Hello to everyone in the community.
I haven't posted here for a long time. It's all about being busy and not having time to explore new places. But the weather has been spring-like lately, so I don't feel like staying at home. Here in the Netherlands, you don't have to travel far to see new beautiful cities. Just take a walk around the nearest town and you can find a lot of interesting things. So this weekend I decided to take a walk in the city of Deventer, which is 40 kilometres away.
The journey took quite a bit of time. Driving on the local roads is a pleasure. I think it is impossible to get to know the atmosphere of the city without walking. Only a leisurely walk and contemplation of everything up close gives you the opportunity to get to know each other better and see the area well.
The first thing that becomes noticeable is that Deverter is a very old city. Every house here looks as if it has been painted from a children's fairy tale. The buildings, which line the narrow streets in tight rows, are very beautiful, the facades are painted in different colours, although the predominant colour is brick, which varies from red to dark brown. The roofs of the buildings are pointed, with intricate figured masonry. The windows in most houses are quite large with many wooden frames. This makes them look like they are woven from lace.
Older houses have shutters painted in different colours. In such buildings, the windows are smaller. The doors in the houses are wooden, quite tall and massive. And next to them (oh, my!), there are gates where carriages used to enter. Nowadays, these are the gates for entering the car park located in the courtyard. The gables show the years of construction. Most of them are from the 17th century. But there are also older ones. For example, Deventer has the oldest stone building in the country, built in 1130. Nowadays, only one wall has its authentic appearance, all the others are covered with a layer of plaster.
In Deventer, I enjoyed the silence and some elusive atmosphere of aristocratic dignity. All the shops, stores and cafes are very beautiful and sophisticated. The shop windows are decorated with taste and a special style inherent in the local intelligentsia. By the way, there are many antique shops here. This is not surprising, as Deventer is an old city with a deep and rich history.
After walking along the old tiled streets, I went to the Eissel River. Trade used to flourish here because the river was quite full and wide. Large yachts and barges could pass through it. Nowadays, there are also ships, but this route is no longer of great commercial importance. It's an incredible sight to see the silvery surface of the water under the rays of the setting sun, and an old mill can be seen in the distance.
After a walk along the river, I had an irresistible urge to drink hot, aromatic coffee. On one of the city's streets, I saw an elegant coffee shop with a summer terrace. It reminded me of a Parisian café: the same wicker furniture and colourful umbrellas. I decided to take a break from my walk and sit down at one of the tables located right next to the road. I drank coffee and watched the passers-by. Saturday's leisurely pace, measuredness and calmness are what the locals are all about.
I really liked the city of Deventer. Without excessive noise and crowds, in a quiet atmosphere, I spent unforgettable hours.
