Monday, April 30, 2012

A Button and a Bridge

Did you notice a couple weeks back that there is now a Vision and Verb button graphic on my sidebar?!  Now there's an added one underneath for Our Shoppe which is having its Grand Opening today.

If you go to my Vision and Verb post today, you can read all about it.
The short version is that we 21 collaborators are reprising select images from the past 2+ years to sell as greeting cards, the profits of which will be loaned in $25 allotments to the working poor around the world who are starting up their own businesses.  It's our way of giving back, through KIVA as our conduit.
So if you go to my sidebar and click on the Shoppe button, you'll be there.
Scroll down to find me and you'll see my 5 images up for sale...for a good cause.

What I never told you is that another collaborator and I took on the Shoppe as our project over a month ago.  To see it brought to fruition now is beyond thrilling for me.  It's been a great labor of love for both of us.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Now...a bridge.  The Moses Bridge, to be exact.  Who hasn't heard the Old Testament story of how Moses parted the Red Sea by waving his staff over the water, allowing the Israelites to cross over on dry land! 

And yet almost no one in the Netherlands has heard of the Moses Bridge that is only 48 miles SW of us in the city of Halsteren! We actually heard about it through daughter Amy's father-in-law in California.
Astrid has since Googled to find people all over the world who know about it...except the Dutch.

So a week ago we made it our business to go find it.
Fort de Roovere was the largest fort on the West Brabant water line in the 17th century,  
holding Spanish and French invaders at bay.

The orginial fort was surrounded by a moat with no bridge access.
But in 2010 a restoration project added the bridge to give access to the entire fort area.
In the center image above, you see the opening to the bridge in one of the fortress trenches.

Can you imagine the excitement we felt as we approached that narrow entrance to the bridge!
And there she was...spread out before us, like the parting of the Red Sea.
The bridge is built from Accoya wood sheet piling on either side, with a hardwood deck/stairs in between. Accoya wood’s durability and guaranteed performance in-ground and in freshwater made this possible.

 Believe it or not, we were the only ones there, so Astrid was my model to give it scale.
Do you notice how yellow-green everything is?  S P R I N G.

Up close and personal...you really do feel like you're walking through the Red Sea!

When it started to sprinkle, the photo op took on a whole new meaning.

Yup.  My University of Michigan colors now grace the Moses Bridge!
 And what Astrid is pointing to is the sign in the bridge wall that gives the pertinent stats:

This invisible pedestrian bridge was built in 2010 by Ro Koster and Ad Kil Architects.
It happened since I've been living here.  Leave it to the Dutch!

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

 Another Jan van Haasteren puzzle finished:  On the Assembly Line (only 500 pc.).
(click to enlarge)

 And don't forget the Grand Opening of Our Shoppe at Vision and Verb today!
   

24 comments:

  1. Do you know the story of the 2 ladies going on a photohunt. One forgot her camera.......
    You did an incredible job taking those pictures. We had such fun. It is amazing that hardly anybody knows about this 'bridge'.
    The puzzle is always fun. You (V&V) can be proud of the new project. Hope it will be a great success.

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  2. Astrid: I still can't believe you forgot your camera that day...a first! But you then became such a willing model! Thank you for that. We'll go back one day when you can take your own pictures, for sure.

    And yes, it's very exciting to get Our Shoppe up and running. We, too, wish for lots of success for our mission to the world. Thanks for all your encouragement from the get-go.

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  3. That is the strangest bridge I have ever seen.
    How does the water flow from one side to the other?
    Or perhaps is doesn't flow?
    And why don't the Dutch people know much about it?

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  4. Sham: I have a feeling there's nothing like it anywhere, though I could be wrong. I don't think the water flows because it's a moat, not a river or canal. It doesn't NEED to flow.

    It's very strange that the Dutch don't know about this bridge but it seems to be because there hasn't been any advertising of it. Weird, I know! Can you imagine making a huge tourist attraction out of it?! Someone would make a lot of money!!!

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  5. Quite unique! I like the umbrella touch. I wonder, if it doesn't "flow" does the water get stagnant? - just surrounded by water! The puzzle amazes me - I just don't have the patience for them (or perhaps it is I don't have the time:)

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  6. Margaret: Sometimes rain is good in more ways than one, right? :) Good question about if the water gets stagnent. The thing is, the Dutch can pump water in and out at will, everywhere, so maybe that's what they do whenever necessary. Those Dutch!

    And the puzzles...are totally addicting to both of us. We'd often rather be working them than being at the laptop! :)

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  7. I love all of the interesting shapes you found on the photo shoot. Beautiful and amazing and so odd but cool that you are on the bridge below the water line... Never heard of the bridge myself, but now I have. :)

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  8. This "bridge" is so cool! Your photos are great and of course Astrid is the perfect model!

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  9. ET: Leave it to the Dutch to bring us these wonders of the world, Jen. :)

    Robin: When we heard about the bridge, we just had to go see it with our own eyes. Astrid forgot her camera--a first--but was such a good sport about it, becoming the perfect model for me. Exactly.

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  10. i must applaud this undertaking of microloans to poor people, small businesses need loans small enough that banks doesnt want to be bothered with. there is something similar to this in bangladesh where my husband is and i'd inquire about that when we visit this summer.

    hey, who would have thunk that a man from california would show astrid soemthing about a sight in her homeland :)

    it's may, enjoy it.

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  11. You published some fun posts while I was away. I enjoyed looking at all your photos – it is a little bit like taking a trip to Holland. That bridge is sensational and your photos show it so well – without Astrid it would have been hard to get a real feel for it. I like your narrative about the apartments with the bats – will they find how many are taking shelter there? It will be great for y’all to have a river view! Wish I had one. I just talked to my daughter who moved to Memphis. She lives along the Mississippi now and saw the American Queen steamboat passing by (Memphis will be the ship home port) – she called me about it to entice me to drive to Memphis soon….

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  12. PC: KIVA sure came up with a great idea, didn't they. It makes so much sense and is very doable. I'm thrilled that we can be part of it.

    And yes, who would have thunk we'd hear about something at our back door through someone in America!

    Vagabonde: We're really looking forward to seeing exactly what view we'll have once the apartments are down. We at least know we'll have to close the curtains from time to time. Our bathroom door has a direct view out that window. HA! It won't be anything like the Mississippi though, I'm sure.

    I would love to know how many bats they're talking about. It's something we all laugh about...kinda like they're ghosts.

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  13. That is such a fascinating bridge, I would love to visit and explore it :-)

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  14. Ginnie & Astrid, Dave was so excited to share this with you. Thank you for sharing it with all of us! Love your photos Ginnie and Astrid - careful you may have to leave your camera behind and model more often.

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  15. CP: You would love it, Cherry. And to think we were there all by ourselves!

    Judy: If it hadn't been for Dave, I don't know when we would have ever heard about it, Judy! That's one of the reasons why I love the goodies he sends us. Astrid will love what you said about her needing to be a model more often. :)

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  16. The bridge is WONderful! Thank you for every angle and photo, which really give a sense of it. Wow! (Astrid is so cute.)

    I'm happy to see that you settled on Kiva to be the recipient of the proceeds for your Shoppe!

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  17. Ruth: Don't you just love that bridge! It is such a good example of Dutch creativity and engineering. And only 48 miles away from us!

    Special thanks to YOU for being the one who put the KIVA thought into our heads. Once the seed was planted, it became a total YES for everyone. We keep hearing testimonials from everyone!

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  18. What an interesting bridge!!! I would love to see something like that. Astrid is a good model - good that she forgot her camera, otherwise she might not have been so willing...

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  19. Carola: If you still lived in Germany, it wouldn't be too terribly far away from you!

    It sure was weird that Astrid forgot her camera! But even with her camera, she still makes a great model! :)

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  20. Ginnie, Thanks for posting your great photos of this
    unique bridge. They are far more illustrative than the uTube video.
    Astrid looks great with her red jacket and
    Michigan unbrella.

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  21. Dave: If this is what it takes to get a comment from you, PLEASE find us more places to visit and we will do it just for you. HAHAHA.

    Thanks for your kind compliment. And yes, that Astrid makes a perfect model for me any time, especially with my Michigan colors. :)

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  22. Oh my... I've missed a lot while getting lost in apps during the last two weeks of iPhone photography class. Almost 10-12 hours a day studying... playing... making images. Little else done but I've missed my visits here and to V&V so trying to play catch up today!

    What a marvelous post... LOVE LOVE LOVE the bridge collages. So many wonderful images. Put this on my list, please. :-)

    It's time for breakfast... then off to V&V and your next post afterwards and before I get sidetracked (which happens a lot with me, as you well know). Oh and I MUST also visit the shoppe!

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  23. Victoria: You know I always love when you stop by, no matter how long it takes you to get here. HA! Thank you. We will definitely put that bridge on the list for when you come to visit us. :)

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  24. I forgot to do this! I will try and get it done today.

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