The following weekend Jimmy was helping Veronica move, so I went alone to Haarlem for Open Monument Day before going to a FILTH Hash that afternoon. I stopped by the tourist information office to ask about a suggested route to see the open buildings and they kindly suggested that I leave my backpack with them to lighten my load.
My first stop was the Haarlem Stadhuis, which is rumored to be the country’s oldest city hall. Dating back to 1370, it was filled with incredible objects including this beautiful clock...
...a giant whale bone...
...stained glass...
...elaborate carvings...
...gruesome artwork (the King’s eye is being removed after the Prince was accused of a crime and the King shared the penalty)...
...and beautiful tiled fireplaces.
It was especially impressive to get to stand in the Gravenzaal (Count’s Hall), which has been used for city council meetings for over 600 years.
Normally the only way I could take a selfie inside this incredible building would be to be invited to one of the many weddings performed there. As that’s unlikely to ever happen, I was lucky that it’s open to the public annually.
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