A Day in The Hague (10/08)

After a 12km cycle ride into Den Haag (The Hague) I was all too happy to sit and enjoy the beautiful view of the Binnenhof from the benches adhering the Hof-vijer. The sun caught the water of the central fountain beautifully and the flags of the Dutch provinces blew proudly in the breeze. An even better view was enjoyed from the window of the Haags Historisch Museum appropriately situated nearby. Inside which multitudinous paintings illustrated the development of the city into the centre of government that it is today. In fact the Queen resides not in Amsterdam but, as my trip to Koninklije Stallen and their associated gardens proved, a mere walking distance from the Binnenhof. This compelling mixture of old and new was further evident in the interior differences between the Grote Kerk and the Nieuw Kerk.

Luckily for me Den Haag was hosting ‘The Rainbow Nation’ which meant that contemporary South African sculpture was being exhibited on Lange Voorhout free to the wondering eye of the international crowd. The sculptures tracked the creativity of generations of such artists once freed from oppression and particularly the intrinsic importance of the South African identity, found in the subject matter and the materials used. Indeed the theme of identity was unavoidable as a seemingly endless stream of foreign embassies pervaded my map as I made my way to the Vredepalais where the International Court of Justice operates. It was interesting to think that each embassy I walked past had its own stone on the world peace pathway that stood outside the gates of the palace.

Last but not least I visited the Panorama Mesdag, the largest painting of the Netherlands. A total must see. The paintings great size, 360 degree complexion and sheer attention to detail created the illusion of reality. The Scheveningen landscape of 1881 which it depicted seemed tangible. The long dark corridor and stairs that made the way to the viewing hut and the central positioning of the hut itself, so that you couldn’t see the top or the bottom of the painting, undoubtedly played their part but all credit to the artist. Just wow. No photos were allowed so you'll just have to take it from me!  

A Thoughtful Tuesday (07/08)

I have been thinking a lot this week about my youth. Thus it seemed fitting to go with my Mum to look around De Kaag, a place where she used to play with her school friends. It’s a small island with around 300 inhabitants so to get there we hopped on the boat. The boat journey was less than 30 seconds but it felt like we had gone back hundreds of years. There was a sense of tranquillity in the apparent simplicity of their lifestyle: the traditional looking houses with clogs hanging by the doors, the well-trimmed gardens and the little old shops selling handmade merchandise and food. The calm currents of water which enveloped the village only supplemented my sense of peace.

It was as we walked around the village that my Mum recognised the farm in which her friend had lived, we approached in a bemused fashion to see if the family still lived there (family surnames are printed on the front doors) and they did!

We found out from her sister-in-law that Mum’s friend had died over 15 years ago from cancer. It made me think about everything that my mum left behind when she moved to England at just 19 and everything that has happened since. I felt fortunate and blessed, love you Mum!

I'm here!

All 37 shirts dresses and cardigans, 9 jumpers, 7 trousers, 6 shorts/skirts and 5 pairs of shoes have been safely put away. The walls of my room are now semi-clothed with mementos from home.

Plugged in the walls are all the pieces of technology (including a new Dutch mobile) that I have set up. My mobile now has, hopefully, all the contact information and apps that I will ever need!

In a more traditional manner a map of Wassenaar is sitting on top of the drawers next to the TV. Braving the elements, the process of village exploration by bicycle has been initiated and is starting to pay off... with help from Gijs and Caatje I was able to find the library this morning and even got myself a nice book to read whilst the kids played on the Wii. You read correctly, they have a Wii in the library. They also have a cinema, tents with soft play equipment, a mini aquarium and a wall of mirrors!