Utrecht Statue of Resistance

On the Domplein in Utrecht you find the Resistance Monument (a version of the Statue of Liberty) made by the Dutch sculptor Cornelia C.J.M (Corinne) Franzén-Heslenfeld (1903-1989).
The statue, erected on May 4 1949, is made of limestone (kalk-).

It is 6 meters high and placed on a 4 meters high white column of (natural) stone. The statue is a symbol of the resistance in World War II. Since the resistance in Utrecht was mainly organized by the woman the statue is a woman.
In her hand the torch of light and life.

In the history of Utrecht women play a big role . More about that in following blogs.
In the column you can find a text of the poet Jan Engelman:
'GEDENK UW DOODEN DIE DEN GOEDEN STRIJD. GESTREDEN HEBBEN IN GERECHTIGHEID. DRAAGT VOORT HUN VLAM, ZIJ ZIJN GEBLEVEN. MAAR IN DIEN GLOED WORDT ONS NIEUW LEVEN'. (Remember your death persons who fought the good battle in justice. Go on carrying their flame. They left behind, but in that glow our new life will rise).

thanks to botofogo for the permission to publish his beautiful picture on my blog

Utrecht San Valentino

You can not overlook it. It’s Valen- tine’s day. A day for lovers but also the anniversary of the martyrs of Terni and Rome.


Maybe they are the same person. There are a lot of versions about the Valentines so I don’t write them down :).
Valentine is buried in Rome on the Via Flaminia . He died in 269 AD by order of the Roman Emperor Claudius II Gothicus in person.
In the jail Valentine kissed the blind jailor’s daughter who could see after that. Before he died he wrote a love letter to the jailer’s daughter: ”From your Valentine”. On February 14 of course. Pope Gelasius I proclaimed, in the year 496, February 14 as Saint Valentine’s (of Terni) Day.

What has it to do with love?
That’s an other story.
The pagans of Rome celebrated the days of Lupercus from February 13-15. The custom was that the names of the men and woman, who were present, were put into an um (urn). The lot appointed the couples.
True or not true, the tales are nice.

On the picture: the shop window of book shop Selexyz Broese on the Stadhuisbrug

Utrecht Rain In The City

Rain In The City

Oh well
I'm walking on the street just for a walk
rain is pouring, have no one to talk

the rain fills the streets and all this town

I listen to its restful sound that’s is breaking me down

(author unknown)