Dollhouse, Getting Serious.

 Items bought at the Arnhem DH fair we attended recently. 

Singer sewing machine to go in Gek's planned studio.

Hengoed - Hello, Snow Again?

Lavender snow waves. Snow like caster sugar.

The Netherlands - Den Haag, Miniatures.

A last minute discovery after a visit to the VVV, the tourist information centre to you.

A temporary display of Lita de Ranitz's (1876-1960) dollhouse and miniature collection.

We started the visit to the Netherlands with miniatures and end with miniatures. Result.

The Netherlands - Mauritshuis Musem

The recently refurbished home of the Girl with the pearl.

Here she is.  The actual painting.

On the opposite wall, another of Johannes works, View of Delft (1660 - 1661: "He took a turbulent reality, and made it look like Heaven on Earth.")

The Mauritshuis was built between 1636 and 1641........ that is 377 years ago.  OK, the building was extensively damaged by fire in 1704, but  hey, the place is not leaning over and is as impressive a place to be in as the amazing art it is home to.

The Netherlands - Den Haag, The Mesdag

This modest looking building house's one of the most extraordinary works of art, a 360 deg panorama, 14 mts high and 120 around.

The work was created by Hendrick Mesdag with his wife Sientje plus three other local artists,  Bernard Blommer, George Breitner and Theophile de Bock. Together they completed this work between March 1881 and August the same year, an amazing feat by any measure. What I particularly found endearing was the reason driving the urgency to complete the endeavour.  Den Haag council were proposing to 'develop' the area pictured, the dunes and the fishing village of Scheveningen, a local beauty spot. Hendrick as not a happy bunny about the impending desecration of this scenic place and put brush to canvas to protest. His effort prevailed.  Respect!

A detail from the painting. In the foreground real sand, fishing net and anchor. Turely amazing.

The Netherlands - Den Haag, Transport

Sorry Amsterdam, Den Haag's trams are much prettier than yours,

and whilst you have the edge on the stations exterior architecture, inside D H trumps you.

The Netherlands - Amsterdam

A day in the city.  Trams galore, I have never seen so many on the move.

The railway station seems to be the centre of it all and one of Amsterdam's most impressive buildings.

As you fight your way through the crowds, you cannot  help but notice that most of the buildings lining the streets are a bit out of kilter.

With the streets occupying less area than the water, or so it seems, and the 'ways' than man can walk being divided in to pavement, cycle, road and tram lines with no obvious barriers in between, you have to keep your wits about you all the time.

The Van Gogh museum on the left, the Rijksmuseum behind, niether of which we got to visit as the tickets were sold out for the next two days.  Lord knows what the city is like in summer.  Not a place for a claustrophobe, that's for sure.

The Netherlands - Delft

The town square with market in full swing. And, no, that is not the next rocket to Mars, despite appearances.

Where your front door opens on to water.

The Little Street. Johannes Vermeer was born in Delft in October 1632, and whilst non of his original works are to be found here, there is a museum with copies of his paintings accompanied by explanations as to how he produced them. Also the messages conveyed, hidden in plain sight, contained.

Most interesting for me was the multiple perspective he used in complosing the image.

As an example, three vanishing points were used to construct this piece.  Some of the 'messages' in his paintings were also fascinating to read.  Vermere Centrum in the St. Lucas Gilde building, well worth a visit if you are ever in Delft.

The Netherlands - Winterswijk

A shadowy at the start of the wood walk across the border into Germany and

 around yet another partly frozen over lake,

 through spooky water logged woodland.

Linda, our lovely and hospitable guide.

The Netherlands - Arnhem, Frozen Lakes

Just to make the  point,

that it was damned cold.

The Netherlands - Arnhem, The Park

 A coot on the scoot, spooked by the frog, no doubt. (To be read with a Scot's accent)

The Lazy King.

We escaped the cold for a coffee and cake at this  rather groovy cafe,

before venturing out into the arctic again.

The Netherlands - Arnhem's Trolley busses

And there are loads of them,

all 'bendy' as far as I could tell. The only town in the country with them.

Tangled pantographs?  Start the diesel.  Brilliant.

The Netherlands - Dollhouse Fair

We are getting this setting up lark off to a fine art.

And what a setting, the de-consecrated  Kirk    with a very welcomed underfloor heating.

Now we were ready., Open the doors.

The Netherlands - Arnhem

 The next day we were free, but it was so cold in the freezing wind,

 we soon abandoned the look-see and headed back to the warm apartment. But not before clocking that this looked to be a really nice town.

The Netherlands - The Journey

An interesting start to the trip.  After arriving at the airport just ahead of a horizontal snow storm and being told that we were on the stand by list for a seat on the plane, we did eventually climb aboard.

Ahead of take off, the whole fuselage and wings were deiced before we had the most exciting/terrifying (take your pick) take off we have had ever.  The airport was effectively closed for the day after our departure.

After lunch at the Dudok cafe where we picked up the keys,

comfy in slippers.