Gent [also spelled Ghent]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghent
Very interesting city.  Once the second largest city in Europe, after Paris.  Even larger than London.  Also see Caro's blog for more photos.

Amazing, huge buildings - particularly the churches.

Catching yellow rubber duckies, in the city fountain

Amazing architecture

Quite something!

Leiden Windmill, De Volk

Originally built to grind grains, this fascinating mill is very interesting to tour.    A model of the mill

Then you begin the climb up toward the top of the mill

The base of the mill stays in place and the top rotates in  order to catch the wind.  Quite the view out from here

But it is challenging climbing up and down

Thursday, off to Gent and Brugges.

I'm waaaaay behind

This vacation/holiday business keeps one really busy.  We have had a little bit of sunshine and got to enjoy the garden at our house in Oegstgeest

A girl gets really tired doing all this relaxing

Just so you know we are not totally slovenly, we did make a trip into Leiden.  It's a 1 km walk and then a 10 minute bus ride, others take their bikes to the central train station

It would probably take me an hour to even remember where I parked my bike.  Yikes!  We then took a fascinating tour of an exhibition at the Cultural museum on Maori culture and history.  I didn't realize that the Dutch were the first to arrive there (thus the name Nieuw - New - Zeeland - Zealand).  However somehow it ended up being a British "colony".  Must read up on that.

Lunch outdoors in Leiden then a visit to the only remaining Windmill in the city.  New blog.



sunday evening in Oegstgeest

If you think that is spelled peculiarly, you should hear it pronounced the correct way.  we are still working on it, but having a great time.  It is a really lovely home in a quiet neighborhood near several lakes.  charming!

I''m typing on a computer on loan from Caro and  Rob .  For some reason our computer won''t work in this house, but theirs will.   We are so very lucky to have them here to "bail us out" when we need it.  They brought our luggage to us yesterday and stayed for dinner.  They telephoned today and had us over for lunch and then the four of us made a visit to the Tram Museum.  Where they live is only about 20 minutes from here (by car) so it is very easy to get back and forth. 

So here are some photos from our outing today

A really interesting museum with trams from many different countries.  The top one is from 1921 and we took a 45 minute city drive in that one.  It was great fun to ride on (very noisy) and folks on the sidewalk were bewildered about who were these folks on this very old tram.  We just fed their curiosity by waving.  :-)

Quilt Exhibition

Friday was a trip to Vaassen to Castle Cannenburgh.  Approximately every four years a quilt show is hung in the castle and it is open to the public.  Great!  An hour and a half on the train, a 20 minute bus run and a short walk and we were there

A charming venue.  Sadly we were not allowed to take any photos inside the castle.  So here are a few from the front entrance

We were able to enjoy the furnished rooms in the castle (as well as the quilts).  We had a brief lunch on the grass outside and then continued our shopping opportunities.

As I've told you before, the cost of quilting supplies here are significantly more than in the US, so I didn't buy a thing. But, as always it is great fun to look.

How's this for a neighborhood?  (location, location, location).  I keep forgetting to credit Elaine with some of the photos I include here.  She is an adept photographer and I am able to take advantage of that.  Thanks, Elaine.

Wednesday and Thursday

We are continuing to have very pleasant and sunny days.  Wonderful.  Wednesday was a day to explore on our own.  We took a different tram than we have taken before and (intentially) ended up in a new part of town.  We wandered through an XL Albert Hein - a national grocery chain, to see what we could see.  And to try to discover how it is different from our local neighborhood AH.  Among other things you can buy 10 or 12 different sorts of eggs

None of them are stored cold.

We headed out the door and wandered down an itneresting looking street.  We came upon a store which specializes in British goods,

And eventually needed a bit of lunch on a typically lovely street corner

Among my favorite "useless" objects was this children's (or small dog's) summer pool. (check its size compared to the chair behind it.)

Thursday was Ascension Day, Hemelvaart, a national holiday.  We did what all self-respecting Dutch do on Hemelvaart and went on a bicycle ride.  Great, great fun.  And I got to ride the electric bicycle.  We headed through Haagse Bos, to Clingendaal for a coffee stop, past a national monument in the Dunes.  It is to commemorate the site where many resistance fighters were taken into the dunes and shot during the Second World War.  It is very moving how lovingly the Dutch continue to honor the allied soldiers and their graves.   The Bell is rung each May 4th, starting at 8pm.



We continued on to Meijendel for pannenkoken (pancakes) for lunch



We cycled home by way of the beach (on the North Sea) and home to den Haag.  A most pleasant adventure of approximately 18km [10.8 miles] - easy peasy!  And all made fabulous with the electric bike - the best for the hills!

Friday is Castle Cannonburgh for the Quilt Exhibition.  Need to upload my photos.  And Saturday we move to our first house exchange locale.  Oh - the adventures abound!

Tuesday catch-up

Things have been busy, keeping me away from the computer.  So here we to recap:
Sunday we spent the morning sewing (please note, Ronda)  In the afternoon, Caro's parents came and we went to visit the gardens at Clingendael.

The weather improved as we walked around through the Japanese Gardens and the Dutch gardens.  Be sure to also check out Caro's blog for more photos of our wanderings.  The Japanese gardens are espeically lovely.  Most of the iris are gone, but there are lots and lots of rhododendrons which are very nice.  There are carpets of moss, and of course lots of water features.  We even got to enjoy a Coot mama and her rather funny looking child

We even got to visit the bee-keepers garden house and brought home a sample of his wares

On Monday morning we were off to the Peace Palace.  Sadly, when we arrived we were told we could not have a tour that day.  (This sometimes happens).  Because there was a trial still in progress, it is not open for tours.  Another day.

However, it was a georgous day, so we took advantage of this change in plans and headed for the beach at Scheveningen, on the North Sea.

This is a very well known beach-front town.  We had to stop and have a bit of lunch - the very traditional pannenkoeken

Pancake topped with ham and pineapple and cheese.  And being "echte" (real) Dutch, we even put a bit of stroop (their syrup) over the top.  Lekker (tasty)!  We wandered further down the beach where there were several sand sculptures

Tuesday, today, we went to Oegstgeest to meet the family with whom we are exchanging houses.  It was a very nice visit with a charming couple.  We got the full tour of their home and explanation of how things work.  We have left them a detailed book with all the descriptions of how things work.  Hope that is enough.  As is often the case, it is hard for them to realize the distances and time involved to get to all the places they wish to visit.  But we are trading cars, as well, so they will manage just fine.

Caro and I did a bit more work on the squares being made for an uncle's quilt.  Caro even got the design wall up so we will play this evening.

 Adventuires continue.  Aren't we so lucky?