Hello!
Today we asked Eva to show us two typical dutch sites. We start with a mill.
Here i am in front of the Molen van Piet. Actually it called Molen de Groot but the family Piet lives here for a lot of years so it became the Molen van Piet. This is the last mill you can find in the town centre.
After that we went to a coffeeshop. It was pretty exciting to see this. I didn't smoke, don't worry, because i was a little bit scared of it. Eva told us you get a strange feeling when you do this.
When we took the pictures we start walking back to the car but a man stormed out of the coffeeshop and start screaming to us why the **** we were making pictures of him. Luckely Eva was calm and explain to the man why we did it. He said some nasty things and walked back into the coffeeshop. We were all very glad we didn't smoke, because if this is the result...
After that we wanna do something with less risk.
We went to the Big church in Alkmaar.
During building the largest medieval church in Alkmaar, the church was already called the big church, because of its size. The big church is not only the largest and highest church in Alkmaar, but also the church which trough the centuries, stood most and called the jewel of the city. Originally the church was dedicated to Saint Laurens. That’s why, for centuries, the church is called The Saint Laurenschurch.
The church was probably designed by architect Anthonius Keldermans (Belgium) (1440-1512)
Beside Anthonius Keldermans brother, also his son was involved in the disign of the church, in which 26 freestanding columns support the roof. The Saint Laurens church is a basilica,
The outside walls rest on a fundation which is just below the ground. Built in the Brabant’s gothic style, which is bigger and more massive in its form than the French gothic. The building is 35 meters high and has a cross length of 85x56 meters. The outside walls rest on a one meter broad foundation which is just below thethe ground, and gradually becomes broader to a depth of tree meters. The last resauration of in-and exterieur was accomplished in 1996.
The large saint Laurens church counts two, world famous organs: Van Covelens organ (also called choir organ) and it VanHagerbeer/Schnitger or large organ. The choir organ descends from 1511 and has been placed against the northern wall of the church. The last restoration of this old, still playable, organ in the Netherlands, was completed in the year 2000. In 1636 arose the idea for the construction of a large organ in the church. Several organ builders have worked on it, but in 1645 Jacobus Caltus van Hagerbeer completed the large organ. Jacob Van Campen devised the organ cupboard and in 1643 Caesar Van Everdingen got the task to paint the doors of the organ cupboard with the ‘triomfe van den Coninck Saul’. This painting belongs to his first large work. Above the organ the painter Romeyn de Hooghe painted in baroque striking, (‘de deugd, die de ondeugd verplettert’)" virtue crushing the vice". From 1723 up to 1725 the large organ was restored and extended by Frans Caspar Schnitger. In course of time there have been several restorations on this organ.
After that we watched the St. Joseph Church in Alkmaar.
This church was put in use in 1910. Designed by famous church builders and students of PJH Cuypers, the Margry brothers. The church is built in neo-gothic style, which shows by the way the towers are placed and by the arched roofs.
The church is placed beautifully and is in possession of wonderful stained glass windows. The statue of Christ has been placed in 1948, in memory of Alkmaar war-victims. Their names are placed on a memorial plaque on the churches wall.
Because of all the siteseeing we get hungry. Eva took us to the Burger King!
Big hugs Meleleuca
