Enkhuizen
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Hoorn is one of the legendary names in Dutch maritime history. Cut off from the open sea by the great Barrier Dam since 1932, it remains a busy sailing center today. Hoorn was the hometown of Willem Schouten, who in 1616 became the first navigator to round South America’s southernmost tip, which he promptly dubbed Kap Hoorn (Cape Horn) in the town’s honor.
With our ship moored at Hoorn on a quiet Sunday morning, we enjoyed an exploratory walk of its cobbled streets:
The area we toured was near the central square, the Rode Steen:
On one of those streets we chanced to spot Super-Dutchman, flying over the town ...
... obviously, on the lookout for evildoers:
Although it looks only half done, the Hoofdtoren has been here since 1532, designed as a defensive watchtower on the Binnenhaven harbor:
Next to the Hoofdtoren are the much-photographed statues of three fictional ship-boys, symbolic of Hoorn’s seafaring history:
Their origin is a popular children’s book called, “Cabin-boys of Bontekoe.”
After lunch onboard, a short cruise took us to Enkhuizen to tour the fascinating Zuiderzee Museum. This open-air museum evokes the atmosphere of an old Zuiderzee town, focusing on the years from 1880 to 1930. 140 buildings, many from Friesland where Patty’s mother was born, have been moved here and reconstructed to show how people lived and worked before the Barrier Dam closed off the North Sea:
The interiors have been restored as well and are open for viewing:
Dried or smoked herring can be purchased by anyone eager for the treat:
The village buildings are genuine and include a church, school, smokehouse, cheese shop, smith, pharmacy, butcher, laundry and sailmaker’s shop.
Dental work, anyone?
Finally, in the churchyard, your photographer couldn’t resist this shot of a contented local couple, resting in peace:
Embarking early next morning, our ship crossed the IJsselmeer freshwater lake and entered its first Dutch river.