Not just Zwolle

Once again, we were able to attend the August Bible conference in Zwolle.
BUT this time we flew, and neither of us missed that drive!

I didn't take very many pictures [1]
just wanted you all to know it was another fantastic conference. 
and we got to spend some time with a few fine folks from the USA too:)

- Zwolle International Bible Conference, August 2016 - 
Main speakers Pastor W. Mitchell and K. Foley.

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The Saturday after conference, we drove a couple hours south to Delft [2]
(Tom preached there on Sunday:)
Delft has picturesque historic town centre with canals and streets just made for strolling. 
It is famous around the world for it's 'blue pottery'
 (Dutch: Delfts blauw)

'Dating back to around the 11th century as a rural village aside a canal, the 'Delf', which comes from the word delven, meaning delving or digging, leading to the name Delft.' 

Delicious and relaxing brunch, under the Wisteria.

Main Square Saturday happenings.

Playing tourist:)

Sunday August 14, 2016 - Tom preaching in Delft  - technically Rijswijk 
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30 minutes north of Delft is Leiden, one of the oldest towns in Holland. 

("oldest reference to this - from circa 860 - the settlement was called Leithon")

The name is said to be from Germanic *leitha, meaning "canal".

 NEW ENGLAND HISTORY LESSON: In 1608, a congregation of English Protestants, seeking religious freedom, left England and moved to Leiden, Holland. 

In 1620, they set sail for New England (on the leaky Speedwell first, then the Mayflower). Exploring Cape Cod and ending up settling in Plymouth MA. 

We call them The Pilgrims...

Who knew...

 It's well worth spending a couple of hours just wandering around. We did this Sunday afternoon between services. I would love to go back some day to go inside some of the many museums, old buildings and to see more of the 2800 monuments. 

I also read it has over 88 bridges crossing the 28+ kilometers of canals.

Afternoon wonderings in Leiden. 

We packed a lot in into our Monday to Monday stay in Holland. The conference was wonderful and we had our fill of great food and fellowship. It was nice to meet up with many 'conference friends' and getting to know a few of them a little better (considering we have only been here 3 years). So good to hang out with old friends, and make some new ones too.  Plus we were able to fit in some historic sight-seeing.  I hope I never get tired of seeing amazing places, all with their long, complicated history and each with something making it unique.

Christine in Croatia

links to annual Zwolle drives: 

AUG15 Netherlands road trip part 1

AUG15 Netherlands road trip part 2

AUG14 Netherlands road trip

 If you want to see more pictures of conference, check out Zwolle church website. The picture of Tom and I smiling is from there [1]. link: The Door Netherlands

My post on our first Zwolle conference: FEB 2014 Zwolle conference

Some more onfo and facts on:

Delft: http://www.delft.nl/delften/Tourists ,  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delft

• The Delft Explosion, AKA the Delft Thunderclap, occurred on 12 October 1654 when a gunpowder store exploded, around 40 tonnes (80,000 to 90,000 pounds) of black powder stored in barrels, destroying much of the city. Over a hundred people were killed and thousands were wounded. 
• Blue and white pottery made in and around Delft. The tin-glazed pottery - made in the Netherlands from the 16th century. Delftware ranged from simple household items – plain white earthenware with little or no decoration – to fancy artwork. Pictorial plates were made in abundance, illustrated with religious motifs, native Dutch scenes with windmills and fishing boats, hunting scenes, landscapes and seascapes. Sets of plates were made with the words and music of songs; dessert was served on them and when the plates were clear the company started singing. The Delft potters also made tiles in vast numbers (estimated at eight hundred million) over a period of two hundred years; many Dutch houses still have tiles that were fixed in the 17th and 18th centuries.

 Leiden:  http://www.visitleiden.nl/en 

http://www.planetware.com/tourist-attractions-/leyden-nl-zh-lei.htm

• Like in Delft - Leiden had it's own gunpowder explosion. In 1807 a ship moored at the docks, in the ‘Stone Barn’ canal, in the heart of the city. A ship heading to the town of Delft, carrying over 37,000 pounds of explosive powder. On the afternoon of January 12th, 1807 - the ship exploded. The explosion left 152 people dead, another 2,000 injured and destroyed over 200 buildings.
• The luggage monument, unveiled in March, 2010, consists of six vintage suitcases, carved from different rock types, which are scattered throughout the city. The monument has been erected in memory of the Jewish fellow citizens who were killed during World War II. Maker is the Dutch / Israeli artist Ram Katzir. 
• There are 101 poems painted on walls and buildings all over the city.… the poems, in a variety of languages, were painted as part of an art project which ran in the city from 1992 to 2005. 

The Pilgrims:

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilgrim_Fathers, 

https://www./LIFE-IN-LEIDEN-Pilgrims-to-America-A-Pictorial-History

• In August 1620, a group of about 40 Saints/Separatists/Pilgrims… joined a much larger group of (comparatively) secular colonists and set sail from England on two merchant ships: the Mayflower and the Speedwell. The Speedwell began to leak almost immediately, however, and the ships headed back to port. The travelers squeezed themselves and their belongings onto the Mayflower and set sail once again. Finally, on September 6, the Mayflower departed from Plymouth, England, and headed for America, planning to sail to Northern Virginia. 
• As the Mayflower approached land, the crew spotted Cape Cod just as the sun rose on November 9... The Pilgrims decided to head south.  However, the Mayflower encountered some very rough seas, and nearly shipwrecked.  It was decided, rather than risk another attempt to go south, they would just stay and explore Cape Cod.  They turned back north, rounded the tip, and anchored in what is now Provincetown Harbor.  The Pilgrims would spend the next month and a half exploring Cape Cod, trying to decide where they would build their plantation.  On December 25, 1620, they had finally decided upon Plymouth, and began construction of their first buildings.

More of Zagreb, an Anniversary (well sorta')

The continuation of photos and information

on Zagreb, Croatia. 

To celebrate our first trip here one year ago this month !!!!

I spent yesterday in the center and took lots of photos to share with you all;-/

 It is so doable to walk just about everywhere, (some places you can only see on foot), however you can not see everything in one day. So I took picture in:

The historical city center which consist of 

Upper Town or Old Town (with the Parliament, the governmental centre of Croatia) and Lower Town (the heart of contemporary Zagreb).
Ilica Ulica is the main street coming into the center ending at Ban Jelačić Square.  At 5.66 km long, Ilica runs through most of the northwestern part of the city and is home to it's many shops and cultural site.
{Yes I've walked the whole street :-/ but not yesterday, so no pictures here.} Yesterday I took the tram in. 

Ban Jelačić Sq. features a statue of ban Josip Jelačić on horse back & "THE" clock.

Ban Jelačić Square (Trg bana Jelačića), is the central square of the city. It is the most common meeting place ...  everyone meets under the clock.
 Inaccessible by car, it is the main hub for trams.
The square has existed since the 17th century. Its first name was Harmica, and it has had many other names and uses. Therefore today, the buildings belong to different architectural styles ranging from classicism, secession and modernism. The oldest standing building was built in 1827.

Upper town view, Strossmartre and the Funicular (the blue cable car)

Locally known as Gornji Grad (Upper Town), the old town combines the twin settlements of Gradec and Kaptol*. There are many way to the top, most involving stairs, however there is a little cable car, nope, never rode in it, but it is very cute.

Funicular: Built in 1890 covers a mere 66 meters (217 ft), in 55 seconds, running (or rather chugging) from Zagreb’s main street, Ilica in the Lower Town to the Upper Town. The funicular stops at the foot of Zagreb’s former defense tower, Lotrscak. The 13th century white stone structure once protected the city. Today it is known for the Gric cannon that fires a shot into the city everyday at 12:00 pm. 

No matter that I have heard this canon quite a few times now, it still catches me off guard, making me jump! The views from up here are amazing.

St Mark's Square: Trg svetog Marka, located in the old part of Zagreb,

 In the center of this square is St. Mark's Church. (completed 13th century and radically reconstructed in the second half of the 14th century, bell tower added much later). On the roof, tiles are laid so that they represent the coat of arms of Zagreb (white castle on red background) and Triune Kingdom of Croatia, Slavonia and Dalmatia. In the sun, these tiles are really spectacular. 

 The square also home to important governmental buildings: Croatian Parliament, Constitutional Court of Croatia and the Old City Hall, where the Zagreb City Council held its sessions. 

Making my way down to Lower town.

It's mid day, time to meet up with Tom, under the clock. Past cobblestone streets, mixing the old with the new, residential & commercial, coffee & shopping, on the right one of our favorite restaurants - besides great food I love the outside stadium seating. {walking up and down the hill though, got to be tough on the wait staffs legs, FYI it is not typical to tip your waiter in Croatia, so not sure just saving on a gym membership would be enough of an incentive!}

Dolac Famers Market, inside 3 storied sheltered market with everything from meat to cheese, pasta to fruits, nuts & veggies, pasties, honey, flowers... then outside 3 tiers of open stalls, really has everything and always worth a visit. 

Every time I walk around the center, I see different streets, and buildings... so much more to show you...but I'll stop here at Dolac market a must {open daily until 14:30}. This trip I bought blueberries and raspberries.

Doviđenja! Christine

Notes: all picture were taken by me yesterday 7/29/14, also see,

Link to In and around Zagreb

*Of the two settlements Gradec and Kaptol, the existence of Kaptol was substantiated in 1094 when King Ladislaus founded the Zagreb bishopric. The bishop, his residence and the Cathedral was located on the southeast part of the Kaptol hill.

 in 1242, Gradec became a “free royal city” with citizens having the power to elect their Mayor, among other rights. They built defensive walls to protect themselves from any other invasions. These fortification walls built between 1242 and 1261 gave Gradec it appearance which can be seen from Gornji Grad hill. 

Zagreb’s history dates back to the Roman times… In the 17th and 18th centuries Zagreb was destroyed due to fire and plague…There is no proper archaeological evidence that traces Zagreb’s past... Legends and stories revolving around various characters and places have made up the region’s history...

more great info at http://www.zagreb.com/v/history/

Rovinj, Istia - Day Trip

In September, before we gave up our rental car, we took a ride to the coast and ended up in Rovinj, about a three hour drive for us. It was our second trip to the coast, but our first to the Istrian Peninsula. (Also see previous post We have company)

Old Town, Rovinj  - September 2013 - CC

The limited space governed the construction of narrow houses, narrow streets and small squares.  On the seaside, the town is protected by a high rocky shore and house walls built on cliffs, while the mainland side is protected by solid walls.

Still active fishing port -Rovinj September 2013 - CC

We walked all around town. It has some amazing artist and fun shops. Everywhere you looked - on the water front, in the allies, pier, up & down stairs... if fact almost all the doors in these photos are some sort of shop, cafe or restaurant; packed full. 

As you can see - packed in!

We picked a lunch spot right on the pier, which is not hard, lots to pick from. 
I tried a fish soup, (not very good:(   Tom stuck with pasta, always a winner in a place that once belonged to  Italy and still it's neighbor. 
Have I mention before the ice cream here in Croatia is superb? Sort of in between gelato and regular ice cream. So while walking around, we had to have one - 
yummy! way creamy and wicked good!! 
Then of course just before hitting the road, we had to sit at an outside cafe for cappuccino.   (You got to love the coffee culture!)

Narrow is the way!  - Rovinj Croatia September 2013 - CC

*Old Town used to be an island secured by medieval walls. 
In 1763 it was connected with the mainland by filling in the channel.

Three of the seven city gates have been preserved to this day. 
The first archeological traces of life date back to the Bronze Age, 
and the old city started developing in the 3rd century.

The largest monument in the city, the Church of St. Euphemia is a Venetian Baroque building restored between the 1725 and 1736. The bell tower, (seen in top photo) is a replica of the Church of St. Mark in Venice, construction started in 1651 and lasted 26 years. On top of the tower there is a large copper statue of St. Euphemia that was set in 1758 after the wooden statue was destroyed by a thunder. 

Steps lead to allies, shops & water - Rovinj, Croatia, September 2013 - CC

*History:

Rovinj was already a settlement of Illyrian tribes before being captured by the Romans.

It became part of the Byzantine empire, then in the sixth century part of the Exarchate of Ravenna and in 788 part of the Frankish empire 

Then it came under the rule of different feudal lords for several centuries. 

From 1209 it was ruled by the Aquileian patriarch.

From 1283 to 1797 Rovinj was under the Republic of Venice. The city was fortified by two rows of walls with three town gates. The remaining town walls date from this period. Close to the pier one can find the old town gate Balbi's Arch, dating from 1680, and a late-Renaissance clock tower. 

The city got its statutes in 1531.

After the fall of Venice and the Napoleonic interlude, Rovinj was part of the Austrian Empire until World War I. 

Then it belonged to Italy from 1918 to 1947, when it was ceded to SR Croatia within SFR Yugoslavia.

Following Croatia's independence in 1991, the town became one of the most important centers of Istria County.

Enjoying our September day trip to Rovinj - t&cC

My sister-in-law, DeeeDeeee, mentioned Coastal Living magazine did an article on Rovinj in last months issue. We can't get that here, so I couldn't read it, but if you are asking me, definitely worth a visit ... Oh and a great place for a honeymoon ... if anyone is looking.

* some information taken from and more info at : 

http://www.inforovinj.com/eng/index.asp

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rovinj