Friendly Friday Challenge – Trains, Tales and Tall Stories

• 

I opt to travel by train if I can.

Not only is it easier on the body, but it’s also a great way to see the countryside from a different angle and meet some fascinating characters.

Tourists waiting for the Norway in the Nutshell Flamsbåna train

By and large, railway passengers enjoy chatting with others along the way or whilst waiting at a station. For a short time, it is as if there’s a bond between them, a camaraderie that you don’t find on a bus or plane.

• 

  Flåmsbåna looking up towards Myrdal

• 

  The Glacial Express

• 

  Matsumato Japan – Nagoya

Travelling on Regional Trains

Whether it’s been travelling at lightning speed on the Shinkansen in Japan, seeing the eternal snow of Jotunheim, Norway, the stunningly picturesque Swiss Alps on the Glacial and Bernina Express, or zooming down a funicular in Poland, or Hong Kong, the experiences I have had travelling by train, have been unforgettable.

It is always a surprise who I meet.

I’ve received invitations from complete strangers to stay on a Norwegian train; I’ve giggled my way on a two-carriage Rail motor filled with very questionable smoke and ageing hippies bound for Sydney and I’ve crossed my fingers on a German fast train, while authorities detonated an unexploded WWII bomb nearby.

I have tried not to witness lewd liaisons across the train’s aisle travelling through Sweden; and I did walk quickly away from an elderly man who flashed his family jewels at me on the tracks to Brisbane, (they were unimpressive, I have to say); each journey so different and unique. There is always something to see outside the window.

A friend met her husband to be on a train 12,000 miles from her home.

And in the remotely populated North-Western regions of the Netherlands, I met a Dutch-born Frisian artist who’d immigrated to Australia after W.W.II. Like so many other railway passengers, he had a fascinating story to tell.

The Netherlands Train from Amsterdam to Hindeloopen

I was en route to the small village of Hindeloopen, and his destination, the town of Leeuwarden was a two-hour journey away. We had plenty of time to become acquainted.

He told of old seafaring legends and folk tales and explained how each village in Friesland had over the years, developed art forms specific to each village. Workum specialised in Earthenware, Hindeloopen in costumes and painting, Makkum in pottery, and Leeuwarden in tiles.

The legends he had learned from his grandparents about the once flourishing villages had me transfixed.

Here is one:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Hindeloopen (@hindeloopennatuurlijk)

Legends from the Sea – a Dutch Folk Tale

A Sea Captain from Stavoren, (a village in the North of The Netherlands, close to Hindeloopen), wanted to impress a pretty girl from his village.

Whenever the sailor returned home from his journeys to the Far East, he’d bring the lady exotic gifts from his travels. In return for his generosity, she promised to marry the Captain, should he be able to bring her something new and unique when he returned home from the next voyage.

Searching far and wide, the Sea Captain found a grain, the colour of pure gold. So confident was he that this would impress the lady back home, he filled his ship to the brim with the golden grain, and returned triumphantly home, ready to claim her hand in marriage.

Unfortunately, the pretty lady rejected his gift and still refused to marry him. 

The sailor was sad, so sad it is said, that he emptied all the ‘golden grain’ into the town’s harbour, causing the harbour of the town of Stavoren, to silt up. As a consequence, the various trading ships were no longer able to moor in the harbour, Stavoren’s economy suffered and the resident’s prosperity declined. The legend has it that the pretty girl died penniless, and of course, without the sailor by her side.

Hindeloopen

The tale highlights the unpredictable life and fluctuating prospects of the maritime villages of the former Zuiderzee and the citizens’ attempts to explain the rollercoaster of misfortune. To me, the underlying moral has timeless merit. And – I heard it on the train.

Friendly Friday Challenge Prompt: Trains, Tales and Tall Stories

Do you have a favourite train journey?

Do you have a tall story, a folk tale or photographs of a train journey that you would like to feature in a Friendly Friday Challenge post on your blog?

For the next two weeks, construct a blog post with photographs, stories or verse on today’s prompt, tagging it ‘Friendly Friday – Trains, Tales and Tall Stories.’

Pingback to my blog in your post. Then post the published URL in a comment here, on this post, as ping-backs don’t work from every blog site.

See how you can join in.

Friendly Friday Prompts are released every two weeks. Head over to Sarah’s and Sandy’s blog for more prompts.

Traditional Art in the Netherlands

Hindeloopen and lock house

Unless you are lucky enough to sail directly into the harbour, it may take several hours and more than a few changes of trains to reach the tiny Dutch village of Hindeloopen in the Northern Netherland’s province of Friesland.  

I alighted at the deserted railway station and felt a stab of disappointment as the town of Hindeloopen, itself, is not immediately visible from the railway station. To add to that, the only residents assigned to “meet and greet” tourists are some rather indulgent-looking cows! Not what I was expecting, at all.

After a twenty-minute walk carrying luggage with no wheels, (remember those times?), I reached the village of Hindeloopen proper and began a step back in time to the 16^th Century, where Hanseatic traders plied cobblestone streets and canals; where ol’ salty Sea Captains built iconic homes with gabled facades and decorated their interiors with elaborate folk art motifs, peculiar to the area.

History of Hindeloopen and Hindelooper Folk Art, Friesland

Ever since the 13th Century, the moorings in the harbour at Hindeloopen provided Norwegian and other Hanseatic traders with a safe haven from the rough weather in the ZuiderZee. All these foreign influences were gradually absorbed into village culture in Hindeloopen. Even the language spoken in the village has more in common with dialects from the Scandinavian countries than it has with its own national Dutch language.

At an altitude of 1 metre below sea level, the village of Hindeloopen had often suffered economic setbacks from devastating floods and inundation from sea water until 1932 when the Afsluitdijk was constructed and the rough seas of the ZuiderZee were tamed at last.

Unfortunately, the closure of the Zuiderzee to the open sea also meant the rapid demise of maritime trade and this forced the citizens to search for an alternate means of income. The unemployed sailors soon discovered there was a market for the traditional wooden objects they’d painted during the times when the weather prevented them from going out to sea. The painted objects became known as Hindeloopen art.

Today, the visitor to Hindeloopen will see grassy dykes along the ZuiderZee, dotted with grazing sheep; a harbour bustling with tourists and luxury yachts and many colourful rowboats in Hindeloopen’s sleepy canals. In summer, the many gardens burst with lush hydrangea blooms and the various artists open their studios to showcase an amazing collection of painted wares.

Art Studios in Hindeloopen

Traditionally, the men of the village are the painters of Hindelooper folk art; the woman and wives merely operate the shopfront where the art is sold, so any questions I had on the technical aspects of painting during my visit went largely unanswered. On reflection, I thought this barrier might inadvertently protect the cottage industry from contemporary artistic influences and maintain its purist form.

At the village’s only hotel, I found examples of Hindelooper folk art including a Spinning wheel, a six-sided High Chair and a Bridal suite complete with a “box-bed,” built into the wall. Furthermore, whilst dining at the nearby Pancake cafe, I noticed every chair and table, therein, was painted in Hindelooper florals by Gauke Bootsma, whose neighbouring studio is brimming with a stunning array of art.

Gauke Bootsma

The sheer quantity of works in Bootsma’s shop is absolutely overwhelming. Although his work is in a contemporary light and airy style called, ‘Basic Hindelooper’, the larger items of furniture and serving trays are decorated with a detailed panel depicting village scenes such as sailing boats, Hindeloopen Sluitshouse, (Lock House), or typical Dutch windmills. 

The shop’s display is themed around the traditional background colours of Hindelooper ie: one room has pieces on stained timber; another has monochromatic white and blue designs, and still another has designs on green backgrounds, a feast for the eyes.

Whilst browsing the many cabinets, wine racks, gate-leg tables, milk cans and smaller items in this shop, I spotted the artist, (who was once destined for a career in seafaring like his Harbourmaster father), hard at work upstairs in his studio, producing yet another beautiful Hindelooper item. On seeing me looking at him working, he quietly closed the door to his workshop. The artists can sometimes be secretive about their techniques!

Harmen Zweed

Directly opposite the town’s Hotel, is the studio of Harmen Zweed who paints in the Classic style.  There is a ‘must see’ door lavishly decorated with biblical motifs, fruit, detailed flowers and scrolls, all painted with translucency and an illusion of depth not seen in the Basic style.  The six-sided traditional high chair gives the visitor a hint of what the Zweed’s kitchen must be like, which is painted completely in Hindelooper.

According to Jenny, (the painter’s wife), who operates the Zweed shop, there are ten colours traditionally used in Hindelooper painting, with the predominant floral motifs being the Dogrose, Starflower and Carnation, but tulips may sometimes be used.

You will find several other painting studios in Hindeloopen such as Iekoon and Meine Visser’s shop. Het Roosje’s studio, established in 1894, is almost a museum in itself and contains expertly painted stair-stools for alcove wall-beds, furniture and specialist woodcarving.  

Harmen Glashower’s stunning painting is impressively detailed, but his shop is open only upon request, although I did find him working in the nearby Dutch Fabric shop. The shop stocks the traditional chintz fabrics used in the Hindeloopen folk costumes, and has a photographic catalogue of Glashower’s painted work available for browsing.

Traditional Hindelooper fabric and costume

HISTORIC FOLK ART in MUSEUMS

Museum piece

The Museum Hidde Nijland Foundation located in the Town Hall (circa 1683), is the place to view Hindeloopen’s painting heritage. Not only is there an enthralling collection of colourful tines, bowls, and cupboards, but also furniture and staircases for wall-beds, dating back to the 17^th and 18^th Centuries. 

My personal favourite was a wall panel in blue on a white background, with bird and floral motifs. I noted a faux marble finish was often incorporated into the rim or side of an object. The display of traditional and brightly coloured folk costumes and Dutch tiles are inspirational in colour and design.

Would you like to know more about Traditional forms of art in Hindeloopen? Check out these links.

Roosje Hindeloopen

Glashouwer Hindeloopen – in Dutch

Flashback Friendly Friday – A Journey to Delft

DELFT

Delft is a Dutch city renowned for its history of painting. So well preserved since the 17^th Century, Delft is also famous as the birthplace of the painter, Vermeer, and home to the exquisite ‘Delft Blue’ earthenware.

I took an English speaking tour at the Koninklijke Porceleyne Fles, the Delftware factory dating back to 1653,considered the Dutch Golden Age.

Unassuming building given the treasures that lie inside

Not only did I see magnificent Delft Blue antiques, (even in the ladies toilets), but I got to watch the artists at work, painting new earthenware plates and vases. It was interesting to note that prior to painting, the artist traces the designated pattern in carbon, using strategically placed dots, made through holes in the tracing.  

The designs are painted in black paint, and the firing process burns off the carbon dots, and changes the black paint to the familiar Delft blue colour.

The official Royal Dutch Delft website has the following visual to explain the process:

The Netherlands’ vast legacy of decoration, both on earthenware and wood is a wonderful inspiration to contemporary artists. If you wish to purchase a hand-painted souvenir, take plenty of money with you, as it is expensive. But it is truly magnificent!

• 

• 

It is useful to delve back in history examining all the various influences that facilitated the development of Dutch folk art. For it is not only the Indian and Oriental world that inspired Dutch painters, but also the Scandinavian world with whom the Dutch were vigorous trading partners.

Linking to Sandy’s Friendly Friday Blog Challenge – Flashback

You may also find Sarah’s Flashback post on Bletchley park interesting.

 

A Photo a Week Challenge: Bridges

The Entrance to a Machievellian House, perhaps? Gargoyles adorn the Bridge posts.

It has been a while since I posted a photography post, but I have been chatting to another blogger about hosting a photography challenge recently, so thought I would get back to the swing of posting photography. I will soon be leaving for Japan, so I will sneak in this post.

The Task: SHARE A PHOTO OR TWO OF BRIDGES.

Well, the blogger did ask.

Bridges are a popular motif.

A connection between two worlds.

A fascinating angle for photographers.

I tried to find some different photos in my collection for this challenge.

A Bridge of Sheep – how often do you see that? 

I like the angle where it looks like the Merlion is hosing the folks on the bridge, and indeed on a humid Singapore day, that spray of cool water is indeed refreshing!

No need to tell you where this is

A rather abstract edited version, which seems to exude atmosphere.

Walking the underworld of bridges

“A Bridge Too Far” – site of World War II battle over the Rhine and movie with Robert Redford.

John Frost Bridge, Arnhem, The Netherlands

A different type of natural bridge, except the arching rock pathway that led to this natural feature in Australia, completely fell down and left several Japanese tourists stranded on the rock for several hours,  or at least  until the helicopter came and airlifted them to safety.

London Bridge – true to its namesake, it fell down a few years back 

Find instructions at Nancy merrill photography, if you would like to join.

Hindeloopen painting -a Traditional Decorative Art

 

 

 

Hindelooper art is a type of traditional decorative painting originated in the northern province of Friesland, The Netherlands.

 

It is a form of folk art painted by the maritime community of Hinderloopen, (a small town on the Zuiderzee). During times of bad weather when there was no fish to sell, sailors/fisherman would turn to painting as a way to pass the time and make some money.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hindeloopen sailors traded with other Hanseatic league member countries – especially Norway, and often brought home objects painted in other traditional styles that had developed from the Baroque  art, primarily Norwegian Rosemaling.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The presence of these styles in the community, in turn, influenced the development of the Hinderlooper’s own village painting, until it evolved into the Hindeloopen art that we see today. The following pieces are my interpretation of Hindeloopen, inspired by the Australian artist, Heleen Van de Haar.

 

 

HIndeloopen Mangle Tray

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have been painting Hindeloopen style of painting and only recently discovered an old family link to Friesland. NO wonder I was attracted to this elegant and very relaxing style of traditional painting.  Traditionally it was the men who did the painting in the village itself, but I so enjoy it. Perhaps the women were so busy with domestic chores they had little time for painting, and it was the men who were stuck ashore in times of bad weather that had time on their hands to create and decorate.

I will include a tutorial on Hindeloopen in the coming months. Something for those interested in traditional art, to ponder about…

Related Articles:

History of Hindeloopen

Save