Details

On a beautiful December day, I walked through Delft with Ans to photograph a few of the city's charming details.  Of course, all Dutch cities have a personality, and most of them have quite a bit of charm coming from the US where anything before 1940 seems historic.  The Hague adorns nearly everything with storks, and on my bicycle commutes I made a sort of game of finding new storks.  Amsterdam has its ubiquitous city symbol, "xxx" engraved, flashing, or painted in its title.  Note that this isn't a sign indicating the Red Light District, an adult book store, or a tourist shop selling only extra large clothes.  It is simply the symbol chosen in 1507, St. Andrew's crosses.  Since we lived in Delft, I wanted to share a few of my daily wanderings, and thanks to Ans, a few new discoveries too.

Of course, many people know Delft because of its blue and white tiles.  The tiles are a fixture in many homes, shops, and along the way.  I like the modern use of blue and white tiles on the lamp posts near the Prinsenhof museum.  As you can see, these are very new (2009)...

The man shown below, Pieter van Foreest, was once the Doctor of Delft.  His former home (above) is the smallest in Delft.  In his later years, I think he became spokesman for Fisherman's Friend ;)

What caught my eye on an elegant, 1800s era house was the juxtaposition of "golden" and "herring" in its name.

When Ans pointed out the sign below, I gained new appreciation for the Golden Herring..

The animal theme continues with poultry...

And there are lions too!

These felines mark the front and back of the Leger (or Army) Museum.  I wouldn't have guessed that this museum, across from our apartment, would become a favorite for our family in Delft.  But the modern day Dutch are, of course, pacifists.  Thus, this museum has hundreds of teachable moments, and both beautiful (intricately carved hunting rifles) and provocative exhibits.  Sadly, the museum will close in December, another casualty of budget cutting during the financial crisis.

Sometimes, though, one doesn't even have to enter a building to learn something about its history.

This tells  quite dramatically about Maria Duyst, who gave money to create a center of liberal arts study that would seek "the marrow of science"

The girls' house (orphanage)

This building was first used to make blankets as shown in the relief, but later it was a gymnasium ( high school), inscribed just above the door.

I could live here for a year and still notice (and enjoy) a new detail above a doorway, on a weathervane, or in the cornice of some building.  I wonder what we'll all notice as we pack our bags and prepare to return to Hanover.

Perfect Paris

I know you're thinking that we should have taken more pictures of the tasteful Parisian holiday lights (though they were not as noteworthy as the Marmite display in London, I must admit) and the lovely streets filled with Parisians.   We have visited Paris twice during August, when Parisians flee the city, so in December, everything feels different.  However, the highlight and the reason for this trip, was seeing old friends.  We did take the kids to the Louvre (closed during our last attempt to visit).  Though they are weary of museums at this point, Frans and Rose enjoyed the Mona Lisa's roaming eyes (so did I) and we enjoyed a beautiful new exhibit of Islamic art with amazing mosaics and beautiful wood carvings.

Rose creates the optical illusion of swimming in the fountain in front of the Louvre pyramid.

Frans looking like a teen as he snacks in front of the Louvre.

Funny to include a picture of Katia and I from the back, I know, but there is something about walking and enjoying the company of a dear friend, someplace special, with the sun beaming down.  Nice...

Andrei, Katia and Sergei's 8 year old son, was our tour guide for the afternoon when the rest of the family was busy elsewhere.  Andrei took us to the botanic gardens and then we peeked at this beautiful Mosque nearby.  This picture doesn't quite capture the stunning detailed moasaics and carving in the courtyard behind us.  I love the way Andrei, who is extremely polite and patient, is standing there as if he's thinking "no really, I am not responsible for these Dutch-American tourists.  I am a Parisien."  Though Andrei had only been to this part of town once on a class trip, he easily led us by subway across town and back home, where he offered us coffee as we came in the door - apparently he's a trilingual tour guide & a barista!

Erzo & Ellen in front of the mosque (proof that Erzo was on this trip too)...

In front of Katia & Sergei's place with Andre & Sergei.  Winter is coming, and it's chilly even in Paris, but the sunshine was heavenly.  Back in Delft, I'm still drying off from today's slushy commute...

Dutch + English = Denglish???

Now that Frans and Rose have spent several months in Dutch schools, their Dutch is better than ever.  One of the great things about learning another language, though, is learning and using words and expressions that have no exact English translation.  The kids have started to incorporate these words into daily use (sometimes without even knowing it!)

The Dutch word, gezellig, is one such word.  Its closest translation is “cozy,” but somehow it captures togetherness, feeling welcome, and much more. When we are together as a family, in a warm dry house, on a cold wet evening, enjoying good company and good food, the kids will describe such an evening saying, That was “gezellig”!

Rose with Bauke, Han's newest grandchild, during a gezellig evening with Han's kids and their families.

There is something to learn about a language in which there seems to be only one way to describe something as beautiful, pretty, elegant etc., mooi, but many ways to describe something as ridiculous!  With the guttural g’s and the Dutch intonation, the onomatopeia of the many Dutch words used to express when something is outrageously unacceptable is perfect in Dutch.  I find myself, in a moment of frustration with a ridiculous situation or an exasperating rule I cannot change, wanting to say Dat is belachelijk! Or Dat is flauwekul!  There are others, of course, but not all are fit to print…

Belachelijk! - Ellen holding a bag of lint, taped to an angry unsigned note from a neighbor in Oom Kees' apartment building in Switzerland. Why? Ellen ran out of the shared laundry room (to throw up) before cleaning the lint from the dryer during a bout of altitude sickness.  Poor Oom Kees had to hear about this from the neighbor in person - I'm happy I got the unsigned note with lint attached!

The other uniquely Dutch linguistic twist is the ubiquitous use of lekker, literally tasty.  You can of course, describe a cake as lekker, but you also hear parents describe kids playing wildly in the park, the school, or the living room as “lekker spelen” for having fun.  

Frans, lekker trommelen...

 ….  Or sometimes when an elderly person enters the train and someone offers his/her seat, the typically hearty Dutch reply with “Blijf lekker zitten” or literally, “Stay tasty sitting”… for “ No, don’t get up.”  

How could anyone keep from smiling when someone tells you to “stay tasty sitting”?

Loving London

This weekend was all about London - perhaps the most popular destination yet during our time in Europe in terms of crowd appeal.  We also lucked out with some mild fall weather, a bonus since the daily Dutch rainy mornings continue.  We wandered through popular sites like the British Museum and the Tower Bridge, took in a performance of Scrooge at the Palladium Theater, feasted on everything from spicy Indian food to wonderfully cozy afternoon tea, and just enjoyed the amazing diversity of sights, sounds, and the juxtaposition of new and old in this amazingly diverse city.  Here are a few postcards below...

Big Ben & Houses of Parliament across the Thames River

Skating next to the Tower of London - it rained just before we skated, so if you look closely, you'll see the wake Frans' skates left.  Falling was a very wet proposition, but our winter loving kids enjoyed the first skate of the season.

One of the many spectacular views from the giant ferris wheel, the London Eye.

Rose stands at the foot of the London Eye.

Ellen & Erzo with the Tower Bridge in the background.  Before it was built in the late 1800s, London bridge was the ONLY way to cross the Thames in London.  And of course, it kept falling down...

Standing on Regents Street with the ubiquitous double decker bus in the background.

Holiday lights were up around town.  This display on Oxford Street was one of the oddest Christmas displays we've ever seen.  The lights are sponsored by Marmite Gold (maker of the yeasty smelling, strong flavored Marmite).  Thus, the displays featured pictures of Santa and Elves either "loving" marmite and eating it up or "hating" it and spitting it out.  Vomiting elves & green Santa?  Hmmmmm...

Rose & Frans in front of an impressive 60 foot tall totem pole from British Columbia, now standing in the British Museum.. In the section on ancient civilizations, we saw a beautiful marble statue of Venus that once stood in Ostia Antica where we visited just a few weeks ago when in Rome.  So that's where all those missing statues ended up....  The sculptures and displays from ancient Greece, Rome, and Egypt are as stunning as they are controversial.

Indian Summer

What's the antidote for weeks of dwindling daylight, pouring rain, chilling winds, minor illnesses affecting every body part and every "body" in the household???  We found our restoration during a long, summery October weekend in Rome!   Sunshine, gelato, hot breezes, gelato, stunning historic sites, and more gelato.  And there was the pizza, pasta & the cappuccino too.  A few highlights below...

View of Coliseum and Roman Forum from Victor Emmanuel II Monument

Do you think Rose found evidence of the first QR code?  These are mosaic tiled floors in the ruins of Ostia Antica, a once thriving Port town outside of Rome that has structures from several hundred years before Christ.  This stretch is the market where mosaics usually indicate what each shop sold.  Perhaps Rose found the Apple store...

Guess where we are in the picture below...  This is, I'm quite sure, not the usual photo at this particular site.  Hint: Rose really wanted to walk around a country in one day (actually it took only 45 minutes)...

Rose & Frans enjoying the sun on their backs near sunset at Ostia Lido.

In front of Constantine's Arch

Below - we enjoyed a little Roman style.  What seems big in Rome?

1) the "Man Purse"  ; and 2) stylish street signs

The Pantheon, the best preserved architecture from Ancient Rome, and simply cool with its large Occulus in the middle of it's amazingly constructed concrete dome, was a favorite of the family both inside and out.

Bring on the wind, rain, and the time change - we're ready now!

Assimilating kids...

 Everyone asks, "How are Frans & Rose settling in?"  I will let the pictures speak for themselves... with a few captions of course.

Frans has been to sailing camp twice.  I love this shot because he manages to stay dry - not sure how his partner feels!

Here is Frans hot-dogging on a day without much wind... perhaps he should sit down before he ends up as above.

Rose enjoys herself in the stable "bug."

1st day of school -  Rose wasn't quite ready to let go, but she's done very well.  If you look closely, you'll see Frans in the red t-shirt in the background, blending in.  As you can see, there is less grass on the playground in the Netherlands!

Rose commuting to school

Traffic gets busy as you get near the school!

A class trip to the Prinsenhof, home of William of Orange, leader of the Dutch revolt against the Spanish in the 1500s. 

Rose played Balthasar, the assassin of William of Orange, complete with a fake pistol.  The Dutch do not sugar coat any aspect of history and after her class trip, Rose spared no details when describing how Balthasar was tortured!

Frans goes native, riding with Renze pedaling and Douwe chases from behind.

WADLOPEN in Friesland.  Frans poses in front of the dike (those are sheep grazing in the background).  On the other side of the dike is the North Sea at low tide.  We went "wadlopen" which translates as "mud flat hiking".  Essentially, these are big stretches of land you can hike at low tide only (with a guide).  We were hoping to see seals, but we did not.  The day was beautiful, however, and it's not often that you are up to your thighs in mud and cold water!  Strangely, Rose opted out of this several hour hike.



Rose gets ready for a swim meet!  She did a good job.


Frans tried out rowing on one of the many canals in Delft.

Frans, Renze, Douwe, and Rose on the ferry to Loevestein, a castle in Gelderland where we celebrated Ans' 70th birthday.  The background of this photo shows perfectly how Holland is a mix of old (the old windmill, now replaced by newer sleeker versions) & new - as seen by the construction cranes and modern buildings, everywhere.

From the top of the castle - addressing their subjects...

So, the evidence is in.  My Dutch-American children seem to have no problem fitting into either country.  Now if I could do the same, we'd be all set.  The kids are embarrassed about my bad Dutch.  So am I.  Luckily, the highly educated Dutch are happy to speak English early and often!