Dordrecht's Grote Kerk, or Great Church, dominates the landscape. And it's nowhere near as tall as planned in the 1400s.....the tower started to lean ominously to the north-west and the designer's huge spire was abandoned. Now the tower leans a dramatic 2.25 metres in its swampy footings, stabilised in the 1970s by modern engineering. Instead of a spire, in the 1600s they whacked 4 huge clock faces on the tower and called it a day. It is a stunning Brabant gothic church, vast and solemn inside. With the largest carillon in Europe!
I marvel at the idea that these guys constructed things over many generations - perhaps 10 in this case. This I call long range planning....and there are lessons here for contemporary government!
On Saturday, Rich and I climbed the tower...all 275 steps and in a hurry, because we were due in
Hook van Holland for a party. It is a narrow, steep, dark staircase. I was puffed at the top. But the view is stunning. It takes in all of Dordrecht and gives a great overview of this water bound city at the junction of three rivers. But you can see much further afield too, to Rotterdam and beyond. And the clock struck ten and we went down again...and on to Erna's!
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