For most of the five years that I have been in Wageningen I have lived close enough to the market square to hear the church bells mark the passing of time - every quarter hour during most of the day and hourly through the night. I now also work within hearing distance of the bells (if my window is open). So in some ways I live like people used to live 100 years ago - nearly constantly within earshot of the same church bells. Sometimes at night they do disturb me but more often they are a comfort factor rather than an annoyance.
At Easter the bells stop for three days. Its like time stands still -I keep having to check a clock as my day feels all out of rythmn and I can't track the passing of time as I usually do.
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3 comments:
It must be so charismatic and so medieval to live close to a church and take pleasure in its chiming bells. Some churches in small villages play musical tunes instead of just ringing the church bells. I've heard/seen it a couple of times. Beautiful.
-DP
Medieval? well we have indoor plumbing and the internet - and not nearly enough saints days! We do have musical tunes - theres a whole set of bells in the church tower that can be driven by the equivalent of punch cards (I think). They usually play a little fugue before striking the hour and on market days play a half hour concert.
It certainly lends a sense of history to one's life. Having my house, office and the market so close is great for my carbon budget - but it can sometimes feel like I haven't been anywhere all week.
Went past the market this morning. The little prelude they are using at the moment is the first few notes of Greesnsleeves.
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