Weekend Write-In Story Collection

Portrait

In 500 words, imagine what happens when a character discovers their own portrait at a museum. Written for the Weekend Write-In Challenge: "Portrait" — 11-13 March 2016.

In Volendam, Noord-Holland is a waterfront shop where people put on traditional costumes for posed portraits in front of a selection of backdrops. We did this several years ago.

Around the Zuiderzee

David pointed to the wooden masts as the Volendam waterfront came into view. "Looks like more old ones here." He ran across to the railing and looked down at the old wooden boats, then turned to wait. "Lots of them," he said as his grandfather arrived.

"Those are called kwaks. They were the typical Volendam fishing boat in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

"They look like the botters we saw in Elburg."

"That's very observant of you. They're quite similar, but these are a bit beamier."

"Beamier? What's that?"

"You understand what the beam of a ship is. Take it from there."

"Wider. Yeah, they are." He looked up to see the smile. "They'd be more stable that way, wouldn't they?"

"Yes, Sweetheart, they would." He swept his arm around the small harbour. "What other antique boats do you see here?"

"That pretty one, that's a skûtsje like yours, isn't it?" He looked up and saw the nod and smile. "From Friesland, that's where we started this circuit. Did each town around the former Zuiderzee coast have its own style of boat?

"Yes, many did. They also had their own style of dress."

"Like those women we saw in Spakenburg."

"Your memory is very good. Yes, that's one of the few places left where some still wear traditional clothing daily, rather than only for special occasion." He pointed to the bench. "Let's sit over there to wait."

"You can tell me another story, probably a good big one. Mum always takes a long time shopping."

"She gets it from your grandmother. Yeah, the two of them together should give lots of time. How about the history of the Zuiderzee?" He pulled a map from his pocket, unfolded it onto his lap and ran his finger around a large area. "All of this was bogs, marshes and lakes at the mouths of two rivers, the Rhine coming through Germany from the Swiss Alps and the Meuse coming from the Vosges Mountains in France. Global warming in the late thirteenth century raised the level of the oceans, and the North Sea began flooding into this whole area..."

"Global warming, way back then? The teacher said it's a new thing."

"Global warming and cooling are part of the natural cycle. Climate change has been ongoing since well before humans. This particular one was very good for the Dutch. By the end of the fourteenth century, what they by then called the Zuiderzee had stabilised, giving deep sea access well inland. The Dutch began building ports and trading ships. By the early seventeenth century they had the most valuable company that has ever existed, the VOC, trading with the world from the Zuiderzee. More valuable than Apple, Exxon, Google..."

"Hi, Grandma." David looked up "You can keep shopping, Grandpa hasn't finished his story yet."

"Come, Michael. You've got to see this. Remember that kitschy portrait we had done a few years ago in those Volendam costumes. It's part of a diorama in the museum."