Utrecht/Amersfoort

*Utrecht*

Yesterday I went on my first trip in the Netherlands. Traveling with Kristina and Janneke, I went a bit south to Utrecht for the day. On the way back we stopped in a smaller city called Amersfoort for dinner. Luckily it didn't rain all day (at least until we were back in Groningen) and we even had a blue sky-- a very rare thing here.

Utrecht has the largest tower in the Netherlands, which is the tower belonging to the Dom church. The tower and the church had been connected originally in a very large gothic church, but a hurricane knocked down the nave of the church hundreds of years ago. You can go into the church (which also has a gift shop) and also take a tour of the tower. We did both, and although the church was lovely, the tower tour was really great and well worth the loooong climb to the top.

*Utrecht Dom church*

*inside the church*

*a stone replica of the original church*

*the view of the church from the top of the tower*

After going into the church, we went to the museum of Christian art, which had an exhibition called "Feast! Know what you celebrate!" However, the exhibit wasn't ready and we didn't get to see it. But the rest of the museum was nice and had a wide variety of paintings, sculptures and artifacts from Christian history and specifically Christianity in the Netherlands. The gift shop had the normal books and post cards, but also a line of "holy" products, such as a change purse that said "Jesus saves-- he'll oogle if you're frugal," body wash that said, "wash your sins away-- for liars cheaters and wrong-doers." The line included band-aids, chapstick, post-it notes and tote bags. Most of them were funny, but all in all fairly disgusting and sending a warped message about Christianity.

*the art museum*

*one of my favorite artworks, depicting various moments in the life of Christ*

*"Looking Good for Jesus tote-- be worthy, be noticed"-- makes my stomach turn a bit*

After the art museum, we walked around the city center of Utrecht, which is filled with quaint boutiques, chain shops, restaurants and canals. We got french fries for lunch (which are always served with mayo here) and ate them by the canal. Then we went to a cafe to get warm and have coffee before the tower tour.

*climbing the many many stairs in the tower*


*playing the bells in the tower*


*under the bell named mary*


*beautiful sky from the top of the tower*


*at the top*

After the tower tour, we took a train to Amersfoort, a city near to Utrecht. We walked there and had appetizers at a bar before returning the Groningen. All in all it was a lovely trip!!

*Utrecht canal at night*