Moving On...from the Netherlands to Sarajevo

Our last full week in the Netherlands was a busy one.  It began with a decision to squeeze in one more tour near Rotterdam in a borough called Delfshaven.  According to Wikipedia, Delfshaven belonged to Delft until 1811, when it became a separate municipality.  In 1886 it requested and was granted permission to become part of Rotterdam.      

Our tour there was given by a man who was a retired headmaster of a primary school in Rotterdam.  He explained to us that the town of Delft was not located on a major river, so in 1389, a harbor was created about 6 miles south of the city.  It was built to receive ships and avoid tolls being levied by Rotterdam.  A city grew up around the harbor and it was named Delfshaven...or, Port of Delft.

           

Another interesting fact is that the Pilgrims that eventually settled in the United States came from this city.  They attended church in the building pictured below.

The Pilgrims boarded a ship called the Speedwell on August 1,1620, and set sail to England.  However, their ship was not sturdy enough to make it all the way to the States, so they made the rest of their voyage on the Mayflower.  Today, the town of Delfshaven...which escaped bombing during World War II...has a small historic center that has been carefully preserved.  It is a very desirable place to live, with many beautiful homes, restaurants, and bars. 

One of the main reasons we chose to come to the Netherlands was to attend the North Sea Jazz Festival, which fell at the very end of our stay. 

The festival lasts for three days and takes place at the Ahoy center in Rotterdam.  Most of the concerts are held inside this huge building that holds a variety of venues for the thousands of people who attend the festival.  It's the largest indoor Jazz Festival in the world.  One of the concerts we attended was Leon Bridges...who attracted a huge crowd.  He is new to us...and has a style and sound similar to Sam Cooke.  It was a great concert. 

The people on the floor are standing.  Surrounding the venue are seats on the first second and third floor...that's where we sat. 

By far my most favorite performance was by Cecile McLorin Salvant.  We had the privilege of seeing her four years ago at the Monterey Jazz Festival in California when she was just getting started.  We were impressed with her talent then...and are even more impressed today.  She is young...has a beautiful voice...chooses interesting pieces to perform...and dresses a bit eccentric.  A true talent and someone you should definitely check out if you are a jazz fan like us.  

A picture of Cecile and her band from our second row seats at her concert.

What a great time we had in the Netherlands...but all too soon our time came to an end.  We departed on July 17th...and headed for Sarajevo, Bosnia.  A city that is nothing like the Netherlands...but interesting in its own unique way. 

Here, we have one of the nicest and least expensive apartments since we departed from Cuenca.  The cost is half of what we paid in the Netherlands.

We are minutes from the historic downtown where there are all kinds of shops and restaurants.  It's important to mention that this city was at war from 1992 to 1995.  The war was part of the breakup of Yugoslavia.  As you walk through town, you will see many buildings with bullet holes, left as a reminder of this terrible time in their history.  

Look closely for the bullet holes on this historic building.

On our second day we took time to visit the War Childhood Museum that opened in 2017.  This museum tells the experiences of children who lived through the war in the 1990's.  Over 1,000 young adults submitted their memories.  Some gave objects that were connected with their memory and others gave an oral testimony that was made into a video that is shown in the museum.  An example of one of these exhibits is shown below...

There are many Muslims that live in Sarajevo.  They worship at mosques that you will find throughout the city.  The mosques can be identified in the city by the menuet's that are found adjacent to them.    

On Friday we went to visit one of the mosques to hear the call to prayer, which has a very exotic sound.  

Below is a place where men can wash their feet before entering the mosque.  We were unable to tour the mosque during prayer time, so we plan to return at a later date to see inside the building.    

Here are a few other pictures of our newest city.  

The Latin Bridge that spans the river.  It is one of several bridges that takes you into the historic center of Sarajevo.

A coffee house located in the park close to where we live.

A market where you can purchase a large variety of meats and cheese.

The ruins of Taslihan...an old hotel/inn form the Ottoman's time.

A catholic church located in the historic center.

      

      

      

Rotterdam

Rotterdam is the second biggest city in the Netherlands.  At one time it looked like many of the other cities in the country, but, during World War II Hitler ordered the city to be bombed...and it's center was decimated.  Following the bombing, a fire that lasted for three days consumed what was left.        

After the war, instead of rebuilding the city to look like it did before the bombing...the people of Rotterdam decided to take the city in a new direction, and built a very sleek and modern looking city center.  

I found the three pictures above on the internet.  I like this one above because it gives you a birds eye view of what the city looks like today.  

One of the more interesting sites you will see if you visit Rotterdam are the Cube Houses. They were designed by the architect Piet Blom and were meant to house a single family.  They were built between 1982 and 1984.  Today, the cost of one of these homes goes for about $280,000.   All of the homes are being lived in today, except for one that is used for a museum.       

The inside of the cube house museum has furniture specifically created for the unusual shape of the building.  

In close proximity to the Cube Houses is the Blaak Markt.   It is a beautiful, huge building that houses an assortment of fruits, vegetables, cheeses, meats, nuts, and pastries, as well as a variety of restaurants.  

This is a picture of the ceiling inside the market.

Below are a few photos that show some of the other modern looking buildings you will find in this interesting city.  

The train and metro station

Rotterdam is a fascinating city and it would be well worth your time to visit it.  

The Windmills at Kinderdijk

Saturday, Lance and I traveled by metro and water bus to see the historic windmills of Kinderdijk.  These windmills were built in 1740 to help drain the land of water in this small community.  Originally, there were 20 windmills built, and 19 are still standing today.   According to Wikipedia, they are the largest concentration of old windmills in the Netherlands.  It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997.    

While there, we were lucky enough to be able to see the inside of one of the windmills.  The furnishing were much like you would have found it in the 1950's.  It somewhat reminded Lance and I of the inside of a lighthouse that we saw back home in Wisconsin.  

I like the boots with the wooden shoes on the bottom.

The mechanism that's used to run the windmill

Currently, some of the windmills are for public viewing...while others are used as homes by some of the local people.  We were impressed at how cheap and easy it was to get there without owning a car or boat.  Once again...the different forms of public transportation this city offers are a gift to travelers and locals alike. 

After visiting Kinderdijk, we traveled to another part of Rotterdam to see a Big Band play some swing music on the grounds of a church.  This was a free concert that was part of the north sea round town series that is offered leading up to the big festival.  Everyday this week you will be able to find free music in a variety of different venues all over Rotterdam.  On Friday, the North Sea Jazz Festival will kick off and run through the weekend.