Tootin' the Horn in Hoorn

Perhaps the most beautiful day weather-wise was the one we enjoyed today in Hoorne, The Netherlands.  It was nothing but blue skies and sunshine and actually got up to about 60 degrees.

Hoorn is a harbor town founded in 716 AD, and was a prosperous trade center as recently as the 17th. century.  Here they traded in exotic spices like pepper, nutmeg, cloves, and mace - yes, mace - from Indonesia.  It was in 1602 that the famous Dutch East India Company (DEIC) was established to manage this trade.  The world's first mega corporation, they were endowed with powers including the ability to wage war, mint currency, and establish colonies.  Hometown hero Willem Schouten was the first to sail around the tip of South America, naming it "Cape Horn".

We spent the morning walking around town and seeing the old structures and obvious wealth that the Dutch East India Company brought.  Several of the buildings were slanted which we initially mistook for collapsing.  Instead, they were cleverly designed this way to keep the lower windows free from rain!  Additionally, we saw several homes and business associated with the DEIC that spoke to the underlying wealth that created them.  And, most were 400 - 500 years old!

Two highlights of our walk about were the public marketplace, always held on Saturday, and a church where a group of vocalists - the Compagniezangers - performed a variety of sea songs as an all male choir accompanied by an accordionists.  One familiar to the American crowd gathered there was "Sloop John B." by the Beach Boys.  The marketplace was several streets of activity, and filled with locals and tourists alike, and featured everything from the freshest of vegetables and cheeses to clothing and almost anything imaginable.

After a nice lunch onboard the ship - Cheryl and I agreed we'll have to wean ourselves off the 3 meals a day we've been tackling when we get home! - we ventured on our own back into town and to the public marketplace. It was even more crowded than when we were there this morning, and closed at 4:30 p.m. There, Cheryl picked up a nice hat and sweater, and I found a warm sweater that at least will work great for our last few days here.

On to Amsterdam tomorrow for a walk around town and a canal boat ride.  I'm pretty sure we get more time on our own and can't think of a finer place to spend it than Amsterdam.  We'll be repeating the canal boat ride with our daughter Jenny, Dave, and the girls when we hook up with them on Monday evening starting at 4 p.m., and are so very excited to see them.  More from Amsterdam.