The walk through town

This photo shows the Oldehove, the leaning tower of Leeuwarden. It was supposed to be a lot higher, but the builder didn't realise he was building on unstable ground. When it started sagging, he adjusted his plans and apart from leaning it is also wonky. It kept sagging though and he had to give up. The rough bits on either side (half way up) were where the cathedral bit was supposed to be joined on. That never happened either. 

Now, Maria Louise lived just around the corner from this large tableau made from the Makkumer Potteries. She was a royal and is the ancestor of I think all of the current and several now defunct European royal houses. She was highly regarded by the town's people as she was very good to them. After the death of her husband, she did not return to a palace, but instead chose to continue living in Leeuwarden. 

This was the actual place Marijke Meu (as Maria Louise was affectionately known, meaning aunt Marijke) lived in. In the basement of the building there is an exhibition of MC Escher, who was actually born in the house right next door (where the scaffolding is), which belonged to this place when Maria Lousie lived there.

On we went, but not that far as there was another house of another noted person: Margaretha Zelle. You have never heard of her? What about Mata Hari? Yes, the very same! And she was born right in this unassuming house on one of the three hills of Leeuwarden. Or as she called it: the castle on the mountain. She claimed to be much more than she probably was and in the end it cost her her life. Did she spy for the Germans? Did she spy for the allies? Or did she spy for both? Nobody was certain, but they thought they did. She got shot in 1917 by the French.

We passed lovely gardens and lovely houses, which had been built and rented out by the charitable organisation of St Anthony's. They provided homes for the widows back in the day, but also had a hospital. All the buildings that are in their possession (still) are easily recognised by the bell, which was St Anthony's trademark. The houses in the photo are the homes of the gardeners. According to the guide, they still live there!

On we went and we got to the Great or St James' Church (Jacobijner kerk). It used to be a catholic church, but after the reformation in the 16th century it became a protestant one, which it is to this day. The north of the province of Fryslân is still largely catholic and there is a pilgrim's route that you can walk from there all the way to Santiago de Compostela, passing this church and plenty more. The route is called the Jabikspaad (Jacob's or James' Way).

Just across from the church is the Jewish monument and the Jewish quarter. Out of the 700 or so Jews living in Leeuwarden before the war, about 545 did not return. The photo I show is of the shop owned by one Jewish family who were told to report to the train station where they had to buy their own ticket to Westerbork (the transit camp). From there they were put on transport to the East and died within weeks of arrival. The current inhabitants of the shop/home have decided to keep the signs out of respect to the former inhabitants. (It says umbrellas and walking sticks)

Now, I hadn't even noticed when I took the photo what it was of, but once home and once I had read the information on the information board next to the church, I realised I had actually taken a photo of a facing brick representing young St James. He was the most chaste of all Jesus' disciples and he is shown here holding a club. St James had his 'day' on May 1st, in the 'old religion' the day of the eruption of new life force. The club is symbol of him taming that force.

Orange beerhouse

Where you come home at the end

of a messy day,

where your world intensifies

to singing, talking, laughing,

table cloths are ready,

it is cosy to the hilt,

you are transported 150 years

back on your timeline,

where you come home at the end

of your weekly pressures,

you have the chance of disappearing 

in a fog of old happiness.

Judith Nieken, 2016