Where oh Where Wednesday: Huy

Not far from where we have our Bible camp in the Ardennes is the city of Huy. Mind you, calling this a city is a bit of a stretch. I remember one evening in Maastricht (a city of 120,000 inhabitants) that some Chinese students asked where the city was. They were quite sure that Maastricht was simply a village. And compared to Beijing that was certainly true. 

Huy, located in the French-speaking province of Liege, has a population of just over 20,000 - a town as we would call it. The town we live in (Lanaken, made up of 7 villages) is about the same size. And yet Huy is one of the oldest cities in Belgium to have the rights of a city. Situated oil the Meuse, as is Maastricht, it originated around a Roman ‘cat rum’, just as Maastricht. It was evangelized in the 6th century by Saint Domitian, the bishop of the city of Tongeren (which we looked at recently). 

In the Middle Ages Huy was extremely prosperous because it had an economy based on metallurgy, tanning, woodworking and wine. By the 10th century it was part of the larger Prince-Bishopric of Liege. But in 1066, the same year that the Normans conquered England at the battle of Hastings, Huy was the first city north of the Alps with a city charter. 

Around this same time a man named Peter the Hermit convinced people to head out on what was to be known as the First Crusade. The city remained important throughout the ages, being fortified by Louis XIV as well as the Dutch. It only started its decline as heavy industry left in the 20th century. And yet it is known for some interesting spectacles and people throughout the ages. 

John Joseph Merlin supposedly invented the roller skate in the 18th century. He was from Huy (and might be an interesting story for another time). Le Pere Pire, a Dominican friar who helped refugees after WWII was given the Nobel Peace Prize in 1958. And every year cyclists attack the ‘wall of Huy’ in the one-day cycling classic of the La Flèche Wallonne (The Walloon Arrow or Waalse Pijl). 

These days people know Huy for its beautiful attractions and for the nuclear power plant of Tihange. If anything goes wrong at Tihange, we are in the middle of what would be the affected area. Until then, we enjoy the beauty and the history that is this area of Belgium. 

Where Oh Where Wednesday: Haarlem or Harlem?

In October 1982 I moved to Haarlem, the Netherlands. I had been there on a campaign the summer before with a program from York College called the Master’s Apprentice Program (MAP). Now I would be working with the evangelist in Haarlem (Jim Krumrei) for 2 years in the same program. 

I have never been to Harlem, in Manhattan. We had some travel time while visiting Sean and Jill this past Spring, but we didn’t make it to Harlem. Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan. We were staying down in Chinatown, not far from where Sean and Jill live and work. Most people think of Harlem as a black neighborhood, considering its history in the 20th century. 

Originally, Harlem was a Dutch village, organized in 1658 in New Amsterdam - which would become New York. It was named after the city in the Netherlands. It has been home to large Jewish and Italian populations as well as the African-American migration in the beginning of the 20th century. Harlem in the 1920’s and 30’s was the place to be in many ways. 

Haarlem - in the Netherlands - is the capital of the province of North Holland. It received its city rights in 1245 and the first walls were built in 1270. It is sat on a thin strip of land which is above sea level and surrounded by bits that are below sea level (which is much of the country). The nearby airport of Schiphol is built on what is literally “ship hollow”. It is home to the painter Frans Hals and was famous for tulips, printing and beer brewing. 

I remember learning to speak Dutch among the local stores and listening to playing children. Learning how to talk about my faith with people who were sometimes interested and often not, taught me plenty about people and myself. I was thankful for the areas close by that also afforded respite and comfort. 

From Haarlem I could bicycle to Spaarndam where the statue of the boy with his finger in the dike stands. The statue is based on a book written by an American who clearly did not know what a dike looked like. On the other side of the city I could bike out to the dunes and the sea to watch the sun rise. Or I could head downtown and enjoy the busy market on market day, walk past the cathedral or consider the history that you can simply breath in wherever you walk in the city, like the smell of a sharp cheese. 

It was in this city, on the steps of the city hall, that my colleagues Ruud and Karla were married. Not far from the city hall is the home of Corrie ten Boom. Just a short walk further and you are among the canals where in the Spring a market is held throughout the night to sell flowers. Two years is not very long in a lifetime, but for a young man it was a time to fill up on amazing memories. 

We are still very thankful for the church in Haarlem, being able to share time with our brothers and sisters there whenever we can see them - even if it is elsewhere. Most recently we were able to send time with members of the congregation during Family camp. Jim and Ruth Krumrei, who are now in their 90’s, came to Family Day just 2 weeks ago. 

I haven’t visited Harlem yet. But I hope that we get the chance some day. Whether Harlem or Haarlem, both places are full of intricate, complicated, enticing history.