Saturday, April 27, 2013

Out of the Jurisdiction: Hoorn




During the Netherlands' "Golden Century" -- the 1600s -- Hoorn was an important harbor town in North Holland.  It is on the IJsselmeer, a large body of water previously known as the Zuiderzee until the 1930s, when a new dam was built to separate it from the North Sea.

The headquarters of the Dutch East India Company were in Hoorn.  Sailors rounding the bottom of South America named it Cape Horn after the town from which they had departed.

It was very cold here, too.


20 comments:

Malyss said...

Cold , but so beautiful! Your first pic is almost like an old painting!I like such places, they make history alive.

Andy said...

The first photo caught my eyes the most. I just love it when people like you post a large size photo. There's so much more to see when when it's open to full size. The colours and all of the little details turned out great. My eyes had a feast.

Birdman said...

Looks like Maine.

Lowell said...

Ah, these are so nice, Jack. That first one looks like a painting! Beautiful! And I didn't know that tidbit about Cape Horn. Honk!

VP said...

Love the place and your really fine pictures of it!

Sharon said...

These are great shots! I'm enjoying this little sojourn into the old country.

William Kendall said...

Beautiful shots!

My family comes from the Netherlands, so I'm familiar with the Zuiderzee becoming cut off from the sea. I think I've heard of Hoorn as well at some point.

Virginia said...

Love both shots but the bottom one made me shiver!
V

Sylvia K said...

Love your shots for the day, Jack, particularly the first one!! Such an old and interesting place!! And it does look SO cold!! Have a great weekend!

PerthDailyPhoto said...

How good is it that you'll have theses images to remind you of your trip..forever Jack. Nice!

Unknown said...

The buildings on the top shot are so beautiful and it sure looks cold on the bottom pic.

RedPat said...

It may have been cold but it was beautiful and you got great pics, Jack!

cieldequimper said...

The right hand side of the first shot looks like something out of a Vermeer painting, doesn't it?

Suzanne said...

Were these also taken in the early morning? The water is so calm.

Randy said...

What a great place to explore.

Stefan Jansson said...

You really nailed the first photo Jack.

Oakland Daily Photo said...

If it's any consolation, it's cold in May too. Good thing it's such a fascinating place that it will take your mind off the cold.

CaT said...

i see the cold is a recurrent theme.... :)
i will have to adjust my standards for warm and cold when we move back... :(

EG CameraGirl said...

I'd love to see that for myself. Neat photos, Jack!

Nathalie H.D. said...

That top photo is a dream, Jack!