Haarlem Local Customs

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If you buy something at the Frans Hals museum shop it is packed in a bag with the reproduction from a painting by Judith Leyster the first female painter of Haarlem.

The subject of this painting is funny, it shows a broadly laughing man called "Pekelharing" drinking beer and preparing himself to smoke … not a joint, but a pipe; we are in 1629!
If you understand Dutch (I'm sure you do after smoking…) you know that "pekelharing" means herring put in salt (not to confuse with "maatjes").

"Pekelharing", because of the salt herring was always thirsty; he was a character of popular comedies or farces of that time. His costume with the hat and feather is close to that of the "Capitano" from the Commedia del Arte. He was the principal character of a number of farces.
He was featured in paintings, also by Frans Hals.

Don't be afraid it is not my intention to write anything that is not politically correct!

I found that word at the Frans Hals Museum in the "Haarlem 1600-1700, An Introduction".
So nothing to do with present immigration but a touch of humour about the fact that around 1625 the population of Haarlem consisted of about 50% Flemish immigrants who had fled the Spanish domination.
Frans Hals himself was born in Antwerp.
Many of these Flemish immigrants were active in the textile industry and developed the prosperity of Haarlem.
The town architect Lieven de Key was Flemish so that Haarlem counts a number of buildings among which the "Vleeshal" in the Flemish Renaissance stile.

VT friend Irisbe showed here a number of shops referring to Flemish or Belgian food.

During centuries Haarlem was well known for its breweries. In the 15th century there were 120 beer brewers. The beer from Haarlem was exported as far as the North of France, it was even exported to Dutch colonies by the VOC ships.
Surprising is too see that children did drink beer at table. It was a beer with a very low alcohol degree; by the brewing process and cooking of the grain most bacteria's present in the water were destroyed so that it was less dangerous for health to drink beer than just water. However the purity of the water was a difficult problem for the brewers who transported pure water from the dunes by ship.

The last brewery in Haarlem closed in 1916, under pressure of the big beer industries, I presume.
In 1995 a new brewery opened under the name of Jopen to launch again two special beers: a Jopen Bokbier of high fermentation followed by a Jopen Lentebier brewed with coriander seeds.
I tasted this one. It is an interesting beer with personality, much better than the banal Heineken.
The name Jopen was used in the ancient Haarlem for a 112 litre barrel.

The story about this typical local product "Haarlemmer olie" is, that this wonder oil cures every disease. It's good for everything!

The oil was introduced in 1696 and has been populair with many people ever since.

Maybe this is a nice tip for a unique local souvenir.

You can buy it at A.J. van der Pigge drugstore. Wich is situated right of the V&D warehouse.

... when the street organ is missing!
It is just unthinkable not to see at least one!
This is very Dutch.
Belgium might had those as well, but recently they have vanished from the streetscenery, a pity.
For this little bit of nostalgy we have to travel to our Northern neighbours.

This impressive building is VERY HUGE because of the many extensions which you can't see when you are in front of the building.

This OLDEST MUSEUM OF THE NETHERLANDS contains:

the first fossil hall
the second fossil hall
the hall of instruments
the R. van Stolk kabinet
the luminescentie kabinet
the Oval Hall
the drawings kabinet
the numismatic kabinet
the first painting hall
the second painting hall
the book kabinet
the exhibition hall

and of course facilities downstairs such as toilets and museum shop and a museum café.....

Very worthy of your visit, I am sure you will enjoy it....

For centuries Haarlem was an important beer brewery city. Unfortunately all the brewers were gone some decades ago. However one recently sort of reopend on an industry terrain in Haarlem. Now Haarlem has it's own beer again called Jopen bier. On the picture you can see the Jopen Lentebier, which is a special brewed beer for springtime. There are quite some herbs in it. You can also taste a bit of earl grey tea flavour in it with some lemon too. When in Haarlem definately check ou it's own beer!

Most people are polite here and speak several languages. But keep in mind that most of the habitants in Haarlem don't make contact easily. They are a bit different then the habitants of Amsterdam for example.

On the picture: the flowercarpet in Haarlem. Wanna see more flowers? In the travelogue are pictures of Floriade 2002 (biggest flower & art garden in the world) and the Flower Parade 2002 to be found :o)