Quotes I Like
Some ask, "Why does life have to be so hard?" Its the easiest way for God to get our attention.
Cathy Chamberlain
The churches in the Netherlands and in France as well, are nothing short of architectural art. Absolutely amazing! Many of these churches were originally built in the 1400-1500 time frame as Catholic churches but later they became Dutch Reformed churches. Supposedly one of the reformations was less ornate churches but wow....hard to see that!
Prominent and/or famous people were buried beneath the stone floor of these churches. Johannes Vermeer's, a famous Dutch artist, headstone is shown below. Subconsciously, somehow it seemed somehow disrespectful to walk across these memorials, take pictures and purchase souvenirs in these places of worship but that is how these congregations maintain and restore their churches.
If you were prominent (and rich) enough, you got a monument in the church and an above ground coffin!
The stained glass was fabulous in every church but this one was exceptional.
We walked over a dike which you must understand is like a 15 foot high mound of dirt and..hellooooo.....there is the North Sea!!! I really wonder how these people sleep during any kind of a storm!
Locks like these are everywhere in Holland as are the dikes. We were asked a couple of times why our country doesn't just put in dikes and locks etc. in New Orleans. They don't understand how controversial that is here. For them, it is a necessary and "sunk (like that play on words?) cost."
Delft was a beautiful and quaint town. The canals were so pretty and we saw many wild swans. Notice in the picture below how close the water is to the back doors of these homes and businesses.
We loved this shot of the old and the new windmills. The old ones are so pretty but really only seen out in the country anymore.
The sign says "Welcome to the Netherlands!" This was truly a dream come true for me. I have always wanted to visit the land of my forefathers. Let me tell you a little about our trip there.
One of the first things we saw was this windmill. Since the windmill was actually working we just had to pull off the highway to see it. It was a working mill and the owners ground and sold their own flour as well as give tours of the windmill. We climbed up to the top of the interior and watched as the old wood gears turned the paddles of the windmill. We tasted their homemade bread and bought some flour. There was a fair-like celebration in this little town that day and since every town seems to be built around a church (see background) everyone gathers there by the church and has fun together.
The Netherlands is very green and of course, very flat, with some of it lying below sea level. The country was especially beautiful and though we weren't there during tulip time we saw homes in the country with large fields of other flowers like this one.
Because Holland is so close to the North Sea, it is a common sight to see harbors, locks, dykes and canals throughout the country.
The churches in the Netherlands and in France as well, are nothing short of architectural art. Absolutely amazing! Many of these churches were originally built in the 1400-1500 time frame as Catholic churches but later they became Dutch Reformed churches. Supposedly one of the reformations was less ornate churches but wow....hard to see that!
Prominent and/or famous people were buried beneath the stone floor of these churches. Johannes Vermeer's, a famous Dutch artist, headstone is shown below. Subconsciously, somehow it seemed somehow disrespectful to walk across these memorials, take pictures and purchase souvenirs in these places of worship but that is how these congregations maintain and restore their churches.
If you were prominent (and rich) enough, you got a monument in the church and an above ground coffin!
The stained glass was fabulous in every church but this one was exceptional.
