We know about Jesus and wine, but what about beer?

Scene from a retro shop in Haarlem, a bunch of old Converse Chuck Taylors 

 

Currently in Amsterdam and nearby towns, visiting Holland

     
     There are a lot of bikes in Holland.  In fact this society is a bicycle riding country, everyone rides bikes, everywhere. 
     We have heard that there are more bikes than people in Holland. 
     After spending some time here, we believe it.  There is an incredible bicycle culture here, with bike lanes and bike traffic signals and millions of bikes.  
     Frankly, it seems like a really good thing.  Fresh air, exercise, fitness, low carbon emissions, and best of all - you don't have to drive, which is really a hassle here because the roads are small and tight and there is no parking.  

     

There were a variety of things that we saw and did today

  
     We visited the old church in the central square in Haarlem.  
It rises above the town with a huge steeple, and can be seen towering above all other structures.

     It has a spectacular organ, one of the biggest I've ever seen, several hundred feet high inside the church.  Amazing.  They started playing it today when we were there, right at noon.  The music was loud but ... not really uplifting.  It was kind of somber like Phantom of the Opera music, but still very impressive.   The whole building shook when they hit the low notes. 

     
     And there were a bunch of graves of people buried under the floor of the church.  This used to be a common thing for several hundred years, but they don't do it anymore.  
     This emblem below shows how they marked one grave - Yikes!  Was this guy a pirate?

 

... but one thing was unique ... it was a first for me

     We visited a church that has been converted to a brewery and brew pub restaurant.   It's a huge church building that was a few hundred years old, and had been abandoned.  Rather than tear it down, a company bought it and remodeled into a brewery. 

     The design of the place was spectacular, with a great atmosphere.  They make all their own beers there, and have a terrific restaurant, and the vibe was really lively and cool.  We enjoyed it there.

     Hey, as I've said before, I'm not here to pass judgment on anyone or anything.  To be honest, it is not a shame to re-purpose a building into something more modern and productive for the world we live in today.  They've been making this beer since 1407.

     And it's still a church building.  At least that's how they describe it.  It is very popular, and is a great draw for tourists.  
     Truth be known, the brewery has been around longer than the church.  Hey, I'm just sayin' ...