Daytrip to Leeuwarden to see the Giants!

[beelikej]

I'm still sorting out photos from two fabulous weekends in my Summervacation. Below is an impression of my daytrip to Leeuwarden, in the North of the Netherlands. This city is European Capital of Culture of 2018 and this is celebrated with several artistic projects. On August 17, 18 and 19 street theatre company Royal de Luxe brought their Giant Puppets all the way from France to tell the tale of the Big Skate in the Ice.

It's the tale of a little giant girl and her dog, looking for her giant diver dad. I traveled to Leeuwarden on the final day of the story when the girl had already found her dad. They were sleeping on the edge of town before waking up to walk to the canal and get back on the boat home. It was a wonderfully magical event.

Giants in Leeuwarden

I wasn't the only one arriving by train. So.Many.People. came to see the Giants.


Building across the station: I love the graphic designs for the 2018 European Capital of Culture.
I walk to the edge of town to find the Giant and the little girl asleep.


You can hear them breathing, it's a little eerie, but also precious:)


Then they were awoken by music and the little giant girl started dancing in the air!


It really does feel like watching a fairytale. The little people are helping to get the Giants ready for their walk.


That helmet is HUGE!


The dog is called Xolo and he is leading the way:)


The Giants walk to the beat of the drum Here's a video of the little Giant Girl on my Instagram


*chinhands*


There's also a truck with a band! Do you see the puppeteers flying in the air? Those guys pull the cords to make the legs move!


They are so big!


Here the girl and the diver are lifted onto the boats.


A Giant boat for a Giant:)


So. Many. People. (I was really surprised I managed to see her and take reasonable good photos:)


Xolo is once again leading the way. Bye, Giants! *waves*

I took my time walking through town to get to the station, hoping that the crown would have decreased by the time I'd get there (no such luck, besides the overload of people there were also problems with the train, so I took a while to get back home...) Despite the amount of visitors I did find it easy to find quiet spots.


The Oldehove is a leaning church tower; the tilt began during construction in 1532. The church was never build, but the tower is still standing!
There are texts all over town from Project Sichtberens, another part of the cultural year, to show visitors the Frysian language and multilinguality of Leeuwarden. (the top text is Frysian, in the middle is Dutch;)


Oops, I ran out of quiet spots to visit. Still a lot of pretty to see!


Language is everything, everything is language


This is the birthplace of graphic artist M.C. Escher (1898 - 1972) - not too shabby! Now Ceramics museum Het Princessehof.


Old and new unite in Leeuwarden (inhabited since the early 9th century and granted city rights in 1435). Love this ally that looks like a fancy whale skeleton.


Street Art and City Hall.


How cool is this? Onwemelber by René Knip (2013 - cortensteel on concrete made on the airpipe of the parkinggarage below) with a poem by Melvin van Eldik about the vitality of the city [Dutch | Frysian]
Facade of restaurant The Weaponry of Leeuwarden


3D street art and in front of the station another project for the Cultural year:
fountain Love by Jaume Plensa (2018 - synthetic resin with marble fabric)

Bye, Ljouwert! (That's Leeuwarden in Frysian;)


I had never been to Leeuwarden before, but I definitely want to go back for more, even though the Giants are gone now. It would be nice to stroll through without such a massive crowd:)

J.

P.S. I posted new artwork (and a Making Of) this morning! Not safe for work sexy scene for the smpc, featuring Sam, Dean and the Impala: Afternoon Delight:)