Amersfoort (IV)
This is the name of the city inside whose borders we’re moored for the winter. The city is situated in the north-east of the Utrecht province and its second-largest city – after its capital, named Utrecht as well. The city contains over 150.000 inhabitants. Its name derives from ‘Amer’ a river formerly named Amer (now: Eem) and ‘Voorde’, a fordable part of the river. Threfore ‘voorde’ has the same meaning as ‘ford’ in English (Oxford, Bedford etc.). Amersfoort was granted city rights in AD1259. For more see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amersfoort.
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Kei (boulder)
This piece of granite, during one of the ice-ages pushed to the moors surrounding Amersfoort from Scandinavia, was already mentioned in 1545 in an official state-document during Charles V’s reign. In 1661 it was dragged to Amersfoort’s Pig-market by 400 citizens and buried there in 1674. Excavated in 1903 it was placed on top of the present pedestal in 1954. The nickname for Amersfoort, Keistad (Boulder-city), originates in this boulder, ‘De Amersfoortse Kei’ (The Amersfoort Boulder). The boulder was, controlled by a notary, weighed in 1990. Result: 7,157 tonnes. Converted in stone (very appropriate indeed!): 1127 (and a negligible bit more - not all conversion-sites provide the same result!).
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Standbeeld (statue)
This statue is visible in the background of the boulder-picture. It is called ‘Op Schoot in Amersfoort’ (Sitting on someone’s lap in Amersfoort). To be honest we had passed both the boulder and the statue – and never noticed the boulder. Shame on us! One tends to think that this represents someone trying to lift the boulder. Not. Our (weak) excuse: we are always fully concentrated on entering a coffee-shop -yes, a real one!- called ‘Bagels & Beans’, partly visible in the background between the boulder and the statue on the first picture.
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View to the north
The main topic for this time: Sinterklaas’ (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinterklaas) incoming on Saturday the 12th of November. We had to abandon our mooring space temporarily, together with 5 other ships – thus creating an open space for disembarking Sinterklaas and a load of Zwarte Pieten (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zwarte_Piet).
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View to the south
We found a space some 200 meters downstream, just inside the port, thus making the bridge open unnecessary. It’s still fairly quiet here. That will change within minutes.
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Where’s the man?
Two picture, giving a good impression of the huge popularity of Sinterklaas and Zwarte Piet in The Netherlands. Amersfoort Sinterklaasstad (stad = town). The protagonist himself...
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He’s here!
...is visible in the centre of the right picture. The ship in the foreground is moored at ‘our’ space. We did, of course, not object. The kids are all very excited – see the opposite bank.
This morning the devastating news emerged that after a celebration using the party boat last night a 25-year old man was stabbed to death on the quay, opposite from where we are moored. The assumed attacker, seemingly a 51-year old uncle, was put behind bars. That was on the quay where hundreds of young kids where cheering because of Sinterklaas only weeks ago. Some contrast! © AD.
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