Hoorn Too

During the night we weighed anchor and set sail for Hoorn, which is a port on the Markermeer roughly 50 kilometers north of Amsterdam. 

Hoorn appeared silently out of the morning mist around 8am. 

Our ship is almost silent as it glides along the smooth waters of the Markermeer, leaving virtually no wake. 

The outer harbor is filled with boats of nearly every size, color, and description. It once housed the Dutch merchant fleet, and as such contributed heavily to the early wealth and power of the Netherlands starting in the 1500s. 

This old sea gate was once used to protect the town from storms and high tides that originated in the North Sea. 

These step gabled buildings greet you as you walk into town from the harbor. 

Quiet canals like this one can be found near the old city center. The buildings on the left used to contain the beer market. 

This street heads north into the main town square. Notice how some of the buildings lean into the street. This was done for two reasons -- one, to give them a more imposing, more expensive facade, and two, to make it easier to hoist materials and supplies to the upper floors. 

This church building has been converted into retail, office, and residential spaces. Notice the skylights for the top floor apartments on the right. Church attendance is not that common anymore, so this was a very creative way to repurpose this historical building. 

As part of our walking tour this morning, we were guests of Paul and Barbara for coffee and cake. Eight of us were welcomed into their home where we spent about 40 minutes getting to know each other. This was easily one of the highlights of the cruise so far. 

This is the front of their duplex. We all sat just inside the bay window on the right and had a wonderful time!

This small pond was just west of their house. They ice skate there in the winter, although there was no ice this year due to an unusually warm winter. 

This old gate was once part of the walled fortifications that ringed the city. Now it just accommodates walkers and bicyclists who need to cross the bridge in the foreground. 

This is the view looking north from the footbridge. 

These three buildings have a bas relief (just above the first floor) that tells the story of a major battle between the Dutch and Spanish navies in the mid 1500s. 

This is a view of the inner harbor looking northwest towards the flood gate. There were dozens of two and three masted sail boats at anchor here. 

This afternoon I went to visit a tulip farm at Slootdorp. The farm produces over one million tulips every year!

All in all, visiting Hoorn has been a very enjoyable experience. I would gladly return any time.