First Citadel Walk of 2015...With New Knee!

It's not the entire walk, mind you, but an hour's worth that got the inspirational juices flowing on a gorgeous, sunny Sunday this past weekend.  It's enough to get anyone outside and moving!

Because we can access the citadel path just a few steps from our senior-complex's back door,

we'd be stupid not to walk-the-walk as often as possible.

Our Nooit Volmaakt windmill is just a block away if you turn right on the path.

But we turned left.

It so happens that THAT's where Astrid filmed me climbing the steps,
at 6+ weeks post knee-replacement surgery.
It was a big deal for me.  Ta-Dah!

Within seconds on turning left at the top of the stairs, this is what we saw.
The winding paths (upper and lower levels) thrill my soul.

And the trees!  The trees.
The former war-bunker mounds give them life and form.

Then come the sycamore trees.
The greenish hue on the bark makes it look like spring has arrived.
Soon.

That's where we also spotted a clump of snowdrops.
I had never seen snowdrops till I moved to Europe.

After the sycamore grove, it's time to cross the Westwagenstraat that takes you in and out
of the citadel across the Korte Brug.  Water surrouds the citadel, of course.
It's called the binnenstad = inner city, where we're lucky to live.

You may remember this map from before, with the red dot showing where we live.

On the other side of the Westwagenstraat, the path continues towards the Merwede river...

...and the bench that was our destination for the day, before turning back.

You could spend hours sitting there, watching the freighters pass by way off in the distance,
to and from Rotterdam, one of the main ports of Europe.
Closer in, the harbor is one of Gorinchem's two port entries.

Next walk, I'll try to go further, but that was enough for one day.
The fluid on the knee will build up for a year, they say, so I just pay attention.

Speaking of which, 2 days after my last post, when I couldn't yet cycle backwards, I could!
That means my new goal is to cycle forwards!  Eline says "It'll come, Ginnie!"

GRONINGEN, Netherlands

Just when I think I couldn't possibly surprise myself further....!  Remember last week when I started backtracking and found files basically untouched in my archives?

Almost exactly THREE years ago, before Astrid and I bought our Granny Towanda (Daihatsu Cuore car), we took 2 trains in February 2010 to Groningen, some 120 miles to the NE of us.  It was an all-day affair for us and our biggest trip after my arrival to the Netherlands the previous December.

Not only did I make no post of that trip whatsoever here on this blog, I didn't even have a tag word for Groningen.  Today I will make up for that lost cause!

The 1866 Groningen train station, for starters, is called the cathedral of the winged wheel.

 The statue of the horse and its owner (“Uncle Loeks’ horse) has been there since 1959.

First impressions are always important, of course.

Straightaway from the train station you walk across the city canal to city center.

You can see how cold it was...in February.

You know me and spires.  This was the first one we saw.

It belongs to the Aa Church from 1247!

Sadly, it wasn't open that day.

Whenever we walk to any city's center, we always get impressions.

That was the first day I ever saw snowdrops with my own eyes!

Within minutes...another spire.

This one is from the University of Groningen, founded in 1614.

It's one of the oldest and largest universities in the Netherlands and was voted its best in April, 2012.

The mother of all spires in Groningen, however, is the Martinitoren (Martini Tower) of the Martini Church.

Right there on the market square, it dominates everything.

You should know by now that I also love clock towers and sundials.

B I N G O.

Before doing anything else, we bought tickets and climbed the 1469 tower.

That's where I got my classic views of all the landmark spires...as well as the market square.

And, oh, I even got the windmill there in the background, far, far away (top center above)!

Lucky for us, the Martinikerk was open!  It's Groningen's oldest church, from 1225.

Much of the wall and ceiling paintwork has been preserved.

The choir dome of the church is 25 meters tall, surrounded by mural stations of the cross.

I could have spent LOTS of time there and would love to go back one day.

Another fabulous spire is from the 1602 Provinciehuis, seat of the provincial government.
It's a stone's-throw away from the Martinikerk, in the same neighborhood
  as the beautiful churchyard houses (Martinikerkhof), top above.

And lastly, at the end of our day, another spire is from the Jozefkerk, 1885.

 Officially, this is the Cathedral Church of Saints Martin and Joseph...

...which is why the St. Martin statue (middle left above) is in this church.

 The legend of Martin of Tours, b. 316-397, is well worth a read:  While a Roman soldier, he cut his cloak in half to share it with a beggar...and later dreamed the beggar was Jesus.
Those random acts of kindness...really do count!

On that inspirational note, it was time to head back home,
with impetus to get back to the Winter Olympics from Vancouver, February 12-28, 2010.
We visited Groningen on February 20, 2010!