I very much enjoy exploring the town that I live in. Almost as much as traveling around the Netherlands! In this post I will show you more pictures of findings around Goes, interesting things that caught my attention. I have to say that I am getting used to the surroundings here and the little things don’t always strike me like they used to. But I still find fun things.
Life Update
Before I get into Goes findings, I thought I would share highlights from the last couple of weeks.
If you know my love for flower gardening, you won’t be surprised by my seed starting this time of year. Even though I am in the Netherlands and have no garden to put flowers in, I couldn’t resist the joy of starting a few seeds. There are about 1/12 of the amount I usually plant, but I have had so much fun watching them! I eventually will put them in pots on my deck. The seeds consist of Zinnias, Geraniums and mini sunflowers.
Last night we had friends over for supper. I met Niloo in Dutch language class last August, and she has become a great friend! She and her husband joined us for a few American dishes at our apartment, and we had a wonderful time! Niloo runs her own catering business out of her home here in Goes, making delicious Persian food. Check out Baran Catering on Facebook and Instagram!
I have become a true Dutchman with my bike! I have learned how to haul a variety of items in my basket, using a bungy net to strap them in. It is so satisfying to know that I can make life work with just me and my bike! I like how the Dutch do this!
This doesn’t have much to do with my life in the last two weeks, but I found this interesting picture online the other day. It shows how the Dutch used dykes and windmills to create more land. Look at the difference in the land between 1300 and today. Most of Zeeland didn’t even exist. The town that I wander in every day was under water. So interesting to witness the creativity of man.
LIfe Around Goes, Fun Things Found
Recently we had a really nice day and I went for a walk. I wandered through some of the residential areas of the center and found some fascinating architecture.
Remember these cellar doors? There are a lot of these in the Centrum of Goes. The house that I lived in when I was 5 had them. From what I remember, my old house had very steep steps inside these doors that led to a dirt floor. The area was made for storing canned and dried food, and whatever else wasn’t bothered by moisture. I have no idea what is looks like inside these Dutch cellar doors, but I would love to know!
Look at these brick steps. They are crumbled and mossy, yet super stable for these residents to use every day when they come out of their front door. I can’t imagine how old they are, but again, I would love to know.
This home has a neat brick design around its front door. And the step gable roof line shows what era it is from. The step gable started being used as early as the 16th century, but this obviously house could have been built later.
If you look closely, this house has a message on the front. It has the date of 1642, followed by “in stil heit hoepen de”. Google translate didn’t quite know how to interpret, but I know that the first two words mean “In silence”.
Look at this beauty with the lift hook still attached on top! They used these hooks years ago to lift heavy items to the upper floor. This is now a home, but with the double doors on the bottom, it probably was once a storage unit for goods.
This one is located along the small Goes port. It was once a home but now is a clothing store. I love the brick stripes across it and the Dutch front roof line. So cool.
Here is an example of the street signs hung on the building walls. And why not, the buildings are so close together that there is not room for sign posts. The street on the left leads to the old fish market, the lively hood of the town several hundred years ago. Fisherman came into the port with their catch, rented a stall in the fish market, and sold their catch to pay for their own bills. The blue gray building is the old Fish Market building, but today is a dance studio.
This is outside of Goes, at the Neeltje Jans Delta Park. It just made me smile. No swimming here, but the North Sea Beach is that way. Please swim there. 🙂
Can’t pass up a few pictures of my favorite spot in town, the Stadshaven Goes. The little harbor. It is just a few blocks away from my apartment. I walk here often just to soak in the view.
Jeremy and I found this cute little coffee house house last weekend Eet & Koffiehuis ‘t Geveltje. It is really close to our apartment, but everything in the Centrum is squished so close together that it is easy to miss things! The staff was friendly and the treats were yummy.
These trees are everywhere! They look like they just have little nubs in the winter. I assume people have trimmed them way back for a reason. Maybe they grow out of control if not severely trimmed? Not sure, but their funny winter appearance catches my attention.
This is super common in the Netherlands. The restaurants put up greenhouse like structures to seat extra people in the winter. The buildings are pretty small, so they can’t fit many restaurant guests inside when it is cold.
These make shift structures have portable outdoor heaters inside to keep the guests warm. The structures are decorated with plants, lights and other pleasant decor. They really are fun to dine in! But in a month or two they will be removed because people will want to sit outside in the sun again.
Sometimes we get a nice day in February! Last Saturday people were sitting outside the restaurants eating, both inside and outside the make shift tents. It was so nice to see people enjoying the sunshine.
I love this picture! It exemplifies the Netherlands perfectly. The picture was taken while we drove on a dyke, on a road between Goes and a town just 10 minutes away. You can see the farm land on the right and the sea on the left. The dyke we are driving on is holding the water back. And that is how the Dutch live. Always fighting with, enjoying, thriving along side the sea. They have coexisted for hundreds of years.
And that concludes my recent fun finds around Goes. I am in awe over and over because of how the people live here. The history leaves me in wonder and the present makes me smile. I feel blessed to experience it and soak it in.
Jodi, you are a great writer, I enjoy reading your blog! Thank you for count on me as friend! And thank you for sharing my Business details in your blog! That means a lot to me! I found some of your pictures unfamiliar and make me Curious to look for them! And I like how you use your bicycle! 🚲