Today I am sharing a few pictures from the so called Krimpenerwaard, a river region South of the Dutch town of Gouda. The great scholar Erasmus is claimed by this town as honourary citizen. They must really love him there, but I will save that for another post. Erasmus was born in Rotterdam and actually lived in the old monastery Stein; situated near the picturesque and ancien town of Haastrecht (literally: ‘nearly right‘, but probably derived from its designation near the river: ‘haveke drecht‘). Erasmus also lived in Deventer where he attended the Latin school. Both Gouda and Deventer where important cities in the late Middle Ages and connected by a river system.
A picturesque view on Haastrecht.Stork with youngsters on Jaarsveld church.Site of the Augustinian monastery in Stein where Erasmus entered around age sixteen. Not a happy time. He considered his superiors “barberians”.A cheese farm and some animals now occupy the former site of the monastery. Like Martin Luther, Erasmus was an Augustinian monk.
