Of books and trains
Apr. 5th, 2019 11:03 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
beelikejLast week was Bookweek (Boekenweek), and even though I currently have a massive to-read pile, I still stuck to my tradition of buying a Dutch novel for the occassion:) It's the only way to get the Boekenweekgeschenk, the bookweekgift, a free book written by a well known author especially for bookweek. Even though I am not a fan of the theme they picked for this year and the lack of female authors they ask for this event, I still wanted to show my support for this promotion of reading (and I always buy a book written by a woman, preferably a debut).
The Bookweek is sponsored by the National Railservice and they offer free trainrides when you bring the bookgift with you on the last Sunday of Bookweek. I love trains and I love reading and both are even better together, so of course I was going to enjoy the free travel.
I had a big book to get through so I chose the furthest destination on the map and that happened to be a town in the only Province of the Netherlands I had never been before, triple win! I went to Vlissingen in Zeeland, all the way in the South-West, 3 hours and 48 minutes away. I had a great day, both on the train and in between. Have a picspam!
Reading Mythos by Stephen Fry while waiting for my connection in Rotterdam.
Saw this awesome piece of graffiti along the way.
It's about 14:45 and I have arrived! Vlissingen has a darling station.
To get to the town, you have to cross two locks, a very cool walkway.
Gosh, there's a lot of water. This is the Westerschelde, the estuary of the Schelde river.
The Westerschelde is an important shipping route to the Port of Antwerp, Belgium.
In the distance you can see Vlissingen, it's about a half hour walk (for me at least:)
Uncle Beach Memorial (the allied forced came ashore here in November 1944)
The Oranjemolen flourmill was build in 1699 and restaured in 2002.
I love windmills.
Mu-Zee-um is a play of words, in English that would be Mu-Sea-um; this is one of the mini submarines used in the Second World War. Allied forces liberated the town in November 1944.
De Bruid of De Vissersvrouw (The Bride or The Fisherman's Wife) statue by Herman Bisschop, 1984.
View of the oldest part of Vlissingen, this town has been an important harbour for centuries. It was granted city rights in 1315. In the 17th century Vlissingen was a main harbour for ships of the Dutch East India Company (VOC).
The kazematten (casemate) fortification.
View from underneath the fortification.
Admiral Michiel de Ruyter was born in Vlissingen in 1607. He was one of the most skilled admirals in history, most famous for his role in the Anglo-Dutch Wars of the 17th century.
Getijklok: a clock to keep track of the tides.
On the boulevard there are several information signs about what you can see on the water, it's fascinating.
Saw this awesome sculpture outside a home across from the boulevard.
Statue of Frans Naerebout (1748-1818), a maritime pilot who saved 87 people from a shipwreck, after VOC ship Woestduin (returning from Dutch colony Batavia, now Indonesia) crashed on the coast during a storm in 1779. Together with his brother Jacob, he was part of even more spectacular rescues in 1788 and 1795.
[Design by Philip ten Klooster, 1952]
Frans Naerebout was quite a dish, don't you think?
De Gevangentoren (Prisontower) was build in the 15th century as part of the Citywall, it was restaured in 1960.
Here I'm sitting on the 'Longest bench of Europe', which is really several benches put together, but okay. I did read here for a little while, but also just sat staring in awe at the massive ships that came by.
Close up of the top of the prisontower: a mermaid!
It's already 16:30 (4:30 pm) so I wave goodbye to the boulevard and start my walk back to the station.
Marvelous mural on the side of Aldi Supermarket.
A glimpse of the impressive water tower.
Another lovely sculpture: Drie Meisjes in de Wind (Three Girls in the Wind) by Jean Houben, 1980
Love these wonky buildings!
Poem by Sandra Burgers (2016)
Lieve zee, klote zee
over deze zee:
bijna alles gezwegen en gezegd
kinders in verwekt
voor een ander
bloemen neergelegd
ellende in eb
soms vreugde in vloed
lieve zee klote zee
drijf het in een zak
neem vlug een beetje mee.
Back across the locks, it was making an ominous sound when I was crossing, turns out it was gearing up to open!
Made it back to the station with time to buy some souvenirs before getting on the 17:50 train (5:20 pm).
Only a few pages left in my book, I finished it before I got home:)
I should do this more often!
J.
The Bookweek is sponsored by the National Railservice and they offer free trainrides when you bring the bookgift with you on the last Sunday of Bookweek. I love trains and I love reading and both are even better together, so of course I was going to enjoy the free travel.
I had a big book to get through so I chose the furthest destination on the map and that happened to be a town in the only Province of the Netherlands I had never been before, triple win! I went to Vlissingen in Zeeland, all the way in the South-West, 3 hours and 48 minutes away. I had a great day, both on the train and in between. Have a picspam!
Reading Mythos by Stephen Fry while waiting for my connection in Rotterdam.
Saw this awesome piece of graffiti along the way.
It's about 14:45 and I have arrived! Vlissingen has a darling station.
To get to the town, you have to cross two locks, a very cool walkway.
Gosh, there's a lot of water. This is the Westerschelde, the estuary of the Schelde river.
The Westerschelde is an important shipping route to the Port of Antwerp, Belgium.
In the distance you can see Vlissingen, it's about a half hour walk (for me at least:)
Uncle Beach Memorial (the allied forced came ashore here in November 1944)
The Oranjemolen flourmill was build in 1699 and restaured in 2002.
I love windmills.
Mu-Zee-um is a play of words, in English that would be Mu-Sea-um; this is one of the mini submarines used in the Second World War. Allied forces liberated the town in November 1944.
De Bruid of De Vissersvrouw (The Bride or The Fisherman's Wife) statue by Herman Bisschop, 1984.
View of the oldest part of Vlissingen, this town has been an important harbour for centuries. It was granted city rights in 1315. In the 17th century Vlissingen was a main harbour for ships of the Dutch East India Company (VOC).
The kazematten (casemate) fortification.
View from underneath the fortification.
Admiral Michiel de Ruyter was born in Vlissingen in 1607. He was one of the most skilled admirals in history, most famous for his role in the Anglo-Dutch Wars of the 17th century.
Getijklok: a clock to keep track of the tides.
On the boulevard there are several information signs about what you can see on the water, it's fascinating.
Saw this awesome sculpture outside a home across from the boulevard.
Statue of Frans Naerebout (1748-1818), a maritime pilot who saved 87 people from a shipwreck, after VOC ship Woestduin (returning from Dutch colony Batavia, now Indonesia) crashed on the coast during a storm in 1779. Together with his brother Jacob, he was part of even more spectacular rescues in 1788 and 1795.
[Design by Philip ten Klooster, 1952]
Frans Naerebout was quite a dish, don't you think?
De Gevangentoren (Prisontower) was build in the 15th century as part of the Citywall, it was restaured in 1960.
Here I'm sitting on the 'Longest bench of Europe', which is really several benches put together, but okay. I did read here for a little while, but also just sat staring in awe at the massive ships that came by.
Close up of the top of the prisontower: a mermaid!
It's already 16:30 (4:30 pm) so I wave goodbye to the boulevard and start my walk back to the station.
Marvelous mural on the side of Aldi Supermarket.
A glimpse of the impressive water tower.
Another lovely sculpture: Drie Meisjes in de Wind (Three Girls in the Wind) by Jean Houben, 1980
Love these wonky buildings!
Poem by Sandra Burgers (2016)
Lieve zee, klote zee
over deze zee:
bijna alles gezwegen en gezegd
kinders in verwekt
voor een ander
bloemen neergelegd
ellende in eb
soms vreugde in vloed
lieve zee klote zee
drijf het in een zak
neem vlug een beetje mee.
Back across the locks, it was making an ominous sound when I was crossing, turns out it was gearing up to open!
Made it back to the station with time to buy some souvenirs before getting on the 17:50 train (5:20 pm).
Only a few pages left in my book, I finished it before I got home:)
I should do this more often!
J.