Workum

We had never heard of Workum and just happened to drive into it because it was relatively close to the IJsselmeer and we wanted to avoid the major roads for a while.

At first it looked like it was just another small village with the main street lined with houses.

Then we came across a number of crafty type shops and we realized this had to be the trendy place to be north of the lake. 

Marianne loved the fabric shop.

Eventually we came to the main square.

The bell tower for the old church.

It's a very heavy looking tower.

It plays a tune on the hour followed by the appropriate number of bongs.

The glass church windows. I decided I would take a look inside if it was open.

The church asked for a 1 euro donation for the restoration fund so I lashed out and we went in. The clear glass let in a lot of light.

Notice the spiral staircase in the middle of the photo. I wondered where it went to but couldn't determine what was up there.

These are biers used at funerals. There was one for each of the various professions including one for children. 

The stone floor.

Carvings at the end of the pews.

The pulpit with more carvings.

Large carved plaque in the floor.

The choir and apse.

The organ.

If you were special (rich), you got to sit in this thing. No doubt who got to sit where caused a lot of jealousy.

Bags for the collection.

The spiral staircase going up to who knows where. 

This column had a distinct lean to it. 

Barrel shaped roof.

Here is a link to the Dutch Wiki article on the church. Hopefully your browser will translate into English for you. Otherwise your Dutch skills will need to be pretty good. 

I've been poking around to see what this very modern looking monument is about. All I could find is a long list of names. This bloke was number 775 on the list. I am guessing that these were captains of vessels that carried people and or cargoes over the Zuidersee before the big dike was built. Why he got a special monument and not the others on the list remains a mystery.

More on the mystery. I found this which appears to say that Tjeerde founded the first laundry and ironing business in Friesland which he named Sirius! I can understand a sailor getting a special grave stone but the old equivalent of a launderette owner getting such an honour is beyond me.

There is also a small museum dedicated to the painter Jopie Huisman. I must confess I had never heard of him and we did not go in.

Instead we started to look for lunch. We wandered around the various outdoor restaurants on the square. 

We had noticed a restaurant on the other side of the street that offered asparagus soup.

Most people preferred to sit outside in the sun but we found it much cooler and refreshing inside. The soup was delicious.

We used the opportunity to visit the toilets which turned out to be rather special.

It was disconcerting to use this. I felt I was not really doing it justice.

Chandelier over our round table.

The restaurant seems to be a place where local potters can exhibit their work. We expected a bowl of soup but got a lot more.

I am sure that on weekends this little village is a zoo and very crowded. On this beautiful Wednesday it was a pleasure to visit.