use a tractor to pull various implements for mowing and raking, larger operations use specialized machines such as a mower or a swather, which are designed to cut the hay and arrange it into a windrow in one step. Balers are usually pulled by a tractor, with larger balers requiring more powerful tractors.
Boxtel is a small town, but its big church shows that it was an important place once. Just outside the town you'll find a park in which lies this castle, Kasteel Stapelen. The entire complex was given a new look in early neo-Gothic style in 1857-1858, to fit the then popular ideas about what a medieval castle should look like. Towers were heightened, the facade of the chapel was renewed and countless battlements were added to places where there never had been any. Since 1915 the castle has been used as a monastery. In the Middle Ages a miracle occured here which is still celebrated each year with a big procession.
The stunning location of the vast Haringvliet inlet has played an important role in the course of the history of Hellevoetsluis; earning it the name of a ‘Fortification town on the Haringvliet'. The Vesting fortress with its harbours and fortifications is steeped in history.
17th century: The origin of the Vesting
Water and Hellevoetsluis have been connected for centuries. Thanks to its favourable and strategic location on the Haringvliet inlet, at the beginning of the 17th century Hellevoetsluis became a home port for the Dutch war fleet; a port that was later continually fortified, resulting in a unique combination of a fortification town and a war port. The port has been the home port to renowned admirals such as de Ruyter, Tromp and Piet Hein.
Everything is this compact town is so perfect – the Market Square, the Cathedral, the numerous parks all look as if they were crafted by artists of note, which they were!
The city is very well preserved and clean to boot. It is almost like a stage set, nay, make that a movie set, perhaps a Disney flick?
Every window has lace curtains and flower boxes with geraniums, all the buildings are in good repair, and the architecture is infinitely interesting. Low-country designs of the Middle Ages were a matter of pride; every detail down to the outline of a window frame is beautifully proportioned.
In the heart of the downtown, motor vehicles are prohibited, except for deliveries during restricted hours, making it one of the easiest walking cities of the world, safe and well-signed. The winding cobbled streets, adjacent to the canals, are shared by pedestrians and the occasional horse-drawn carriage. Sweepers follow the horses and keep the streets litter free.
Restaurants serve authentic Belgian cooking, a strong rival to French cuisine, as well as numerous international style dishes. Fresh fish, cooked a thousand different ways, is plentiful, as are beautiful homegrown vegetables. Of course, this country is famous for its chocolate, a worthy choice for dessert. My own personal favorite Belgian meal is carpes frites plus pommes frites, which would be called ‘fish and chips’ anywhere else, but is in fact a perfect delicacy here in Bruges.
Naval parade on May 27, 2016
The best place to make good photo is on the riverside off Zwijndrecht, or Papendrecht
On friday evening, Dordt in Steam will open with an impressive naval parade on the river. This spectacle can be seen for free from the Groothoofd and the Merwekade.
In 2016, the largest steam power event in Europe will be held for the seventeenth time in Dordrecht (the Netherlands). Organisers expect 250,000 visitors at this steam celebration. Admission to ‘Dordt in Steam’ is free. Day-tickets will be sold for round trips on historic transport (the ‘Steam circuit Dordt
The gigantic event is spread across two areas in the city which are linked with (steam)ships, steam trains and old-timer busses. By purchasing a day-ticket for the ‘Stoomrondje Dordt’, the visitor will have access to the various forms of historic transport at the event. It also includes admission to the Model Building Show. The day-ticket for the ‘Steam circuit Dordt’ is available at all departure points. Be aware that a round trip lasts at least three hours!
The city centre offers many possibilities for a real voyage of discovery. A city tour takes you along the harbours, the six highest mills in the world, and distilleries and malthouses. You can also follow the footsteps of Saint Liduina, one of the most famous Dutch saints, by admiring her beautiful relics, located in the Liduina Basiliek. The museums, galleries, workshops and specialty shops are definitely worth a visit.
Moreover, throughout the year, the city centre is the backdrop for a large number of public events and has wonderful parks to settle on. Schiedam can also be discovered from the water: from April till October you can take a tour on the Fluisterboot. There are also various mooring points for cruises in the city centre.
The story of the city
The museums of Schiedam tell the story of the city. Relive the olden days in the old grocer’s shop of the Nationaal Coöperatie Museum or in the Jenevermuseum Schiedam, where you can still have a sip of old genever or corn spirit. In the Windmill Museum De Nieuwe Palmboom you can see the miller at work and exhibitions showing the milling history of Schiedam.
In the Stedelijk Museum Schiedam you can enjoy Dutch modern and contemporary art, with Post War as the main exhibition theme. The museum is located in the restored Sint Jacobs Gasthuis and has a wonderful permanent collection of over 250 Cobra works.
Maassluis was founded circa 1340 as a settlement next to a lock (in Dutch: sluis) in the sea barrier between the North Sea and Rotterdam. Originally Maeslandsluys, it was part of Maesland. In 1489 the settlement was sacked. During the Eighty Years' War, Philips of Marnix, lord of Sint-Aldegonde, started to build a defense wall but before its completion, the Spanish captured it in 1573 and Philips of Marnix was taken prisoner. A year later Maeslandsluys was looted by mutinous Spanish troops.
On 16 May 1614, Maeslandsluys was separated from Maesland by the counts of Holland and renamed Maassluis. This separation may have been religiously motivated: Maassluis was predominantly Protestant and Maasland Catholic. In 1624 the defense wall was demolished to make way for the Great Church, started in 1629. Construction stopped for five years because privateers from Dunkirk raided fishing boats from Maassluis, throwing their crew overboard. It was finished in 1639. On 4 December 1732, the Garrels Organ was inaugurated. Built from 1730 to 1732 by Rudolf Garrels, a pupil of Arp Schnitger, it was a gift by Govert van Wijn, ship-owner from Maassluis.
In 1811 Napoleon Bonaparte granted city rights.
The canals of Bruges can also be enjoyed on foot by walking through their docks, crossing their bridges and enjoying their views. You can also enjoy the "flea market" in the Dijver canal, where you will find authentic relics.
But a less touristy area is the area of the great canal surrounding the old town of Bruges. If we take a map of Bruges, we will see that the historic centre is a large oval-shaped area surrounded by a wide canal with dense vegetation on its banks. This canal is currently located where the former city walls (which no longer exist) stood.
This canal has many spacious green areas with few visitors, where there are normally no tourist boats. You will get here views of Bruges that are very different form the typical ones. Even to the northeast of the historic centre, on the banks of this canal, you can see four wooden windmills, so traditional at the time in this region.
Dordrecht, city of history, water and culture
Make historical footprints in the oldest city of that part of the Netherlands known as ‘Holland'. The historic inner city of Dordrecht lies concealed between mighty rivers. The 1000 monuments determine the face of a city which originated almost a thousand years ago.
Due to the fact that the wind comes almost from West, the waves become the same direction, from W to E, and wash the sand away
To stop/make less this washout effect, to break the stronght of the waves - that's the reason of this pillars. In the northern part of Zeeland there are beaches , many km long, and there are this pillars, always two lines together, repeating so about 500m. Depending from tide/low tide you can see 2,0m or nothing from them.
The west was getting out of gold, The breath of air had died of cold,
When shoeing home across the white, I thought I saw a bird alight.
In summer when I passed the place I had to stop and lift my face;
A bird with an angelic gift
Was singing in it sweet and swift.
No bird was singing in it now.
A single leaf was on a bough,
And that was all there was to see
In going twice around the tree.
From my advantage on a hill
I judged that such a crystal chill
Was only adding frost to snow
As gilt to gold that wouldn't show.
A brush had left a crooked stroke
Of what was either cloud or smoke
From north to south across the blue;
A piercing little star was through.
Goeree-Overflakkee is the southernmost delta island of the province of South Holland, Netherlands.
In the spring, the island is known for it's tulip-fields in the most amazing colors. Every year a lot of, mostly Japanese, tourist will visit the island just for the tulips.
Everything is this compact town is so perfect – the Market Square, the Cathedral, the numerous parks all look as if they were crafted by artists of note, which they were!
The city is very well preserved and clean to boot. It is almost like a stage set, nay, make that a movie set, perhaps a Disney flick?
Every window has lace curtains and flower boxes with geraniums, all the buildings are in good repair, and the architecture is infinitely interesting. Low-country designs of the Middle Ages were a matter of pride; every detail down to the outline of a window frame is beautifully proportioned.
In the heart of the downtown, motor vehicles are prohibited, except for deliveries during restricted hours, making it one of the easiest walking cities of the world, safe and well-signed. The winding cobbled streets, adjacent to the canals, are shared by pedestrians and the occasional horse-drawn carriage. Sweepers follow the horses and keep the streets litter free.
Restaurants serve authentic Belgian cooking, a strong rival to French cuisine, as well as numerous international style dishes. Fresh fish, cooked a thousand different ways, is plentiful, as are beautiful homegrown vegetables. Of course, this country is famous for its chocolate, a worthy choice for dessert. My own personal favorite Belgian meal is carpes frites plus pommes frites, which would be called ‘fish and chips’ anywhere else, but is in fact a perfect delicacy here in Bruges.
Burg Satzvey’s history can be traced back all the way to the 12th century. At this time, it was known only as Vey.
The castle’s lineage has spread over many ancient royal families. It began with the Benedictines, until the Archbishop of Cologne gave the lordship to Otto von Vey in 1368. Although the castle has retained the name Vey (partially), the family’s ownership of Burg Satzvey was far less enduring.
By 1391, the last of the line had died out and it passed on to Heinrich von Krauthausen. Von Krauthausen was the son-in-law of Otto von Vey, and was chiefly responsible for the construction of the Satzvey Castle we know today.
But even von Krauthausen didn’t maintain power for very long time either. After a series of famous noble families held control, by the 16th century, a man named Wilhelm Spieß von Büllesheim usurped Satzvey with the blessing of the Cologne Archbishop.
In the 1700s, Satzvey was once again under new management, and this time would be a bit more lasting. The castle was sold to Karl Otto von Gymnich.
Satzvey Castle remains in the Gymnich family today, and the Gymnichs have been particularly active in preserving the castle’s history with festivals and other events.