Last summer I finally visited the Ruins of Brederode, only a few kilometers from my house. Isn’t it strange how these things work? I live in Haarlem for almost 20 years now and paying the Ruins a visit had been in the back of my mind all this time. But as is often the case, […]
Tranquil Elswout in Overveen
Haarlem, conveniently located between Amsterdam and the beach Haarlem, my hometown in the Netherlands, is a sleepy, but charming town, positioned between the west coast and Amsterdam. Between my house and the coast you find mainly nature. Parks, forests, vast dune areas and finally the beach. Many of my friends and fellow citizens bike to the […]
Winter in the Netherlands
I usually spend my winters in the Netherlands, unfortunately. Winter in the Netherlands Ever wondered what winter in the Netherlands is like? Well, the Dutch climate is quite unpredictable. We have seasons, but they are not very distinct. Some years our winter feels like autumn. Also happened: a spring that felt like winter or the […]
Living in two countries
Did you like my Throwback Travel Series about Marrakech, Morocco? I hope so! I loved going through my pictures from those sunny days, especially with the cold, rain and wind around me at the moment. Because the last couple of months I am/was in the Netherlands. Soon I am heading back to the warmth of my […]
Guest Appearances on other blogs
Yesterday I received an email from Candace Rose Rardon, the famous and talented blogger/artist from The Great Affair. She informed me that (for the second year in a row), she included some of my Paper 53 sketches in her Summer Sketchbook 2014. Cool! I am so thankful and honored that she accepted my sketches. Be […]
Blogger meetup
I love it when online contacts cross over to the ‘real’ world. In this case a blogger friend from Canada came to the Netherlands to have a blogger meetup with three Dutch bloggers. How amazing is that?!
Mah Jongg. Fun, traditional and edible.
About 25 years ago, my boyfriend of that time introduced me to the asian game Mah Jongg. Being a lover of boardgames, it did not take me long to be smitten. On the game, that is, because I was already in love with Mr. Mah Jongg;-). In Holland Mah Jongg is not a common, known […]
Let’s do some window shopping!
Window shopping is not one of my hobbies. Especially not when it means that I can only look, because the stuff on display is way above my budget. For me that feels more like self-torture then like fun;-). Except…..except when the window display itself is something special. Artistic, funny, original. Have you ever been in […]
Dutch flowers in da hood
Whenever the sun is shining and providing some pretty light, I like to take a walk through my neighborhood in Haarlem, The Netherlands. Preferably when there is not too much wind , because wind causes flowers to sway and move. And that’s not handy for making pics of flowers. These pictures are from a stroll […]
Three months in Haarlem, the Netherlands
My three months in Holland are coming to an end soon. Next week I fly to Singapore. A lot happened this May, June and July. No dramatic events, just daily life and casual things. I had a great time. Here’s a photo reportage of the past months: I enjoyed being around my friends: 1.Jo, on […]