Middleburg, the jewel of Zeeland

It's been over two weeks since I last wrote a post, and I'll confess I've been struggling to know what to write about. That's not because of a lack of subject matter; probably the reverse. There's been too much going on, and not much of it anything to be excited about. So I've been holding back until our fortunes change and I can be positive again.

Of course, that's an unfair teaser, I know, so just to put you briefly in the the picture, our Hennie H has been giving us problems again. 

When I last posted, I mentioned we'd had a starting problem when we left the slipway after our lift out and inspection. Once Koos managed to get it going, we made it back to our home port without incident, but since then the problem has persisted. Poor Koos has been at his wits' end trying to solve it, and to say we've been downcast about it would be putting it mildly. The engine has run a bare twenty hours; it's brand new, and this shouldn't be happening. Enough said.

Things are looking slightly more hopeful now, but I won't say more until we know the problem is truly resolved. In the meantime, to keep my poor blog from developing cobewebs and empty echoes, I'm taking you on a visit to Middleburg, the provincial capital of Zeeland.

Last Saturday, my daughter said she wanted to visit an art shop she'd located in the town, so I invited myself along for the ride. It's been a few years since I last went to the city and I felt it was due further investigation. During my previous visit with Koos, our main focus was the harbour area, which I knew was lovely, but I hadn't seen much more of it. Well, what a delightful surprise it was and a tonic for our sorry souls.

Middleburg is the epitome of the historic Dutch city. It exudes traditional Dutch style and every street is a feast for the eyes. I'm fully aware my photos don't do it justice, but have a look and if you like what you see, take a wander through its delightful centre on Google Streetview. We took a very circuitous route to the art shop and were quite honestly enchanted every step of the way.

One of the many waterways through the town

White and bright. Perfect Dutch townhouses

The market square with the magnificent city hall
at the back

The market square in the shade of the many
lovely old trees

Another delightful back street

Charming informality that exuded peace and
trnaquillity

The same courtyard from a different angle

Riches indeed, and a very special cellar entrance

A lovely spot to relax and have a cup of coffee

The Kanaal door Walcheren
The main waterway through Middleburg

There's some good information about the town in this website and even more about its impressive history here on Wikipedia. The city's roots go back to the 8th or 9th century, and its cultural atmosphere is correspondingly rich.  

I loved reacquainting myself with Middleburg's gracious streets and elegant Dutch architecture and hope to make a return visit before too long to explore this lesser known gem still further. Not only that, there are some gorgeous villages in the vicinity that are worth visiting. Another day out is most definitely called for.

For now, have a good week allemaal and I'll be back with more of our own news as soon as I've distilled the blogworthy parts of it.