Statue of Laurens Janszoon Coster; Grote Markt, Haarlem

It was day 38, our last day in Europe, and we'd arranged meet meet friends in Amsterdam, for lunch. After a great lunch at what has become our favourite little restaurant in Amsterdam, just off the Museumplein, Darryl says, "Why don't we just pop over to Haarlem?" My reaction, "Yikes, we have to pack! We're leaving tomorrow."

So it was that Darryl, Gail, Hanne and I found ourselves in Haarlem's Grote Markt. And, so it was that Laurens Janszoon Coster became the subject of a postcard picture.

Imperceptible on this postcard is the letter "A" Coster is holding aloft. Why the "A"? Because Coster is the Netherlands' answer to Johann Gutenberg. Initially, Haarlem claimed to have been the place where the printing press was invented. I think we can now confidently say that Gutenberg, in Mainz, Germany, can claim that distinction.

Statue of Laurens Janszoon Coster
in the Grote Markt, Haarlem (2012-05-16)