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Alkmaar, the Netherlands - 4th June 2008
By: Eryah
Hello!
Today we went with Eva her mom to Callantsoog.
Callantsoog is a town in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Zijpe, and lies about 13 km south of Den Helder. Until 1990, Callantsoog was a municipality; its area is now part of the municipalities of Zijpe, Den Helder, and Anna Paulowna.
Callantsoog has the oldest official nude beach of the country, dating from 1973. It is a sandy beach 1.5 km to the south.
Callantsoog was a separate municipality until 1990, when it was merged with Zijpe.
In 2001, the town of Callantsoog had 1956 inhabitants. The built-up area of the town was 0.58 km², and contained 899 residences. The wider statistical area "Callantsoog" has a population of around 2580. This includes also the village of Groote Keeten and the hamlet of Abbestede north of Callantsoog itself. You can imagine it isn't a big town.
Here we are sitting on the car and watch the dunes. You can also see them behind us.
The dunes.
On our way back we saw this dutch mill! On our righthand you see the dunes again. On out left hand we had the Noordholland Kanaal.
The Groot Noordhollandsch Kanaal (Great North-Holland Canal), now known simply as Noordhollandsch Kanaal, is a canal in the Dutch province of North-Holland. The canal stretches about 75 kilometres, from Den Helder in the north to Amsterdam in the south, passing the cities of Alkmaar and Purmerend.
The Noordhollandsch Kanaal was dug in the 1820s to shorten the sea route to Amsterdam. Also, the city's harbour was becoming inaccessible to sea-faring ships due to the increasing number of shoals and shallows in the Zuiderzee.
Construction of the canal was begun in 1820 and completed in 1824. It was part of King Willem I's efforts to revitalize the country's once-flourishing trade and industry. The canal connected a number of existing waterways, including various canals and the small Rekere river. At either end of the canal, sluice gates were built: the Willem I-sluis at the Amsterdam end and the Koopvaardersschutsluis at the Den Helder end.
The canal soon proved inadequate due the growing size of ships, the many bridges and sluice gates and the many curves and turns in the canal. Also, the canal froze in winter. It was therefore decided to dig a new canal, the Noordzeekanaal, between Amsterdam and IJmuiden. Completed in 1876, it made the Noordhollandsch Kanaal largely obsolete. Though still used for commercial shipping, the Noordhollandsch Kanaal's main functions today are recreation and water management.
A unique element of the canal are the floating bridges, so-called vlotbruggen ("raft bridges"). These bridges were constructed because engineers in the 1820s were not able to build bridges long enough to span the canal. The bridges opened by sliding the floating middle sections underneath the fixed end sections.
Big hugs Margarida
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 Posted Jun 4, 2008, 9:07 pm
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Alkmaar, the Netherlands - 6th June 2008
By: Eryah
Hello!
A new tv arrived today!
We were wondering wo could be in that envelope.
We told the TV in the envelope he could come out because it's fun here!
This is Summy
I think we gonna be great friends!
Hugs Margarida
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Posted Jun 7, 2008, 1:28 pm
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Alkmaar, the Netherlands - 7th June 2008
By: Eryah
Hello!
I ride on a bike today! It was scary! But i also love to do it! Fortunate for me the bike has wheels on the frame. So i kept well in balance.
Look at me mum!
When i'm home a want a bike for myself. You feel the wind and you can go fast if you want. I notice that in Holland they do not wear helmets for their safety. Everybody here rides on a bike and the people learn it to there children almost before they can walk. I looked my eyes out.
Big hugs Margarida
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Posted Jun 7, 2008, 1:35 pm
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Alkmaar, the Netherlands - 8th June 2008
By: Eryah
Hello!
Today we saw such a beautifull insect. Eva never saw such thing before here in the Netherlands, so she made a picture of it. Off course i wanna share it with you mommy.
Because of the sunlight his wings look gold. Eva searched on the internet and we found out that you call this a Libel in dutch.
Hugs Margarida
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Posted Jun 9, 2008, 4:07 pm
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Alkmaar, the Netherlands - 12th June 2008
By: Eryah
Hello!
Because Eva isn't able to go outside at the moment we decided to show you information and sites about Alkmaar at another way. I hope you enjoy it!
Cheesemarket:
This cheese market is open every Friday morning between 10 and 12 from the first Friday in April until the first Friday in September. Market activities are explained in Dutch, German, English and sometimes Japanese. There are four teams (vemen) of cheese-porters (kaasdragers), who can be recognised by their differently coloured straw hats: red, blue, green and yellow. Two porters bring cheese on stretchers to the weighing house (Waag) - a typical stretcher "weighs in" at about 160 kilograms. Merchants sample the cheeses and decide on a price using a barter system called handjeklap, literally clapping hands.
Ruin church in Bergen:
This picturesque ruin church in Bergen once was the biggest church in Noord-Holland. From the 16th century church there is only a ruin left now, because the Beggars started a fire here. Only the choir of the church was rebuilt, so from the original church you can now only see the ruins.
In the village Bergen in Noord-Holland there are many beautiful old houses situated around the old village church.
Big church
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.
St. Joseph Church
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.
Big hugs Margarida
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Posted Jun 14, 2008, 5:26 pm
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