Lots of open wireless points in Leeuwarden

Which is very nice if the owners don't mind. Wireless Points: Leeuwarden20040827.gif (GIF Image, 3000x3000 pixels)

There is also a Wireless Leeuwarden site. It's a good start. But much still needs to be done. I also see that Meditterane Cafe De Salon is a major sponsor. Very cool and I've eaten there once (wine, calamari, italian mozzarella-tomato-pesto roll and expresso) and it was really very good.

This week

I suppose we are out of hibernation for the moment. I have nothing new to add for this week, but coming soon another book review. This time I will be reviewing the Capitool guide of Friesland and pointing out a number of maps of Friesland you can buy.

Also you might not know but I'm a walking encyclopedia of useless information. I am collecting tidbits on Friesland which I will be publishing here.

Tags: Friesland | Tidbits

Franeker

Franeker
Originally uploaded by Don.

This is one of the squares in Franeker, a town in Friesland.

Tags: Franeker | Friesland | The Netherlands | Holland

Franeker

Franeker
Originally uploaded by Don.

This is the former orphanage in Franeker. The sign above the door on this building reads as follows (in dutch): ‘Bijkans twee eeuwen hebben de Weezen het huis bewoond, waarin zij in 1668 werden opgenomen. In 1854 betrokken zij deze betere woning die door de milde giften de Gemeente door de Voogden werden aangekocht onder goedkeuring van de kerkraad’.

Tags: Franeker | Friesland | The Netherlands | Holland

Harlingen

Harlingen
Originally uploaded by Don.

More of my photos of Harlingen and Friesland can be seen at my Flickr account
Tags: Harlingen | Friesland | The Netherlands | Holland

Harlingen

Harlingen Originally uploaded by Don.

Wow, within days of my planned hibernation, I get a chance to take a few hours of work. I still have a few hours daylight left, so I decide to head off to Franeker. Franeker is weird. Before I arrive I have heard one person (a Dutch, non-fresian) saying it's really nice. But I hear no fresians (except my auctioneer) saying that the place is cool. I check my 419x Friesland book and see a few interesting things. Lots of 16th– 17th century buildings. It's a town that did well (past tense?). The reason I ask is mainly because it was the second university town in the Netherlands after Leiden. Now though there is no university. How did that happen? I find that weird.

Anyway off I went to Franeker. It did not go well but as I will tell later on there might be a reasonable excuse for that. The town is nice enough and is picturesque. But I had an odd look of ‘what are you doing here ’, it must be the long hair. I also did not see or hear anything cheerful. But I did learn today that a kaats legend had been buried the previous day and the ceremony began in Franeker I think. I am talking about Hotze Schuil who was a great kaatser. Anyway I left again within the hour and headed for Harlingen

Harlingen is a port town on the coast of Friesland. It has a ferry terminal to Terschelling and Vlieland (two wadden islands) not far from the coast. I've been in Harlingen once before a few weeks ago. But it was dark then and I could't see much. I like Harlingen, and I spoke with one or two locals and they seem very friendly. Harlingen is also 16th– 17th century. Harlingen seems more exciting and there was more activity in the shops. One street I have seen which I think is a very cool place to live is the zoutsloot (salt canal). It has lots of old houses which have been done up really well. Also Harlingen seems to have its fair share of shops, bars and restaurants. And then to top it all, there are lots of old small sailing ships. You can see the masts sticking up over the roofs. Very cute indeed.

Tags: Franeker | Harlingen | Friesland | The Netherlands | Holland

Hibernate

Winter is setting in.

When I leave work, it's already dark. I'm not in Friesland yet in the weekends. So this blog will slumber for a while. Either spring or moving up here will kickstart this blog again.

More photos…

I have some photos of Grou and Hindeloopen in Friesland on Flickr for those interested. We had a great time there, but there was a lack of sun and lots of rain… though we did not get wet :)

A book recommendation

5 out of 5 stars

419x Friesland is an amazing book

Reviewer: Don - October 28, 2005

I came across an amazing book in Dutch "419x Friesland" by Peter Karstkarel (ISBN 90 330 1191 3 Fries Pers Boekerij, Leeuwarden). It's in Dutch but it has photos of nearly every city, town and village in Friesland. It is stacked with history and some photos of each place. If you like this kind of thing this book should earn near pride of place in your book collection. It is a great way to see the place without actually going anywhere. Well it will help you see some places that you will really want to visit.

I've been reading up on Harlingen, Franekar, Dokkum, Lemmer and a town I have not previously mentioned Joure. They look very interesting.

Then there is Mantgum a large village on the Leeuwarden to Sneek railway line. We have been looking at houses via Internet and came across this area but not this village. But from the book this looks like a possible good place to live. I'll check it out.

This book though is full of gems like Molkwerum (which is a rural maze, but looked fantastic when we drove through). There is a village called It Heidensekip (would mean Pagan Chicken? in Dutch, but in Friesian?) and then there are the standard jokes about Sexbierum.

Highly recommended. I can hardly put this book down.

Date bought: 22 October 2005

Book Title: 419x Friesland

Book Author: Peter Karstkarel

ISBN: 90 330 1191 3

Published by: Fries Pers Boekerij, Leeuwarden, NL.

A weekend in Friesland

Hindeloopen Friesland
Originally uploaded by dccrowley.

The sun goes down here between 7 and 7.30pm here at the moment. With my day job I don't have much time to see the place. I'm also never in Friesland at the weekend, until this weekend that is. I'm here with my wife and kids. It's the children's first time here and they like it.

We are staying at a very nice campsite with a near unpronounceable name, ynelijte in Grou, which is a very nice village. Friesland is big into water sports and Grou is one of the best places here to have a boat and holiday home. From what I have heard Grou formed in the Middle Ages but much of the center of the village is beautiful 18th century architecture.

Leaning Towers
We had a very nice drive around Friesland today. We took a very touristy route. We drove from Grou to Sneek (pronounced as snake, called Snit in Friesian!) and then to Hindeloopen. We drove along Schuinegoutum, which has some very impressive houses, and then through Dearsum, which along with Hindeloopen also has a very leaning church tower. That said Dearsum looked very friendly.

We also had a quick stop in Sneek, but as it was Sunday all the shops were closed. It seems to be a very nice place to live, lots of good shops etc. It is a nice town, it looks like a town with a swagger in its stride but I'd like to see it swaggering sometime.

Another amazing village (we did not stop, we just drove through it) was Molkwerum, which is actually just behind the old sea dyk on the Ijselmeer (former Zuiderzee). It used to be called the maze of Friesland. The houses are tossed around the place in no apparent order; it has lots of trees and space between the houses. The view of the Ijselmeer from the dyk is really something as well. It is though too far from Leeuwarden for me to live in.

We then went to Hindeloopen which I have heard from a local who lives near there has the strangest of all the Fresian dialects. It is seemingly very Scandinavian. Let's put it like this, the rest of Friesland does seems to have trouble understanding it. It looks very nice. It's very touristy without being annoying. But I don't know if I would like to live there. Even though it looks amazing, the houses are built very close together and they don't seem to have much space at the back of the houses. It's quite a bit away from Leeuwarden but it is on a direct train line. I wonder how long the journey takes?