Stellendam's Flags Day - One Big Happy Family!

Today saw the rebirth of a once-in-four-years-event, which is a tradition in my country. 
Fishing villages and towns (and we used to have numerous; now we only have a few left) hold a "Flag Day" - vlaggetjesdag - to celebrate the fact that they have reached yet another Summer alive (my interpretation) and the fact that the fish have been gracious enough to get caught in their nets all year long. And it's great for tourism.

©WibeKoopman Photography

© WibeKoopman Photography

What I mostly saw today though, was a trade with pride in their work, and very happy to give us, landlubbers, an insight in their daily business. This business is catching fish, and the vessel I was welcomed on, the GO-29, is a shrimper.
The young guy in the photos is Jeroen, looking a tad grim, but so would you if your day consisted of 24 hrs of shrimping for 3 to 5 days on end, with a rigorous grueling schedule of 1/2 hour on and 1 hour off.
Today I saw him looking happy, rested and glamorous, the perfect host for all those strangers who were welcomed aboard of the GO-29. You can look up the video on YouTube (called 'Stellendam Flag Day 2015'), or use this link:Leaving Stellendam Harbour

Those letters GO stand for Goeree, the Zuid-Hollands island with the home harbour of Stellendam. But this fishing family actually comes from Moerdijk, up river, where their grandfather did his shrimping on the river in the days when Moerdijk was an island. Now it is dry land, safe behind dykes. But the fishing is at an end there, and the few families that remained fishermen were forced to bring  their vessels to Stellendam. 
It is not all rosy, explained skipper IJsbrand's nephew to me. The fish they used to catch on the river, spiering (sprot in English) likes brackish water. But the salty sea water doesn't reach Moerdijk any longer due to the Deltawerken (which keep the Zuid-Hollandse isles and Zeeland safe from the sea surges), and the spiering has disappeared.

IJsbrand and his family were very hospitable, serving free cold drinks, beers and shrimp sandwiches. And let me tell you, those shrimp are the best and tastiest shrimp in Europe! They are tiny, but will have your tastebuds in rapture.

Now, obviously my videos are amateur. I have no pretensions. If you want to view the pro stuff, you will have to visit my son Wibe's website soon. He is uploading the photos of today as I write. I will put a link at the bottom of this post.

What I would like to end with, is a plea to remember Goeree. Whenever you are in the vicinity (and Rotterdam, very hip these days, is only 35 kilometers away), do come to visit our islands. First you pass the island of Putten, then (only across the canal) my home island of Voorne, and then you cross the Haringvliet dam to Goeree-Overflakkee, the last Zuid-Hollands island before you cross another dam to Zeeland. 
Our islands, my Wetlands, are the ultimate Dutch delta. Almost my entire country is a delta, but WE are the delta of all deltas.

Link 2: leaving Stellendam harbour ('Stellendam Flag Day - 2')Leaving Stellendam Harbour -2
Link 3: passing Hellevoetsluis harbour ('Stellendam Flag Day - 3')Passing Hellevoetsluis harbour
Link to Wibe's website: Wibe Koopman Photography

I'll leave you with one of Wibe's photos.

©WibeKoopman Photography - Norfolk Beach

Mrs K goes Nautical!

When you are a follower of this blog, or if you have taken the time to read the introduction post, you'll know that I teach English.
This is my 10th year in this demanding profession, and the third year running that I'm facing an entirely new job.
First I moved from a small private secondary school in my hometown to work at huge inner city school in the harbour of Rotterdam, specializing in harbour related curriculum. 

Then I moved from this school to a smaller sister school in Den Briel, specializing in process industry and maintenance. And now I am going to work at yet another branch of the same huge school (whilst staying with my process guys as well); a small highly specialized  school in Stellendam on Goeree-Overflakkee catering for would-be fishermen and sailors.

(I first wrote seamen. Then looked at the word, and thought: blimey, that's too close to semen for my liking. So I changed it)

Joke! This was street theatre in the Belgian Ardennes, and most amusing it was.

What isn't comical at all, is that I am supposed to be teaching nautical English. Which is...shall we say...a challenge?
Imagine me, a self-confessed tree person, having to master marcom. "Mayday, mayday, mayday. This is two-one-one-two-three-nine-six-eight-zero motor vessel Renée call sign Delta Alpha Mike Kilo, position six two degrees one one decimal eight minutes North, zero zero seven degrees four four minutes East - I am on fire after explosion - I require fire fighting assistance - smoke not toxic - over"

Yeah.

I must admit I toyed with the idea of running away to a quiet, far, tree filled warm place, where I would end my days in peace, with a nice cold drink in my hand and not have to worry about if I could get my English lesson about - say - a diesel engine across.

But I would miss my family too much. And, let's admit it, I quite like a challenge. 

I'll be keeping you posted about my progress, shall I?

Goedereede - Sleepy Little Gem on Goeree

As a cycling enthusiast I frequently take myself on a trip - and yesterday I visited our neighboring island of Goeree and a charming little town called Goedereede.

Goedereede means 'good place to moor your boat', not unimportant when you live on an island... Nowadays this part of Goeree is sleepy and still largely agricultural, and something tells me this was no different a century, or centuries, ago.

To get to Goedereede from Hellevoetsluis, you need to cross the Haringvlietdam, part of the Deltawerken which protect the (my!) island of Voorne from the water.

This means your leg muscles get a proper workout, as there is always wind and it usually blows straight in from the North Sea... But despair not! Just across, down below from the dyke and cycle path on your left, there is a fish&chips shack selling wonderful fries (open on a Sunday too, which is rather special on this predominantly Dutch Reformed island)!

To get to Goedereede, take the cycle path towards Stellendam, and just across the draw bridge veer to the right, and go under the motorway, follow the path to Havenhoofd and then left along the canal. It is only 5 kms and you have the sturdy church of Goedereede to guide you.

Just before you enter the village, you pass this house on your right, on the Kinderdijk. Intrigued by a plague on the wall I stopped, and found out this was the local Dyer's Madder mill.

The what??? It's 'Meekrap' in Dutch, and I had vaguely heard about it, but had to look it up. Here goes: Madder, or Rubia tinctorum, is a plant with tiny yellow star-like flowers (hence  Rubia), originally from Asia, but (and this is the part I really like!) stolen around 1747 from dyers in France and brought to Goeree. Apparently the Goeree soil was perfect for growing it, and an entire industry evolved. First they used horses to extract the alizarin (red dye) from the roots and later a machine (steam, probably). And then, suddenly around 1880, the entire industry collapsed because this gorgeous red dye could be produced synthetically.

Goedereede is lovely. It is dominated by a huge church tower, its design typical for this part of the Zuid-Hollandse islands (there is one just like this in Brielle, in Nieuw-Helvoet and again in Veere in Zeeland). There used to be a lighthouse glass on top, for warning the ships about the treacherous sand banks which still litter this coast.

But it also has a quaint little harbour, a nice market place with some restaurants and narrow practically unspoiled streets.

If you are, like me, the Bourgondian type, make sure you taste the local Stellendam shrimp. They are the best in the world!!! Tiny, but tasty. And fresh from the sea. I had some with a nice glass of dry white and enjoyed myself tremendously before pedaling on.

Don't let my photos fool you as to the number of tourists who have found their way to this part of the Netherlands. I chose my moments to take them! Especially older folk are on the cycle paths on a Sunday, and sometimes this can test your (at least my!) patience as they seem to think they own them. But hey, when the sun is shining, and you enjoy the gorgeous Goeree landscapes, who is complaining?

 This last photo is from the cycle path on my own island of Voorne, by the way. It illustrates my own private name for my part of the Netherlands - The Wetlands. Wet as in 'lots of water everywhere' and wet as in 'plenty of rain all the time'. So when you come for a cycle tour, do as us locals do: never mind the weather and bring a mac. You won't be sorry!!!

* All photos ©Renée Koopman

* Stellendam shrimp enjoyed on the terrace of 't Sas.

* Cycle Tour maps available from the local VVV (approx. €7,00) or use Google maps and use my route for free (I would): Hellevoetsluis - Stellendam - Havenhoofd - Goedereede and then back to Hellevoetsluis via de Kwaade Hoek. Signposted everywhere!