Deventer

Deventer was every bit as nice as initial impression led me to hope.

Short rain that cooled the air, then we went out for an evening walk.  Beautiful evening, beautiful light, people picnicking across the IJsel, and a peaceful but active 'cafe scene'.  Walked until dark -- and we finally found a bank machine to top up the pockets! -- then home for the night.  Decided to spend the morning cycling around town, sans baggage but with camera, then had a terrific sleep.  Woke refreshed, had breakfast then off to poke around.

Each of the people we've met running B&B operations has been interesting, but Yolande was particularly welcoming and open.  She is a fiber artist, very much involved with quilting.  We had slept under one of her quilts -- Gustav Klimt feel, and warm to boot!  After touring around town, we had coffee and hung out with her for a while, looked at some of her works in progress (Norway summer inspired piece, and an 'umbrellas from above' piece that I really liked).  Hope she will do a show in a local church year after next -- would give us a good reason to return.

Definitely a 'second story' city -- street level was nice, but second stories had the good stuff.  Here is one street level thing that really impressed me -- an outdoor art gallery.  Items permanently mounted to walls, not taken in at night.  The fact that they aren't disfigured or graffitied speaks volumes.

Wonderful little museum, in a building off the main square.  Building started to lean even during construction a couple centuries ago, builder did what he could, but it is way out of plumb.  Still standing, though.  And museum had a couple really fun things...

Paleolithic drop spinning stones, which probably 1 in 1000 people would recognize but Katie spotted immediately.





And a display of Hanseatic trading routes.

And the perfect motorcycle for Rogier.







And a 'bone-shaker' bike that you could actually mount and ride, albeit with bracing to keep it upright, and on a set of rollers. How did anyone actually ride one of these on roads and live to tell?

And a small display of bikes with a very cool concept:  showed early, middle, recent versions of a couple types of bikes... kids bikes, work bikes, and, something that was really special for us, folding bikes!
Picture of folders probably a bit hard to decipher, but I'll post it anyway.

Finally tore ourselves away from Deventer, and headed out towards Zwolle around noon.