The
original version of this piece first appeared in the Albany Advertiser 28/8/2014
My
Netherlands is a country of memories and comfort.
When
I first arrived in 1977, the airport police threw me in jail because I had no
on-ward ticket, no money and no visible means of support. This caused much
consternation for the family of my wife-to-be, as the banks were closed and
they couldn't raise the bail money.
Her
grandfather, Aage, a wise and frugal old chap, managed to find the required sum
under his mattress.
Aage
lived near the centre of the village and displayed all the cleverness you would
expect from an old fashioned Dutchman. Every bit of available space was utilized for growing vegetables, storing vegetables, and the
old house was remarkable in its confined spaciousness.
This
trip the police only smiled at me and offered assistance when I looked lost and
confused.
And
this trip I spent most of my time in the ancient and wonderful city of Utrecht
and given there is a push for Albany to be a university city there is much to
learn from an historical place full of bikes, pedestrians, cafes, and open
spaces.
Utrecht
is built for easy movement of pedestrians and cyclists. It was a wonderful
sight, walking home at 1am after the Dutch loss to Argentina in the World Cup,
to the sound of bicycles clattering along over cobble stones, riders speeding
home with downcast eyes and no lights. Some carried passengers perched on
handlebars or rear luggage racks.
Like
Albany this city has fine old historical homes and in front of many you could
find a plaque and a box with eyeglasses to see photographs of how the buildings
changed over the generations.
And
in front of others were tiled renditions of famous artworks.
Back
in Albany I have had visions of works from the fine Noongar Carrolup Collection
and perhaps past Albany Art Prize winners displayed in tile form on public
walls to add to visitor knowledge of the cultural depth of the region.
While
in Utrecht I stayed within the old city and this made getting about simple and
easy, although, like in that other ancient city I stayed in, Italy's Lucca, I
did need a day or two to learn the twists and turns.
The
stairs from the first to the third floors also took a degree of concentration
and after three days I was able to walk their perpendicularity without tumbling
either up or down.
Like
Barcelona, Utrecht also has its legendary architect, Gerrit Reitvelt, a man like
Gaudi well before his time and after a brief visit to one of his homes you
could be forgiven for thinking we still haven’t caught up.
Sponsored by Creative Albany. jon@doust.com.au
View from The Dom Tower
Street bookseller in Utrecht
Under the Dom Tower are the remains of a Roman fort.
Above: a skeleton, probably a Roman.
Below: ammunition.
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