biebkriebels

Skywatch Friday

2012-02-17T11:21:00.000+01:00

Almost every afternoon between 5 and 6 we hear an increasing noise and a huge swarm of starlings is flying over our house. They make two or three rounds and then disappear. They are with a few hundreds of them.

See for more Skywatches here

Marcel Brindejonc des Moulinais

2012-02-16T12:00:00.000+01:00

These old magazins I photographed in a shopwindow of an antiquarian bookshop. When I enlarged the picture on my screen, I could read the name of the person on the left. I found out it is "Marcel Brindejonc des Moulinais" (1892-1916), a French aviator who died in World War I, just 24 years old.

From an early age he was besotted with aeroplanes and became a wellknown aviator in his time. He made many flight competition trips which was common in the early years of 1900. For his performances he was knighted in the order of Legion of Honor in 1913, the youngest of Legionnaire France.

In 1913 he was called to perform military service and was incorporated at an aerospace group. His plane was shot down on 18 August 1916 in Vadelaincourt near Verdun.

This magazin dates from 19 August 1916 and announced his death "at the field of honor".

Funny afternoon

2012-02-15T11:36:00.001+01:00

Last week we enjoyed the opening of an exhibition of poetry in the City hall of Almere. The poetry writer Nico Scharn we know for a long time, as he lives in our neighbourhood, but we never knew he wrote poems.

It was a funny happening with music, wine and performances, it felt we were in the sixties again.

Also the children were having fun.

Taphophile Tragics # 8

2012-02-14T11:56:00.002+01:00

This is the grave of "Willem Wagenaar" (1909-1999) at the cemetery Zorgvlied in Amsterdam.

He was a painter, art gallery owner, art teacher and surrealist. He owned a little art shop in Utrecht which he made a magical centre of the dutch surrealism in 1930. During WWII almost all his paintings were destroyed an he even was prisoned. After the war he worked as movie-operator in a Amsterdam cinema.

In 1980 a meeting place for surrealistic artists in a Amsterdam cafe was started where a few artists met each other among Willem, although he was very old, he was still very smart.

This painting of the famous Spanish bullfighter Manolete he made in 1942.

This is my tribute to Taphophile Tragics

Last winter picture?

2012-02-13T11:48:00.000+01:00

After a family visit in Rotterdam we had to drive back home in a snowstorm. There were all kinds of weather-warnings to be carefull on the roads because the snow was going to change in rain and that would give a very ice road. We managed to come home safe but later in the evening many traffic-accidents happened. Pffffff. Temperatures are rising now to above zero, so winter is slowing down.

Sunday Bridges

2012-02-12T11:19:00.001+01:00

On every piece of frozen water people are skating at the moment. This is close to where we live and we have skated here many times when the kids were young. Now there are other little children learning to skate with the help of a chair on the ice as almost every child in the Netherlands has done.

Look for more Sunday Bridges in the world here

Icy river

2012-02-11T11:55:00.000+01:00

Some ice in Amsterdam had to be broken because ships have to go through. This is the river Amstel with the Skinny Bridge. It is since 15 years that there is so much ice in the rivers and canals. We still have temperatures of -11 C (12.2 F) at night.

Amsterdam with ice

2012-02-10T11:53:00.003+01:00

The canals in Amsterdam are frozen which is rather unique because the winters are almost never cold enough. But this winter you can skate and walk on the ice.

To put the skates on people use the little boats to sit on.

I didn't go on the ice, it is to slippery for me and a bit difficult to get on and of here by climbing over the boats. Skating I used to to when I was younger, but I am to scared now to fall and break a leg or shoulder, which happened to a friend of mine of the same age.

Eleven Cities Fever

2012-02-09T12:30:00.000+01:00

Each country has its own folklore, we don't have a Super Bowl but the "Eleven Cities Tour".
A skating tour of 200 km in the northern province Friesland done by professionals and amateurs. It can only be organized when there are very low temperatures for a long time, because so many people have to go over ice and don't want to get through it into the icecold water. That's the reason it has only been done 15 times in 100 years. When you win the tour, you are a legend by life. Well we have some pretty cold nights now so the Media started their hype about the tour this whole week "will it come or not?" and when? There was no other news on televison or in the papers than "how thick is the ice?"

The fever increased and a whole village started to sweep away the snow from the ice to get it better.

Hotels were booked, the whole press was in the north and the weatherforcasts were given each hour.

Would it be this weekend? A "Eleven Cities Society" of wise men has to give the green light and yesterday they decided it was not going to happen, the ice was not safe enough. The whole country collapsed and the media with them. Temperatures are rising now so the ice is loosing its quality.

But maybe the frost is coming back next week, who knows?

But everybody can still skate in the Netherlands and make their own one city tour like here in Almere.

If you want to read more about the Eleven Cities Tour look here

Winter cold

2012-02-08T12:05:00.000+01:00

As you know we are having one of the coldest winters now. This is the window of a room we don't use so we don't heat it. With temperatures of -18 C (-0.4 F) at night it looks this way in the morning, covered with ice. During the day the ice disappears because we have lots of sun too.

The ducks and sea-gulls have got together in a hole in the ice.

I like to walk around and make pictures. I can cope with the cold, last winter I bought in sale great boots lined with fur, so no cold feet anymore.

By the way the red shoes I ordered lately are sold out!

Taphophile Tragics # 7

2012-02-07T10:57:00.001+01:00

This is our local cemetery in Almere Haven. It dates from 1974 when this village was built. It is situated right behind the dyke and divided in circles with hedges around. I pass here many times on a walk to the dyke, but never enter the circles, I think it is to private and to new, I feel a bit as an intruder. I liked this one of an apparently cat-lover.

Some circles are only for childrens graves, which is very touching. I was shocked by the amount of them.

An overview of the cemetery from the dyke. The hedges are brown now because of the winter, but in summer they are green.

This is my tribute to Taphophile Tragics

Monday Mural

2012-02-06T11:08:00.000+01:00

This one is at the same industrial area in Almere I mentioned last monday here. I have no idea what the painting does imagine, but it looks funny.

See for more Monday Murals here

Winter fun

2012-02-05T12:18:00.001+01:00

It is cold but the sun shines and it is great to be outside now. Always when there is a lot of snow here, everybody is going to the dyke to have a sleighride down with the children.

We used to do so when our children were young and as an adult to go down too. I saw the parents still doing the same, feeling yourself a child for a moment.

The Gooi-lake was frozen in one night, our province had the coldest temperature of the whole country -22.9 C (-9.4 F) and since 1956! It is weird, in one week time we are living in a complete other world.

At the horse-riding centre this horse was making his rounds quietly.

Doting dad

2012-02-04T12:08:00.000+01:00

I was watching through my window a daddy who dressed up his little girl with so much patience in snowclothes, scarf, cap, gloves until she was ready to go for a ride on the sleigh.

Than number two was lifted out of the car.

And ready to go.

It is a bit paparazzi like of me, but I have not been outside to make pictures yet, because it is sooo cold today. When we got up it was -14.9 C (5 F) degrees. In the city Lelystad, 30 km from here, it was -22C (-7.6F) degrees! this morning. So I have to muster courage to go out.

First snow!

2012-02-03T20:56:00.000+01:00

After a pretty soft winter this morning the first snow came at last. With very low temperatures at night still -10 C (14F) and -3 C (26.6) during daytime, we jumped right into chaos. The whole country came to a standstill, trains had delays, cars stood in endless trafic-jams from 9 till 5. Thank goodness we don't have to go to work anymore.

The snow felt for hours with a pretty strong wind and I think we have some 5 cm now. I enjoy it, feel always excited, that the environment can change so quickly as you can see at my last post of yesterday, when the sun was shining.

And there is always a car that won't go.

Who let the horse out?

2012-02-03T11:19:00.000+01:00

In Almere Haven you can have your own horse close to your home. A few stables are situated just behind the dike so you can see people letting their dogs out and their horses as well.

Cold!

2012-02-02T12:39:00.000+01:00

Sofietje lives on the heating these days because it is really cold outside here now, -10C (14F) last night. But the best part is we have no snow and bright sunshine all day so it is great to have a walk with a warm coat and hat. I have no other pictures of the cold because it looks like spring outside and no ice to see yet on the rivers because of a strong wind. Of course there is a media hype going on again about the chances of a "Elfstedentocht" (Eleven cities tour) of 200 km skating which can only be done in very cold winters. But we only have had four nights with frost, so what are they talking about.

Great Shoes

2012-02-01T11:49:00.002+01:00

These shoes I am looking at for a long time already, I like them very much, even fitted them, but can't decide to buy them because I think I won't wear them much often. Last weekend we passed the shop when we had diner in Amsterdam as the shop had already closed. So I could dream a while at the shopwindow.

The shoes are designed by Rem D. Koolhaas, a Dutch architect but not the famous one, he is his nephew. He is the founder of "United Nude" a shoe company and the start of it began with a broken heart. Rem's attempt to get his girl back was made by downsizing achitecture to its smallest and most vulnerable scale, that of a woman's foot, he designed the "Mobius shoe". The girl was gone but he knew that the shoe had to become real. Later he met Galahad Clark, from the famous Clark shoes family and together they founded "United Nude" They have a great webstore to watch (and buy) all the crazy shoes.

This is the Mobius shoe with which it all started.

Taphophile Tragics # 6

2012-01-31T11:45:00.002+01:00

I continue with the graves in the Old Church in Amsterdam of my previous post .

This well decorated grave is of a prominent person of his time. The text I will try to translate, it is "old dutch"

Under this stone rests

Petrus van Dam

in his 85 years was

Lawyer of the General

East-India Company

54 years had

marriage first with Lidia van Segwaer

afterwards with

Anna Hasselaer

passed away

17 May 1706

So this man reached a respectable age of 85 years in 1706 and was married twice. It was a time of much prosperity and wealth in the Netherlands just after, which is know as "the Golden Century". Many ships sailed to the East for trading the products of Indonesia and sell them here to other countries. They colonialised Indonesia which made the dutch very rich and the many beautiful canal houses date from that time.

This is my tribute to Taphophile Tragics

Monday Mural, Almere

2012-01-30T11:11:00.002+01:00

The entrance to our village by bus is a rather boring business area with buildings without windows. It was a paradise for graffiti painters but not the best ones. It was a mess with all kind of paintings and characters over each other. Some clever business people decided to invite a group of graffiti painters to make an offer, design something artistic and we pay for the paint. The result is spectacluar as you can see here.

It is endless could hardly get it in one picture.

Here you can see how it looked like before. This building still has to be decorated, the grey paint has been applied to remove all the messy stuff.

See for more Monday Murals here

Amsterdam by night

2012-01-29T12:26:00.001+01:00

We had diner in a nice restaurant in Amsterdam last night and I tried my best to make some evening pictures.

It was rather cold 3C (37.4F) but the big freeze will come end of this week. The specialists prognoses are -16C (3.2F) at night and -6C (21.2F) at day. Brrrrr.

Streetview.

2012-01-28T11:39:00.000+01:00

In winter most people wear dark colours, but the tramway which used to be grey too some time ago has bright colours now.

Skywatch Friday

2012-01-27T09:43:00.000+01:00

A view at Almere City on a sunny winterday.

See for more Skywatch pictures here

Cold?

2012-01-26T11:28:00.000+01:00

The weather forecast for this weekend we will have freezing cold temperatures, can't believe it. I saw yesterday daffodils blooming along the road. Nature is quite confused here because of the high temperatures. Maybe this coat will be sold after all although it is fake fur. When you wear real fur in the streets today you risk to get paint over it from the anti fur movement.

Stairway to heaven?

2012-01-25T11:12:00.002+01:00

In the "Old Church" which I mentioned yesterday, is an exhibition of pupils of the art academy. This must be a stairway to heaven don't you think?

Mice are everywhere even in churches.

Taphophile Tragics # 5

2012-01-24T12:03:00.002+01:00

The "Old Church" is the oldest church in Amsterdam and dates from 1300. It is no longer in use as a church but as an exhibition place. The floor is covered with very old grave-stones and many of them are beautiful decorated but a bit declined because of the many footsteps in all the past years. I will show you the grave stones later but will now focus on one special grave.

I have described the church before here

One of the best known people who is buried here is Saskia van Uylenburgh born in 1612 and died in 1642. She was born as the daughter of a Frisian mayor. She did not marry an academic, but became the wife of painter Rembrandt van Rijn, who was the son of a wealthy miller from Leiden. In the course of her life she was his model for some of his paintings, drawings and etchings.

Saskia was orphaned by age 12 and raised by her sister Hiskje and her husband and later by another sister Antje who died young. In 1634 she married Rembrandt and moved to Amsterdam. Rembrandt gained financial success through his artwork and bought a house in the Jodenbreestreet which is a museum now, the Rembrandthouse

Selfportrait of Rembrandt

Three of their children died shortly after birth and were buried in the nearby Zuiderchurch. The sole survivor was Titus, who was named after his mother's sister Titia. Saskia died the year after he was born, aged 29 in 1642, probably from tuberculosis and was buried in the "Oude Kerk" (Old Church).

This a my tribute to Taphophile Tragics

Monday Mural

2012-01-23T12:12:00.001+01:00

This mural has been painted by artists who had squat this house in the eighties in de Spuistreet in Amsterdam. For a long time it was not clear what would happen with this building and some others in the same street. They were empty so all kind of persons started to live here clandestine and in 1987 this serpent was painted. Now the city council has decided to renovate the neighbourhood and the mural will be removed.

This post is linked to Monday Mural

Tulips from Amsterdam

2012-01-22T11:31:00.001+01:00

As I came around the corner yesterday, I was surprised to see Dam-square in Amsterdam had changed in a sea of tulips. Normally crowded with tourists and living statues it looked like "the Keukenhof" now.

It was a present of the tulip-horticulture to attract attention to their product. Everybody was free to take the tulips home.

When something is for free people don't have to think twice to take it.

It was fun to see the disbelieve on the faces of the people it was for free and then the fun everybody had picking a bundle of tulips in the middle of the wintertime. Winter has still not arrived here, high tempertures and lots of rain.

Speedy

2012-01-21T11:37:00.000+01:00

I often see photos on blogs which are very blurry and I should never had posted, but the comments are mostly very positive. This one I consider as not "blog worthy" and wanted to delete, but I hesitate and am curious what the comment are.

Take a ride

2012-01-20T12:26:00.003+01:00

Last weekend we had sunny weather and beautiful skies so we drove to Amsterdam. I was sitting next to the chauffeur, my hubby, with my camera and decided to make pictures from the roads we were driving. So I invite you to drive along with me from Almere to Amsterdam.

Passing the bridge over the Amsterdam-Rhine canal. Last year it has been widened into a four lane motorway to have the traffic an easier run through.

Trains are passing by along the road.

We pass the new suburb of Amsterdam "IJburg" with the new spectacular bridge.

We noticed the motorcyclist was wearing slippers, it was freezing cold!

Entering the Piet Heintunnel.

The tunnel is 1900 metres long.

Leaving the tunnel you are right in the centre of Amsterdam with new office-buildings. The three tables with beehives hanging on top is a piece of art. This area used to be a harbour quarter and is complete renovated.

The glass building is a cruiseship terminal and the high building a hotel.

The Central Train Station with the new Bus-terminal right above.

And here the ride ends. Hope you enjoyed.

For more skies have a look at Skywatch Friday

Carriage

2012-01-19T11:55:00.000+01:00

As in many big cities in Europe you can make a horse-ride with carriage through Amsterdam. I have mixed feelings about this because the Amsterdam traffic is so very crowded, with cars, tramways, busses, scooters, bikes all in one road. The poor horse has to mingle in this hectic traffic just for what, to give a few tourists a better look? I think it is a risky, needless business.

Watery Wednesday

2012-01-18T11:19:00.000+01:00

What to do with the christmas-tree after Christmas, well you throw it in the canal. Interesting object for the swans.

This post is linked to Watery Wednesday

Taphophile Tragics # 4

2012-01-17T11:42:00.000+01:00

The grave of Elvis Presley at his estate Graceland in Memphis.

Elvis wanted a quiet place in his garden to get some rest and he had a Meditation Garden made. That is the place where he now is laid to rest with his parents and his grandmother.

The grave of his twin brother who died at birth.

I visited Graceland in 2008 and was quiet excited to see everything you always have heard and read of in reality. I am not a great Elvis fan so it was not a pelgrimage for me, but it was interesting to see where he had lived. The graves are not that bombastic as I had expected and despite the many tourists it was rather peaceful.

This is my tribute to Taphophile Tragics

Explorers

2012-01-16T11:46:00.004+01:00

In the 16th and 17th Century the dutch started to explore the world by ship to find overseas countries and products. With the simple geographical maps they had, they reached Indie, the current Indonesia, which became a dutch colony until 1948. There was a South-way or a North-way to reach the goal.

These buildings are situated in the so called "explorer" area in Amsterdam and the walls have historical murals.

I had never seen these and was blown away by the beauty of it. The last picture is of "Willem Barents" who went the North-way and got stuck in the ice with his ship on the Northpole at Nova Zembla and had to hibernate there. He didn't survive but a few of his crew did. The dutch directer Reinoud Oerlemans has just made a movie of this adventure.

Weekend Reflections

2012-01-15T11:46:00.000+01:00

After all the rain we had lately with submerged areas, we finaly have some quiet sunny weather. Temperatures are still very high for wintertime 8C (46.4F). This office is nearly having wet feet, which gives a nice reflection. See for more reflections here.

Closing time

2012-01-14T12:18:00.000+01:00

Closing time at the market.

And the remains.

The statue you can see in the first photo is of a famous Amsterdam teacher "Theo Thijssen" with a pupil. He wrote many nice books about schoollife in the poor years of the early 20th Century. He was a socialistic politician as well. You can have a better look of the statue here

Advertising Pillar

2012-01-13T12:02:00.000+01:00

In the early 20th Century many of these pillars were placed in Dutch cities. It is a transformer box with the look of an advertising pillar. The outside of the pillar is for rent with advertisement posters. In this way the electricity company can earn some extra money. In the beginning they were made of steal but now of concrete. In popular language the dutch people call them "pepperboxes".

At the left side you see another one. The advertisement posters must have a cultural character as performances or exhibitions.

Narrow shop

2012-01-12T11:31:00.002+01:00

The narrowest shop in Amsterdam "the Small Trip-house" , 2.44 meters wide, at the Kloveniersburgwal. There is a nice legend about this house.

In the 17th century two brothers, Lodewijk and Hendrik Trip, who were very wealthy arms mercheants, built a grand canal-house for themselves on the Kloveniersburgwal. It was the largest house at that time. According to the legend one of the brothers heard a servant say that he wished he had a house as wide as their front-door. Then the eccentric Trip brother built the "Small Trip-house" for the lucky servant on the other side of the same canal. It is a nice story but probably not true, the big house was completed in 1662 and the small one in 1696, the two brothers were already dead by then.

You probably are curious what kind of shop there is, well it is situated in the "Red Light District" area, so they call themselves a "sexy avant-garde" fashion shop.

Dam Square

2012-01-11T10:57:00.000+01:00

Some people still have holiday time and enjoy themselves at Dam square in Amsterdam. The huge Christmas tree is still present as the "living statues". I read an article that the city councel will reduce the number of these people. Some of them just put on a mask or a hat and are rather aggressive to tourists to get money.

Taphophile Tragics # 3

2012-01-10T11:41:00.000+01:00

Last summer I was at a cemetery in Amsterdam called "Zorgvlied". It is situated along the river Amstel and it is possible to have the coffin transported by boat for a funeral which is very special.

The cemetery dates from 1870, the location used to be a manorial estate with an English country style garden with many trees.

Many well known Dutch people as writers and actors are burried here and you can even get a map at the entrance to find all the graves. You can see some in my former posts here

It is a nice parc to wander around and admire the stylish graves.

The newer graves are often artistic because of the many artistically-minded people layed to rest here.

This is my tribute to Taphophile Tragics

Mother of Nancy

2012-01-09T10:06:00.001+01:00

A few years ago a colleague of mine organized a tour to Paris with a group of friends and family. We went by bus and it was a great fun. Yesterday we saw one of the members of the group walking in Amsterdam, we didn't know her name anymore, all we remembered she was the mother of Nancy, one of the co-organizers of the tour. She looks great doesn't she, can you imagine that she must be far in her fiftees?

Row the boat

2012-01-08T11:15:00.000+01:00

Even in winter some people row the boat in the canals in Amsterdam. Must be pretty cold.

See for more Sunday Bridges here

Weekend Reflections

2012-01-07T11:55:00.000+01:00

A shop window in Amsterdam. See for more reflections here.

Skywatch Friday and High Water

2012-01-06T11:41:00.009+01:00

This photo is not only about the sky, but also about the water. We all know we are living below the sea-level but we don't realize it on a daily base. We have dykes and people who keep an eye on them.When there is to much water they discharge the water into the sea. But yesterday we had such a heavy storm and rain from the north that we had a situation that the wind blew to much water further inland and it couldn't get out anymore because of the storm. Some parts in the North of our country are flooded now and farmers have to be evacuated with their cattle. Some dykes threaten to break wich is big news here.

We live in the middle of the country so we are safe, but it is all a bit turbulent for everybody.

See for a picture at the blog Voor een andere kijk

See for more Skywatches here

Street music

2012-01-05T11:46:00.002+01:00

These boys "Les Trois Coups" were playing very enthousiastic in the centre of Amsterdam. I googled them and found more about them here. I am not sure they are from Belgium or France. They will perform in New York February 25 in streets and subways.

Queue up

2012-01-04T12:07:00.000+01:00

This time of the year we have lots of tourists visiting Amsterdam and they all want to have a look in the museums. This queue is at the "Anne Frank House" where a whole new entrance is built next to the house to give the visitors a better welcome.

This is the original house at the streetside where Mister Otto Frank had his trading company. The family later got into hiding in the house behind this one, the so called "Achterhuis".

And the Wester-tower which Anne always heard ringing.

Look here for the website with a virtual tour through the house.

Taphophile Tragics #2

2012-01-03T12:22:00.001+01:00

Inspired by blogfriend CaT of picture/day who is making a tour through the south of US, I remembered this cemetery in New Orleans. In 2008 I visited Saint Louis Cemetery, the oldest cemetery of New Orleans which dates from 1789.

It is a Roman Catholic cemetery, all of these graves are above ground vaults. The custom of above-ground burial in New Orleans is a mixture of folklore and fact. The vaults are in fact more due to French and Spanish tradition than they are to water table problems.

Most of the graves belong to complete families.

This is my tribute to Taphophile Tragics where you can see more pictures.

Difference

2012-01-02T00:23:00.000+01:00

This is Almere as it looks now, although we don't have a cold winter so far, 12 degrees C (53.6 F), it is all grey and wet.

And this was in summer.....

A bit tired

2012-01-01T14:25:00.001+01:00

After the baking of "oliebollen" and "appelflappen" and drinking too many glasses of champagne I am a a bit tired the first day of this new year.

Last post of 2011!

2011-12-31T11:20:00.001+01:00

Me, Sofietje and hubby of sccollections wish you a very Happy New Year.

Bicycle

2011-12-30T11:50:00.000+01:00

Although Christmas is over the shops are still decorated. This is a hairdresser shop with an original bicycle in Amsterdam.

Exhibitions

2011-12-29T11:35:00.002+01:00

There are a few interesting photo exhibitions in Amsterdam. We visited two of them yesterday. The first was in "FOAM" the Photography Museum Amsterdam about the american photographer Joel Sternfeld (1944). More than one hundred color photographs were shown about american life since 1970. I loved it.

The second exhibition was in "Huis Marseille" Museum for Photography. The Japanese photographer Naoya Hatakeyama (1958) makes photo's of explosions and blasts like in an open limestone mine. He also photographed the devastation ot the tsunami in his country and ironicly his own parental home had disappeared in the tragedy with his mother who didn't survive.

I wanted to show you the difference between the two museums. They both are housed in a canal house, the first one is partly rebuild in modern style and the second has preserved its original marble entrance.

Taphophile Tragics #1

2011-12-28T11:02:00.001+01:00

Blogger Julie from Sydney Eye has openend a meme photoblog about cemeteries called Taphophile Tragics wich caught my eye. I didn't know it had a name but I must admit that I visit cemeteries quite often when I am on hollidays abroad. Don't know why but I am always interested in the stones and names and the way people lay their loved ones to rest.

The above grave is in Sodankyla, Finland where I was last June and I was surprised by the stone faces of this eldery couple. Had never seen this before, mostly you see pictures in glass.

See for other participants here

Sunlight

2011-12-27T11:40:00.000+01:00

In winter you sometimes have these sudden sunlights falling at one specific point. This is the back of the Palace at Dam-square in Amsterdam.

Candlelight

2011-12-26T12:16:00.002+01:00

In the Netherlands we have two Christmas days, the so called first and second Christmas day. The party is not over yet, tonight we will have another diner with candlelight.

Weekend Reflections

2011-12-24T11:41:00.000+01:00

I wish everybody very happy Christmas days with beautiful reflections.

See for more reflections here

Vrolijk Kerstfeest!

City lights

2011-12-23T12:03:00.001+01:00

Was in the city Utrecht yesterday with beautiful festive lights in the streets. I didn't have much succes to capture a good picture, to dark, to light, to blurry, grrrrr. These are the "best" ones.

Kitty with glasses

2011-12-22T10:44:00.001+01:00

Many cats love to sit in a shop-window, it is warm and they have a good look outside. This one is garding the glasses which are displayed in preserving bottles!

Festive lights

2011-12-21T11:32:00.002+01:00

When evening falls the cafe's in Amsterdam look very inviting with the festive lights.

Santa village

2011-12-20T11:19:00.000+01:00

This Santa I met in June in Rovaniemi in Finland, the place where Santa lives. It was 30 degrees C (86 F) at that time and a bit weird to see all the Christmas stuff in the heat.

Here you could give your letter to Santa and at this time of the year you would receive an answer of him. I didn't because I don't believe in Santa....

It was possible to meet Santa in person which I also didn't do. They made quite an experience of it, you had to walk a whole parcours over little bridges in the dark and to take a photograph was not allowed. In the end you had to wait with a lot of other visitors to meet and great Santa and have an (expensive) photo with him. I turned around and made a sneakily photo of this picture, which is a bit blurry, but now you see the one and only real Santa.

Christmas Carols

2011-12-19T11:30:00.000+01:00

There was a lot of fuss going on last Saturday in Amsterdam. Occupy people made a few banks inaccessible, so police was all around with sirens and arresting people. We escaped to a more quiet area a few streets away were we found these singing people. What a peaceful contrast.

Christmas decorations

2011-12-18T11:38:00.000+01:00

Many little shops in the centre of Amsterdam have Christmas decorations.

Weekend Reflection

2011-12-17T11:31:00.000+01:00

Another shop-window with reflection in Amsterdam. See for other reflections here

Skywatch Friday

2011-12-16T10:31:00.001+01:00

You can go to the right or the left but the sky will be the same.

See for other skywatches here

Winter Wonderland

2011-12-15T11:33:00.000+01:00

The garden centre in Almere has transformed into a "Winter wonderland".

Santa's in all sizes.

I think Sofietje would be scared to death when I came home with an owl.

The miniature village with moving objects, like dancing people in a ballroom, look at the price, almost 80 euro.

I didn't buy anything of the stuff but it was fun to look around in dreamworld.

Weather

2011-12-14T11:58:00.000+01:00

In November we had the driest month in 100 years, well those days are all over now. Storm and rain bother our country every day with so now and than a little sunshine to chear us up.

So close the curtains and lighten the candles.

Christmas tree

2011-12-13T11:33:00.001+01:00

Each year a big Christmas tree is placed at Dam-square in Amsterdam. This one is 22 metres high and comes from Germany. It has 40.986 led-lights which I haven't seen yet, I have to come back later when it is dark. When I passed the tree just had been placed during the night, that's why the "cherry picker" is still standing there.

Sofietje playing

2011-12-12T11:35:00.000+01:00

Sofietje has a baton with something fluffy on a rope which makes here very excited. She is jumping as a wild animal around and attacks the couch as a real tiger when we move it up and down.

"Roadrunner" is coming along.

Christmas market

2011-12-11T11:52:00.002+01:00

We had a Christmas market in Almere this weekend. It is something we didn't have for a long time in the Netherlands, Christmas was never a big issue here, but times are changing and now we take part in the festivities of a market. These ladies were singing Christmas carols.

There was even a Father Christmas.

Suddenly we heard the whistle of a steamship sailing into the harbor. For a moment I thought "Sinterklaas" had come back to bring more presents, but it had nothing to do with the Christmas market. The ship just came along to anchor here.

Weekend Reflections

2011-12-10T12:26:00.000+01:00

I tried to make a photo of the season shop window of the "Bijenkorf" but it ended in a reflection of the opposite street. See for more Weekend Reflections here

Christmas decorations

2011-12-09T11:37:00.000+01:00

In a the big department store "the Bijenkorf" there is each year at Christmas another decoration in their light-well. These dolls are turning around slowly.

And the decorated Christmas-tree of course.

Biebkriebels as paparazzi

2011-12-08T12:18:00.000+01:00

Yesterday I walked in Amsterdam when I saw a crowd in front of a cinema palace "Tuschinski". It happened to be a premiere of a childrens movie I had never heard of. But the funny thing was I suddenly saw many wellknown actors in reality in front of me. I joined the busy press photographers

and started to make my own "celebrity" photo's. I must admit these are no international actors, only known in our little country the Netherlands.

The man is Aart Staartjes and the little boy is Teun Stokkel, they are both the main actors in the movie Het gordijnpaleis van Ollie Hartmoed

Susan Visser

Kitty Courbois

Bracha van Doesburg

The press photographer Edwin Smulders who became famous when he made the first photo of our crownprince Willem Alexander with his Argentine girlfiend Maxima in New York.

Looking a bit suspicious at me, his concurrent, hi, hi,hi.

Storm

2011-12-07T11:00:00.000+01:00

The leaves have all gone now, winter is really coming, this afternoon we will have a big storm. You can see which way the wind is always coming here. These trees are about 32 years old and have grown crooked, because of the always present winds over the flat polder country.

Dike

2011-12-06T12:20:00.003+01:00

Last Sunday I was walking on my own along the dike in Almere, hubby was lying in bed with a flu.

It was funny to see what people do on a Sunday on a dike.

And what seagulls do.

I tried for half an hour to catch one in flight, but they were flying too fast all the time. This is the best I have. I presume some people thought what is that silly lady doing, making photo's of the asphalt and the air?

Rotterdam

2011-12-05T11:29:00.000+01:00

The city Rotterdam is sometimes called "Manhattan on the Meuse" because of the high modern buildings. At least they have a hotel with a striking name.

And even a water vat (vessel?) on top of a building. I have seen this only in New York.

The skyline is impressive.

Sunday Bridges

2011-12-04T12:12:00.002+01:00

The Erasmus Bridge is a cable stayed bridge across the New Meuse river, linking the northern and southern halves of the city Rotterdam. The bridge was designed by Ben van Berkel and completed in 1996. The 802 metre long bridge has a 139 metre-high asymmetrical pylon, earning the bridge its nickname of "The Swan".

See for more Sunday Bridges here

Vieux Paris

2011-12-03T12:03:00.002+01:00

The Dutch Photography Museum in Rotterdam has a beautiful exhibition of the French photographer Eugene Atget (1857-1927) with old photo's of Paris. He is considered as the founder of the documentary photography and many of the buildings in his photo's of 1899 -1920 you can still find in the current Paris. Look here when you click on "open tentoonstelling" you can see the past and the present together.

Have a look at fellow blogger http://highpotech.blogspot.com/ for an action picture of me and hubby in Rotterdam.

Skywatch Friday

2011-12-02T11:13:00.000+01:00

A skywatch at the beach of Almere with the tower of the city Naarden at the far side.

See for other Skywatches here

Occupy Amsterdam

2011-12-01T10:58:00.000+01:00

Occupy Amsterdam is changing their strategy. The little tents will be removed and their will be one big one as an action-centre. Camping in the city had become too dangerous because of bad hygiene, drunken visitors and all kind of violence.

Cat tree

2011-11-30T11:23:00.001+01:00

We bought our Sofietje a cat tree which she very much appreciates. The first days she only went to the first level and liked to have a rest there.

Then she discovered the top to wash.

And have a great look. The hole in the bottom she doesn't like so much, she only jumped in and out, too fast to have a picture.

Fancy fence

2011-11-29T10:54:00.000+01:00

I am looking through my oldies, as many of you do sometimes I have noticed. It is difficult always to find something interesting. This one is in Amsterdam in the area called "the Pijp". Old houses are broken down and new ones will be built. They brightened up the fence with photo's of the neighbourhood.

Parking problems

2011-11-28T12:12:00.001+01:00

Amsterdam doesn't only has a lot of bicycles, but also scooters which have to be parked too.

It almost looks like Rome in Italy where I saw lots of them in the streets.

The bicycle-flat near the Central Station.

And the ones which doesn't fit in, or people don't want to put in.

I read an article in the paper that the bicycle problem in Amsterdam is growing out of proportions and out of control. The city council stimulated the people to use a bike and since 1990 the bike-movements in the morning rush hour have increased with 130 procent. The problem is now where to put all those bikes when people are at work. The focus had always been on the car-parking but now has to move to the bike. The city is complete covered with bikes, used and left behind. There will be bike-coaches to watch the parking-places and the capacity will be expanded.

Stormy weather

2011-11-27T12:02:00.000+01:00

After the fog we now have a november storm to blow the fog away. I love it to walk over the dike in Almere and feel the wind blowing through my hair. These three bikers had the wind behind so it was a easy go.

The duckies were floating by with high speed.

Weekend Reflections, Lunch

2011-11-26T11:30:00.001+01:00

A nice lunch with lots of wine and sunshine. See for more Weekend Reflections here

Knitting

2011-11-25T11:54:00.000+01:00

Dutch people seem to be fond of knitting, this "wild knitting" or "knitted graffiti" you see more and more in the open air. Here it covers the poles to put your bike against. Last year we had trees in Almere with "jumpers" on.

This special knitwear I found in a museum in Enschede. You can buy a design to make your own clothes protector for your bike here.

Stamp

2011-11-24T10:45:00.002+01:00

I like it there are still a few specialized shops with surprising stuff.

See for more signs here

Almere

2011-11-23T11:21:00.000+01:00

The borders of the Weerwater in Almere City. Behind the fountain is the theatre and a high-rise apartment building. It is still grey here, the fog had gone for one afternoon, but is returning again this morning.

What's next?

2011-11-22T11:18:00.001+01:00

The Photography Museum FOAM in Amsterdam, celebrating its tenth anniversary, has invited four different experts from the cultural field to realize a challenging proposal on how a photography exhibition can be presented in the future. They all four made rather radical exhibitions of which this one of Erik Kessels was the most provocative I think.

These photo's are the result of one day upload to Flickr. So the question was how can a museum do justice to a medium as versatile and varied as contemporary photography.

Misty world again

2011-11-21T11:22:00.001+01:00

We have to deal with a very thick fog at the moment in the whole Netherlands. This was yesterday and today it is still the same. The sight on the traffic roads is 50 metres and some airports are closed.

My camera couldn't focus on a subject because there was nothing to focus on. I made this one behind our home. It is bizar to live in such a surreal world.

These two men were fishing, but I think the fish couldn't see the fishing rod, because I saw them change places three times.

Antique shop

2011-11-20T11:05:00.000+01:00

What to say, I can't imagine that anybody wants to buy this and hang it on the wall...

Weekend Reflections

2011-11-19T11:53:00.002+01:00

Last weekend we stood for an hour in this traffic jam. What can you better do than make a photo to come through the time.

See for more Reflections here

Fog

2011-11-18T12:28:00.003+01:00

It was very foggy yesterday and very cold, 1 degree C (33.8 F), but it is special to make photo's, there is a haze over everything.

Amsterdam has fastened the Christmas lights already in the city, here at the Damrak with the Central Station in the end.

To the left you can see the tents of" Occupy Amsterdam" who are still camping in the freezing nights.There is worldwide an irritation to remove the camps, it has been long enough. The shops around the square want them to move because of their commercial interests.

Goliath

2011-11-17T11:25:00.000+01:00

For many years this giant Goliath with his bearer and David stood in the restaurant of the Amsterdam Museum. Last year they were moved to the public passage of the museum, which was quite an operation. Originally, the wooden figures were made for the Amsterdam pleasure gardens called the "Oude Doolhof" (The Old Maze). Founded prior to 1625, it continued to exist right up to 1862. The gardens were not merely famous for the maze, fountains and arbours but also for the collection of figures. The head and the eyes of Goliath can be manipulated with the aid of mechanical contrivances, which is rather frightening to see.

The passage is called the "Schutters gallerij" because old paintings of the guilds are hanging on the walls. The passage belongs to the museum but is free to enter, pass and watch the paintings which is quite special I think. It is a risc that works.

Art Nouveau

2011-11-16T10:52:00.002+01:00

This "pearl" I noticed because of the sunshine in the Haarlemmerdijk in Amsterdam. It must be "Art Nouveau". I searched on the internet and there are several such buildings in Amsterdam, but this one I couldn't find and I am not sure it is original or complete new. But it looks nice anyway.

Zandhoek

2011-11-15T11:29:00.000+01:00

When we have put our car in the weekends on our secret free parking place in Amsterdam, we walk along these beautiful old houses at the "Zandhoek" ( Sand Corner). The street, in fact a quay, derives its name to the ships discharching sand here in the 17th century.

In the Zandhoek has lived a famous dutch photographer Jacob Olie (1834-1905) who made beautiful B&W photo's of the old Amsterdam.

St. Nicolaas

2011-11-14T12:03:00.000+01:00

Last saturday "Sinterklaas" arrived in the Netherlands and each town or village has his own "St. Nicolas" with his Black Peter's to welcome. These photo's are of last year in Almere, but that doesn't matter, each year there is an arrival with the boat, music and the Peter's doing funny things.

For children who cannot go to the arrival there is a televison broadcasting at the same time with the "official" Sinterklaas who arrives each year in another place. It sounds a bit complicated, but children are flexible, they believe each "Sinterklaas" they see is the real one.

See here for more about Sinterklaas.

Weekend Reflections

2011-11-13T11:13:00.001+01:00

This estate is called "Duin en Kruidberg" in Santpoort. It used to be a holliday home for employees of a big bank company. With their families and colleagues they could enjoy a two week stay here in a beautiful house and parc. The dunes and beach are close by. Now the estate is a hotel and has a restaurant. We had a lunch with an old friend of mine who stayed here as a child and celebrated her birthday with a group of friends in this place full of sweet memories.

We felt a bit "royal" with this view having our lunch.

The parc had beautiful autum colours.

See for more Weekend Reflections here

St. Marten's Day

2011-11-12T09:56:00.001+01:00

November 11 is St. Marten's Day in the Netherlands. Children make their own lantern and go door to door with their lantern singing St. Marten's songs, in exchange for sweets.

The history about this custom goes back to St. Martin of Tours, who started out as a Roman soldier. He was baptized as an adult and became a monk. The most famous legend of his life is that he once cut his cloak in half to share with a beggar during a snowstorm, to save the beggar from dying of the cold.

The modern version of this legend is that we share the candy with each other. This was my plate with sweets to offer to the children. As you can see, the children carry huge bags to put the sweets in.....

Skywatch Friday

2011-11-11T11:06:00.000+01:00

A commercial zeppelin in the Westerparc in Amsterdam.

See for more Skywatches here

St. Olofs-Chapel

2011-11-10T11:35:00.001+01:00

Yesterday we said goodbye to a good friend and architect Joop van Stigt who passed away last Friday.

We remembered him in the St. Olofs Chapel situated in one of the oldest parts of Amsterdam the Zeedijk. The chapel was built in 1440 and named to a Norwegian King Olof. In 1966 the building was partly destroyed by fire and many originals parts had gone lost. From 1990-1992 the chapel has been restored by Joop van Stigt and his son and looks beautiful again. It is used as a conference room and has a underground tunnel to the Barbizon hotel nearby. Look here and here for more information about the chapel and the restoration.

(photo from internet)