Marken and Volendam

Our last day in Amsterdam we decided to see a bit of the old fishing villages. Marken used to be an island in the Zuiderzee. It is now connected to the mainland of North Holland by a causeway. Because it used to be such an isolated community, Marken has distinct houses and authentic costumes.  There were many storms over the centuries and often houses were built really close together and sometimes on poles. People also built their homes on artificial knolls, werven, to keep their feet from getting wet. 

 See all those wooden shoes? They are great for keeping your feet dry.

 Barely enough room for one Norman instead of two between houses. 

The local Protestant church was not old, 1909, but there had been a church on that spot for almost 500 years. There is a definite boating theme here.

 

The church from outside

 Walking near the water you could see lots of boats and shops. Where Marken Islanders once caught fish, now they catch tourists. It's still a charming old village of tightly spaced homes, mostly painted green (they have rules about the colours of houses here).  

 Norm remembers a particular shop from 40 years ago, Sijtje Boes. She was a legendary souvenir seller in Marken and helped put Marken on the map. 

She opened the first souvenir shop here and the shop is still going strong today. She was daughter to a herring seller, one of 14 children and died in 1983.

 

 Next we took a ferry to Volendam, a 30-minute boat ride.

 

Marken was a quiet fishing village, Volendam was much bigger with many more tourists. We did a walkabout off the beaten path and found the Catholic Church, St.Vincentius a Paulo, patron saint of thrift stores, (A slightly sacreligious joke.)

 

 

A view from the water of Volendam.

 

 

Back to Amsterdam by bus. Very efficient, clean and always on time bus system! Once you arrive at Amsterdam Centraal, it is amazing how many people there are. And this is a Monday afternoon! 

 

Dinner tonight was recommended by our host, Astrid. We are going to Van Mechelen on the Sloterkade with Duncan. 

 Perfect way to say goodbye to Amsterdam and Duncan, Yellow Bunny on the tram heading home too.