Remember when we were in Leuven, Belgium, this past December and I shared all those posts on this, that, and the other: the two abbeys, the two Christmas markets, the two basilicas. Yup. THAT trip.
We had a great B&B hostess, Greet, who gave us all kinds of ideas for what we might want to see, one of which was the clock tower in nearby Lier, 45 km away. Lier. Hmmm. That suddenly sounded familiar. So I went to my search bar above (and to the tags on the left) to see if we had been there before. Another YUP.
Back in 2011, 6 years ago, we had stopped in Dendermonde, Mechelen and Lier on another trip home, hitting some highlights in those 3 Belgium cities. But somehow we totally missed the Zimmer Tower in Lier...the one thing Greet told us to see.
So, on our way home this time, we went specifically to see the tower!
First of all, we had to walk a bit through town before finding the tower.
You know me and architecture...and weathervanes!
Then there it was.
This is the Zimmer Tower, also known as the Cornelius Tower, from the 14th century,
as part of the city's fortification.
The Jubilee Clock on the front was built by astronomer and clockmaker, Louis Zimmer, in 1930.
Here are some enlargements of the separate dials on the clock.
And from Wiki, below, are the descriptions of what the dials mean.
(image from Wiki)
Who knew you could put so much information on a clock!
If we had stayed longer, we would have seen some bell ringing from the side panels.
Actually, we did hear them but weren't fast enough on the draw to get what was happening.
Next time.
But we DID have enough time for a koffie break (think potty break),
where we got into the Christmas spirit again with Sinterklaas and Zwarte Piet Belgium chocolates.
Sometimes these quickie trips are the best, you know. Short and sweet!
I so agree. The short trips can be the best! What a beautiful clock. Great post!
ReplyDeleteYou have me looking for the weathervanes now!
I love that I've got you looking for weathervanes now, Marie. It's happened for others, too, which brings a smile. :)
DeleteHi Ginnie. I do not know at all Belgium also I appreciate to discover some of his wealth through this beautiful series. Thank you Ginnie
ReplyDeleteBelgium is next door to us, Marie, so we make sure we drive there from time to time. Antwerp is only an hour away and Brussels is 1.5 hours. It would be a "sin" to not go visit at least once a year! So glad I can help you see some of these places...just like you with the places YOU see.
DeleteThanks to Greet we found great placed and this was one of them. I remember the time before, we walked to a certain point and then we decided 'we have seen enough, time to go home'. If we just would have walked another two minutes we would have seen it. So we got another chance. I loved all the information on the clock. What a masterpiece, it does a lot, even telling the time. IHVJ.
ReplyDeleteWe were lucky that it was on our way home, so it made it a no-brainer to stop just to see the clock we had missed years before. I love these memories that we have!
DeleteSo beautiful. That blue!!
ReplyDeleteYou and "that blue," Ruth, were made for each other. :)
DeleteThe clock is fascinating!!!
ReplyDeleteIt really is, Cherry. I've seen many astrological clocks here in Europe but this may be the best one for me thus far. Well, at least it's different.
Deletethat clock is freakin' AMAZING... thank you for explaining what all the dials were for, i totally want a clock like that lol where can i get one!!?? thanks for the wee trip, and sharing it with us.
ReplyDeleteWouldn't that be fun...to have a clock like this and know what everything means! You're welcome. :)
DeleteOMG! That little tower is precious! Love the blue colors...and thanks for the explanation of the dials!
ReplyDeleteNow you know why we went back, Robin. Totally worth it! :)
DeleteCan I get a link back to your Malta photos and stories?
ReplyDeleteI'll check back here or email me at susandenecke1@frontier.com
As you know by now, Susan, I have just sent you an email....
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