Sharing England will just have to wait!
Our lovely city Gorinchem has 2 harbors: an inner and an outer. The inner harbor, Lingehaven, was what was renovated 25 years ago and from which there is now every year an open havendag = Open Harbor Day. Think big flea market (a real "professional" one, not like the street set-ups on Queen's Day) with a party.
First of all, this martket runs along the main canal of our city center
just 2 blocks from where we live near our Nooit Volmaakt windmill (hiding).
Sails are unfurled for the celebration and big boats come from all over.
Everything under the sun can be purchased at this market!
We went early enough to get first-grab on used DVDs, buying 13 altogether!
We watched "Moonstruck" that night, one of my favorite movies of all time.
Did you notice how close Astrid is to the edge of the wall-without-railing?
The drop-off to the wharf below is about 6 ft, something that still shocks me
(and scares the bejesus out of me every year!).
AND we found 2 (TWO!!) old Jan van Haasteren jigsaw puzzles for €2 each:
Ice Hockey (1500 pcs.) from 2001, and The Wedding (1000 pcs. from 1998).
In perfect condition with all pieces, or so she said.
It so happens that for 3 years running now, we have bumped into Coby.
And we all remember each other every time!
Three years ago we bought a lovely picnic basket from her that we still use.
This time she asked me for my photos, which I gladly e-mailed to her.
Actually, Coby's table was at the harbor where all the main attractions took place,
like these water balls. One of these years I may just have a try at one, with my camera inside.
Now THAT would be a different POV (point of view)!
Now THAT would be a different POV (point of view)!
This is also where the salmon fishing boats dock and you see the fishermen demonstrating
how they fry up the fish (which they sell) and mend/make their nets.
Activities took place all day long related to this harbor art.
For instance, there were 2500 rubber duckies released into the harbor
by the Lion's Club as a fund raiser to eradicate polio!
Even though I had polio as a child and would have loved to be there,
we decided we couldn't do everything. Besides, it would have been too crowded by then.
But we DID see this Eght Herrie (= real loud) band that is well-known in the city.
We followed them right to the center of the festivities...
...where Dries, the newspaper photographer from here where we live (remember?),
and the town mayor were ready to kick off the celebration.
We had met the mayor 2 years earlier at the newcomer's welcome.
We were clearly in the right place at the right time: 11 a.m.
In honor of the 25th harbor-renovation anniversary, these bubbles were uncorked!
Can you imagine being these children of one of the band players (a trumpeter),
in on all this action, so up close and personal!
(The little boy, top-right image, did finally figure out how to hold his trumpet upright!)
What great fun for all us kids! Here's to next year!
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Now, just a wee appetizer of our trip last week in England, which a couple of you may have already seen:
We had our 3rd annual Shutterchance meet-up, this time at Blists Hill Victorian Town in Ironbridge.
There were 13 of us...a nice baker's dozen. We had a Blists Blast!
It would NOT have been the same without Bill's Mr. Pig!
To be continued....
