Dawn

Dawn

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Haarlem notes; & Final Haarlem fotos.

HAARLEM NOTES
  • There's suprisingly little motor traffic here. So, getting from one side of a main road to the other is a doddle. What this means, of course, is that it's more dangerous here crossing a pavement/sidewalk than a road. Which makes sense to someone, I guess
  • Coming from Spain, it's a shock to realise that people are aware of your existence. And even move out of your way, if there's a chance you'll bump into each other. So, none of the frequent Spanish paso dobles. When a postman emptying a postbox moved out of my path, I felt like shouting "There's no need to do that! I'm Spanish". But didn't.
  • Many ground floor flats in the narrow streets don't adorn their windows with curtains or blinds. Presumably the Dutch don't do what other people do on their carpets, tables and washing machines. Or maybe they do.
  • Like me, the Dutch - or some of them anyway - prefer mayonnaise on their chips/fries. Well, they call it 'mayonnaise' but it tastes to me more like the tangier 'salad cream' I much prefer.
FINAL HAARLEM FOTOS

A nice building in the local vernacular


A church converted into a brewery and bar:



Inside the church-cum-brewery-cum-bar, where their home-made gin and tonic cost me a mere €10. Yes, the carpets are on the ceiling:



All that's left of another church where a modern building now stands, just outside the church-cum-brewery-cum-bar. 


A boat one could presumably buy quite cheaply.


A statue of 3 old ladies, which my host told me was 'nothing special'. I demurred on the grounds that a pregnant 80 year-old was really something out of the ordinary.




And, finally, a department store which really should be knocked down:



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