Not all tulips which wander are lost

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Belated update:
Second weekend in NL, went to Amsterdam. Early afternoon was spent in my old neighborhood, wandering the Saturday market at the Noorderkerk, and relaxing at a cafe. The rest of the weekend was spent with a close friend of the family who moved to Amsterdam not too long ago. Assisted in chocolate-birthday-cake baking, had fantastic pizza for dinner. Dessert was shared with her friends, in celebration of her birthday: Chocolate cake and bubbly. It was great! Ended up sharing my "bed" with two snuggly kitties which made it a fantastic night sleeping on the couch. Brunch the following morning at a nearby cafe was nice, then I did a tiny bit of touristy-shopping on my way to the train station. Then a quiet ride "home" and a soak in a hot bubble bath.

What a great weekend!

Koffie Verkeerd at a cafe at the edge of the Noordermarkt. Had a blast watching people coming and going from the market, relaxing while writing letters to friends in the US.

Hemingway knows the importance of earnestly watching pigeons from the window.

Chairman Miauw knows he's the dictator of the couch.

Here's a look at a few of the other units at our vacation oasis. Pics are from shortly after we arrived in Feb.

Phantastic Pheasant Phalaces

Phantastic Pheasant Decorations

Butterfly Beauty

Saturday, March 9, 2013

"Kangeroefilet met portwijn saus"

Kangaroo filet, with a sweet port wine sauce. Served with sauteed onions and bell peppers, and a small side salad. Amazing dinner.

Market day in Den Bosch

The top two are my view from the cafe where I had lunch: a baker, and a cheesemonger (kaasboer). Lunch was a toasted sandwich with melted brie, honey, pickled onion and baby salad greens. Fabulous! Of course, I ended my trip the proper way: an arm full of fresh-cut flowers.

St John's cathedral, in Den Bosch

Had an afternoon to myself, so I decided to explore one of the highlights of Den Bosch.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._John's_Cathedral_('s-Hertogenbosch)