Black trouser suitBefore the flowers were all gone, husband Ron took photos of my black trouser suit in the tulip fields. The colours are magnificent and the flowers are only there for a short time. The bulb growers cut the heads of the flowers which leaves you with a field full of stems. Not interesting. And the tulip growers will of course, cut the mature flowers to sell.

The tulip fields are only a 15 minutes’ drive from our home. When something is on your doorstep, you often take it for granted. We hardly ever go there in spring. Such a shame.

Below: Look at the beauty of these rows and rows of tulips.

Tulip fields

 

Tulip fields

When we arrived at the fields the sun was out in full blast which makes taking photos quite difficult.

Below: Wearing my leopard summer coat by Weekend Max Mara. I treasure this coat. I don’t like putting it over an outfit with a pattern but a black trouser suit is perfect.

Tulip fields

Below: These silver pumps have serious stiletto heels as you can see. I can walk on them (which surprises me too) but it isn’t comfortable (duh). High, stiletto, small pointy toe…sigh…still love them though.

Tulip fields

Below: Ron got distracted by this brooding swan. He used the long focus lens as it isn’t wise to come too close. Do you know a swan male and female mate for life? Or is that common knowledge?

Brooding swan

Below: I got Ron’s attention again. The sign says: “Please do not enter the flower fields.” The tulip growers absolutely hate tourists who want to take pretty pictures and trample on the flowers.

Black trouser suit

I totally understand the grower who doesn’t want his precious flowers ruined for a photo. Which is why we moved. You may ask yourself: “So how come you are sitting among the tulips??”

Below: Surrounded by tulips.

Tulip fields

As we drove on from the first field, we saw a sign of a very clever tulip grower: Tulip Experience Amsterdam, inviting everybody to take photos among the flowers…for a fee. I thought this was brilliant. They turned a problem (people trampling on the flowers no matter how many signs there were forbidding it) into an advantage: if this is what people want, let’s give it to them, but they have to pay a price.

They don’t just offer the fields as background for the photos, they also show a film on growing bulbs in the old days, you get a cup of coffee or tea and you can pick your own bunch of flowers. Plus they have a kids program. Covid was a spoil sport for the film but we gladly paid the entrance fee anyway.
Ron was the one who thought of sitting between the flowers (first photo and the one above). He even spread his jacket on the ground for me. Isn’t he a perfect gentleman?
(By the way: these fields aren’t actually in Amsterdam at all, they are in Noordwijkerhout, which is half an hour’s drive from Amsterdam. Just so you know.)

Below: As I wanted a photo of the black trouser suit without the bright sunlight spoiling it, we looked for a bit of shadow. Ron said: “Everybody thinks we are nuts. They are all taking photos with the flowers as background and we choose a grey wall”, hahaha.

Black trouser suit

The suit is very old and not really a suit. The trousers are from a suit dating 30 years back. It was by Piazza Sempione. Beautiful, I would buy it again. Alas, I wore the jacket to shreds. This jacket (Tiger of Sweden) is about 20 years old and it is really hard to see, it isn’t the same fabric as the trousers.
The shoes by Michael Kors are 5 (??) years old. The pale slate bag was introduced to this blog last week. I am using it a lot. The yellow earrings with silver buttons are by Lara Design. Of course. The top is by Filippa K.

Below: Close-up of the top, from 2018.

jewellery

Below: Trying to hide from the sun, getting three chins.

Black trouser suit

Below: Right, that is much better, although still too much light.

Black trouser suit

Below: I changed the top for a white T-shirt with pink flamingos, a design that my niece and her husband created. Also wearing pink/lilac flats. This is much more comfortable but I hate wearing flats. The suit is totally losing its sex appeal. Because I have flat feet and a low instep, my feet look horrible in flat shoes.

Black trouser suit

Below: Pulling a strange face. Against the grey wall.

Black trouser suit

Below: The tulips were so in sync with the shirt, shoes and earrings. These fuchsia earrings are by Lara Design as well.

Black trouser suit

Below: Ron provided a ‘prop’ with this tulip basket. At least you know what to do with your hands.

Black trouser suit

Below: As we were leaving, Ron spotted this car with highly unusual car paint. It is not a photo gone wrong, there was a pattern in the paint, glittering when the sun shone on it. Never seen anything like this before.

What happened in my life this week

My friend Marita and I had a drink on a terrace Saturday. It was so cold! The sun came out now and again, but not too often and the temperature was low. We had to sit next to a heater and keep our coats on. Sitting inside a restaurant is still not allowed. In spite of the cold, the terraces were packed with people (at an appropriate distance) as we were finally allowed to do that again. Marita wore a lovely pink jumper with cream trousers and a pastel-coloured coat. We were talking so much, I forgot to take a photo. Bad blogger.

On Sunday my computer guy came round again for the finishing touches. Everything works again. Yay. And I did another photo shoot with Kitty. We discovered new nooks and crannies in old Haarlem. Even a secluded little park. After the shoot we had half an hour to sit in the sun on a terrace with a drink and ‘bitterballen’ (crunchy deep-fried meatballs), a typical Dutch appetizer with drinks.

Monday was a bit of an off day. I had a headache that couldn’t be solved with pills and I had to lie down in the afternoon. That helped.

No problem with my head on Tuesday. In the afternoon I visited Marianne for a chat and a coffee.

Below: Marianne, colourful as always.

Marianne on 4th of May 2021

Below: I wasn’t colourful that day, the outfit is all right but not blog post worthy. I made up for the lack of colour with a green top, a green brooch and green earrings by Lara Design.

Outfit 4th of May 2021

My next-door neighbour invited me in the early evening to watch how she makes granola. She had given me a jar of granola because I mentioned at Easter that it looked delicious and it was. When I asked her for the recipe, there were lots of “a bit of this and a little bit of that” in it. I am a very bad cook and have no idea what “a bit” is. So I watched her prepare it and put it on video. The ease of modern society. Had to leave quite quickly as the 4th of May is the day of Remembrance of the Dead. The whole country is silent for two minutes. It used to be commemorating the people who had died between 1940 and 1945 (Second World War) but nowadays we commemorate all civilians and members of the armed forces of the Netherlands who have died in wars or peacekeeping missions since the beginning of the Second World War. You can hear a pin drop in our country at 20.00 hours.

The next day (Wednesday the 5th) is ‘Bevrijdingsdag‘ (Liberation Day), a national holiday when we celebrate being free again. Nine months after that glorious day in 1945, quite a few children were born as a result of the euphoria. Many soldiers who liberated us, unknowingly have kids in the Netherlands. There are parades and music festivals on this day…if there wouldn’t be Covid. Nothing this year.

I visited my mum again. All her social events like bingo and such have been cancelled, so she doesn’t really get out of the house much. Luckily she has a help who has become a friend, really a sort of substitute daughter who is much nearer than I am. They are very fond of each other. Mum also has her hair done once a week by a woman who deserves a place in heaven. She is so good for the elderly women and so kind.

So it is not that she is completely deprived of company and outings, but it is very little. As I am retired I have more time now, so visiting my mum is nice for me and for her.

Below: Mum and her iPad. She said: “Are you going to feature me again? Your readers will get fed up with seeing me.

Mum

Below: I took mum grocery shopping. This is reality for you. Hair is a mess (mine, that is) and my big warm coat isn’t blog worthy.

Mum and me grocery shopping

Below: Thursday was a lovely day with lots of sunshine. As the weather forecast wasn’t too good, I was dressed for winter. Only Thursday was so much nicer than the previous days. Here I am, enjoying a cappuccino on the terrace in the secluded ‘garden’ of Vascobelo. The only thing missing was company.

At Vascobelo's

Friday I visited Katrien who is making a long coat for me. Her designs and use of fabric are a guarantee for a showstopper.

Below: I remembered taking a photo of Katrien.

Katrien

We had a lovely afternoon. She checked whether the fabric for the coat and the fabric for the lining was OK with me. (It was totally OK.) We decided on the one button and had coffee. I tried some coat models to see which size was best for me. This brought on the temptation of another coat, one she has already made and it is for sale. Knowing that I have already spent so much money and with the car repair coming up, I know I shouldn’t. Temptation, temptation.

Below: I wore my red trouser suit with tigers that day. Still love it.

Red trouser suit with tigers

Which concludes this week.

Greetje

No Fear of Fashion

 

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