Saturday Is Market Day

The weather is fair and and the temp is just right. If you'd be thinking that it's a perfect day to work in the garden, you'd be right. Well, I am going to the gardens to work, but first there are a few errands in town--I need fresh croissants and the bike has to be seen to, as well as a couple of other things.

I know that you have not been to our "Saturday Market", so I thought that I'd give you a peek at it without walking its whole length. I think that you can get a reasonable idea, though.

The Saturday Market: it is a weekly occurence here, the whole year through. We have lots of "special markets" sprinkled during the year as well...but this one is not for tourism, it is for the citizens of the city and caters to our possible needs.

Ok then, time waits for no man; as they say, and there are not enough hours in a day...shall we get started?

For those who do not want the hassle of looking for a place to park their auto and have biked into town...there is a free place to lock-up your bike on the old Cow Market (which used to be held under these trees). Before that, it was a canal waaaay, waaaaay back in time. It has been filled-in, you see.
There are other bike parking lots further from the center, but this one was convenient that day.


This place is heavily used...and the bikes are crammed-in together. It is orderly, but still....all that metal and rubber. It can look chaotic, depending upon the angle that you look at it from.


At the edge of the bike parking, stand these two women shoppers looking out onto the market. They have not been standing there forever. A few years ago one of the shops in town (right next to the statue) had had a shop for 100 years, and this statue was allowed to be placed there to commemorate that hallmark.


A little stroll towards the bakery stall takes me past this building--it was a place where administrators would overnight while they were having meetings concerning the province here.
It has an unusual double façade with a bend in the middle. The building dates from 1615, although there was a cloister there in the 1400's. Part of this survives today.
The front of this building is a favourite place for newlyweds to have their foto taken.
In fact they get married inside. (This building was the city hall until up until about ten years ago). They arrive in a period horse-drawn carriage for their foto session.


Here then is the bakery stand-- it is quite large and offers all sorts of goodies ranging from bread to rolls to sweet things of all descriptions.


Looking the other way along that street where the bakery stalls are, you see a small flower stall and the street winds on down to the main market street.


Here you can see the main market street. The stalls are standing on the curb at the side of the sidewalk, making it very narrow to walk. When it is busy it is literally shoulder to shoulder.


...and a little further along the way.


After wading thorough the throng, it is nice to step out and take a side street to get a fresh breath of air, from it all so to speak. Here is the corner of the Noorder Kerk (North Church).


Some of the bas-reliëf work is interesting, if not macabre to contemplate.
The Latin means, "Here ends all suffering". it is over the paupers' entrance on the south side.
The symbolism: The hourglass on its side (time has run out)and the skeleton is incomplete--only skull and bones. Such was the lot of the poor.


On the west side you have this "joyful sight". The Latin means, "See here the harvest of immortality".
What is implied here is that the "well-off" will live on into forever (a complete skeleton here).
Symbolism: The corn harvested with the scythe symbolizes the harvest of immortality. The hour- glass is upright i.e. the sand (life) is still running through. The date shown here is 1647.


Nearby is the fruit and veg market--always colourful. Let's have a look.


This colourful veg salesman is so typical...with his typical melodious enticements that he almost sings out to those that will listen (and those that won't). His voice is loud and can be heard a long, long way off.


The backside of the veggie/fruit stand shows their reserves, should more be required.


Well, that was a very limited look at the market....now it's time to head off to the lotties....or is a cuppa tea and a bikkie first in order at this terrace?


There are many terraces scattered over the centrum, but this one is handy and on the street that heads westward out of the city.

 

Oh, that is so lovely, and so imminently civilized! The buildings are wonderful, and thank you for posting the bas reliefs with their explanations.
I'm afraid if I visited your Saturday market, I'd never be able to get all my purchases on a bicycle!

 

wonderful pics and explanations sjoerd! our little farmers market on Saturdays is sooo much smaller. your market looks like it entails most of the city!

i loved the pics of the little tents and the setups of fruit and veggies and breads and all. so colorful and unique and creative!
enjoyed the building pics too. such picturesque and awesome places you have there.

 

What a lovely market to spend your morning in!
The weather looked perfect, and the street is so
picturesque. As always a very nice narrative to
accompany the pics.

 

I think I like your Saturday market better than ours. It has closed down until October 1st. I'd love to visit yours but there's still too much water between here and there. dooley

 

You are very welcome, TONI. How do I find my bike?! hahaha My bike and I are like brother and sister, I'd recognize her anywhere. ...besides I can remember where I parked it. This particular day, I did not park it in there, I just biked here and there arounf the perimeter because I was in a bit of a rush.
Yes, I remember the lavender people.

Gosh, MG--it sounds like you enjoyed this posting. It's always nice when folks enjoy postings. I fugured that it so different from there, that perhaps it would be interesting.
You sound l;ike my kind of shopper. hahaha. There are "trailers" that one can buy for the bikes--they go up front or trail along behind.

BUNKIE--you are right: it does indeen fill most of the centrum of the city. The stalls just line the streets.
You realize that our saturday market is noty a farmers' market, don't youy? The fruit and veg are only a miniscule portion of the market.

Thanks so much 4G--what nice things to say.

Glad you like the Saturday Market, DOOLEY--Sorry though that your market is closed for the season.

 

A lovely tour of your market Sjoerd. Love those carvings at the church!

 

Market Saturday? Yeah, right. I'd love a regular market Saturday up here, but no luck there I'm afraid. The town market place got renovated some years back and the rent the town demands for a stall place is just too much.

I think I would have liked your Saturday market a lot. It didn't look too thronged to me. Maybe it was too early?

 

Thanks for sharing your Saturday with us Sjoerd! I would love to go to the market!
I love how so many people ride their bicycles there. You see very few bicycles around here these days.

 

Thanks so much, EJ--So you liked the church carvings, eh? Funny, you don't dress like a goth.

Oh me DROOPY--I'm sorry to hear that your market place charges so much monet for space rent. It seems like that would defeat the purpose of having a market if the partiocipants are kept away by the high rent costs.
Yeah, it was a bit early at the market when I was there.
But if you didn't want to mingle with the throng, you could always sit ate the terrave of the Keizerskroon and have a pancake and a refreshment.

You are welcome, NETTY--I'll bet you would like that market. Yes, we are a biking culture. The public transportation and bike path system is so good, I no longer own a car. It's no problem...and I save tons of money by not having to pay the costs of owning an auto...it's what they call a win-win situation for me.

 

Lovely, lovely, I thoroughly enjoyed myself and it really bring back lots memories when I was in Europe a very time ago .... too long, wish I can visit again real soon ...hmmmm .......