Tuesday, August 4, 2015

Mooi stad Hoorn

Once upon a time Dutch city Hoorn had a nice time. It was a main port in the country, its cheese capital and motherland of the famous seafarers and pioneers. The ships of the East India Company sailed from Hoorn, the first sailboat was built in this town. After construction Houtribdijk in 1975 Hoorn isn't called sea port anymore because technically now it is located on lakeside. Hoorn born Willem Cornelisz Schouten was first one who's turned an extremity of South American continent. He called it Cape Horn in honor of his home town. Jan Pieterszoon Coen went even farther. He established the settlement Batavia (today Jakarta) and was ruling it as he wished.
In a word there was more than enough good seafarers in the history of Hoorn. It's impossible to break the sea spirit. You can  make sure of that just by visiting modern Hoorn with its a forest of masts, a tang of sea and the cries of seagulls.


Let's go!
We were keeping on comparing Hoorn with other old Dutch cities on our way to the city center. We were trying to understand why this town was called the most beautiful city in the country according to one survey. It looks the same one - gingerbread low houses, flowers, bikes and much water. And at the same time Hoorn is a little bit different one.

Unexpectedly something looks like a tractor was parked in the city center

The main square looks like any other main squares of Dutch cities. Every summer restaurant  outdoor area was crowded because of  "mooi weer" (nice weather)


There was Dodo himself  at the door of museum for some unknown reason!

Solitary boat looks for its owner



And finally the harbour.

And a lot of ships!

Main tower Hoofdtoren in the17th century was a haven for The North Company engaged

Commercial Whaling







After we'd had a long walk along the sea front and eaten sandwiches with smoked eel we caught a boat! Unexpectedly it was almost intimate trip. There was only one other couple on a board - Gabriela (from Slovakia) and her Dutch husband Bart, retired rocker. Gabriela doesn't speak English, but she speaks Dutch and knows a few Russian words. It was quite enough to make our an hour's trip nice.


Our captain told us a lot of interesting facts about Hoorn. Now I am generously sharing it with you.
 Anyway the most surprising thing I've heard from our captain was an explanation why old salts always wore a gold earring in their ears. Seamanship was a hazardous business. A death could wait for its victims in a most unlikely place far away from home.That's why sailors needed a gold earring: sometimes it was only way to arrange funeral by selling this piece of gold. Prosaic way but practical one.

Sail!

We are giving these brave bathers our cheery wave. For my taste, water is icy!



This is a replica of the ship Halve Maen which sailed for searching a channel to the Pacific Ocean


When famous English captain Henry Hudson hired at the East India Company, he was made the captain of exactly this Dutch ship. In his lifetime the captain had a lot of remarkable discoveries. As we all know the Hudson River and Hudson Strait were called in a honor of him.






We are sailing past former prison. As it often happens with Dutch buildings now there are apartments and restaurant inside. I hope an astonishing view on a harbour makes new tenants to forget about former function of this building :)

For sale. Would you like to buy a boat?



Black sails!




Pick up speed! Who knows what a hell with these black sails is! :)

Remains of the fortress wall



Modern navigators' routine



As I said earlier it was time in the past when Hoorn was called a cheese capital. After an unavertable decline of sea period  (we know that the British put an end to sea domination of Dutchmen) Hoorn became a trade city. ALL cheese for sale in the country was storing and weighting in Hoorn. There was a year when on the local market were sold up to three million pounds of cheese.

Good sailing!

And finally it was nice to have a glass of cold Sauvignon Blanc. We were sitting on restaurant outdoor (in a former prison, do you remember?). I think it's quite safe way to tickle your nerves :)

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