Grey trousers with a cream top. What an unbelievably subdued outfit for me. No bright colours, instead only neutral light shades which work well together, I think.
Marjolein took the photos as we cruised through the centre of The Hague. From here on, you will get a chronological report.
Below: The first thing we encountered was the mural on this garage door, tucked away in an alley.
Below: As we approached the mural from the side, all we saw at first were the strips you see below. The whole mural is created in this way. Incredible. This artist deserves a much better display of their work.
Below: We entered the Voorhout, which is a lovely area, once the place to stroll and be seen, especially for the rich. There were a few market stalls but what always has me in awe, are the big trees forming a sort of arch. So beautiful. The first photo of this post was taken in the same area.
Below: This is a bit of a boring picture, but one that clearly conveys the outfit. Those blue patent shoes are new and it was the first time I walked in them for a whole day and no blisters. Perfect shoes. The pale slate Demellier bag, the grey trousers, the green belt, the stingray earrings and the cream top you have all seen before.
Below: As we walked past this statue of Willem I, Prince of Orange, I said to Marjolein: “I bet he doesn’t like being shat on by a seagull” and a passing man replied: “Just as much as we want to be shat on by our government like they are doing now.” I thought it was funny but I have no clue what he was talking about.
Below: There was also a big statue with a big sturdy chain surrounding it like a garland. As I sat on it a man passing by said something funny. I cannot remember what it was; it made me smile.
Below: We walked to the Hofvijver where the government buildings are. You might remember them from this post with my orange leather pencil skirt. There were big flower displays, inspired by old masters, whose paintings are in the Mauritshuis museum. It is to celebrate the 200-year anniversary of the museum. The photo below is one which I stole from the website because you can see the government buildings behind the display.
Below: And here am I with another display.
Below: Marjolein took this close-up of a flower. Very well done (as well the artwork as the photo).
Below: And this one.
Below: Here you can see the dimensions.
Below: And here you can see me being totally distracted by two very good-looking fellows. Marjolein said they were gay (it was Pride week) but they were Italian and Italian men dress way better than Dutch men so I am not sure.
Below: Look at that…it’s like being in Paris, at Montmartre, where are the artists are.
Below: He was painting the government buildings.
Below: Lunchtime! We found this terrace and again it felt as if we were in France.
Below: Marjolein being very relaxed and matching the colours of the parasol.
Below: Lovely old buildings in The Hague. It has been the seat of government of the Netherlands since 1588.
Below: We went for a bit of shopping. Here is a nice head to toe shot of Marjolein.
Below: In the vintage shop Appel and Ei. Alas, these babies were a bit too large.
Below: Great old window to sit.
Below: Close-up of the bracelet Marjolein just bought. She let me borrow it because it matched the outfit nicely.
Below: In an attempt to get a close-up of the blue bracelet, we didn’t pay attention to the fact that old arms should never point to the floor and thus let gravity do its ugly work on the skin. Combine that with what photographers call ‘grazing light’ and you have horror. Oh dear.
Below: Close-up of the long stingray earrings by Lara Design.
Below: We headed back across this little square.
Below: Through an alley with a special ceiling.
That concludes the outfit part of this post. Lots of photos right? I bet you readers are all pensioners with lots of time on your hands haha. I don’t mind at all.
What happened in my life this week
Saturday we walked dog Watson on the beach early in the morning, before it got too hot. Rest of the day we took at a slow pace. Not moving is a very sound advice for hot days.
Sunday I went to mum and stayed overnight as Monday we had to go to hospital to check the wound on her heel and to see an eye doctor. I am very happy to say that the wound is now completely healed and the skin only has to get a bit tougher in the coming months.
The eye doctor had a less happy message. Mum’s eyesight in the one eye which is still reasonably good is getting worse and she needs to go in for regular injections. So we scheduled the injections. Too bad for mum but we want to preserve her eyesight as long as possible.
Below: Mum.
Tuesday I went for a mammography, always a pleasant event (NOT), though it is not that bad. They have to hash your boob between two slabs and press, which isn’t a picnic. I said to the nurse: “If a man’s penis had to be pressed between these slabs, they would have researched for a machine just as long until they had found one that could do the job in a less painful way.” She replied that the industry was searching for a less invasive way for 30 years now but still hadn’t found anything.
I thought: “I bet it has never been priority at the research industry”. Anyway, it is over and done with again; let’s hope the results are fine.
Below: I am not really proud of the outfit I was wearing Tuesday but the new earrings by Baublehaus are great. Have to think of a better outfit to do them justice.
Wednesday I saw Nicolene from South Africa. She is @stylecuratrix at Instagram and a lawyer by profession. She came to the Netherlands in 2018 and we met then as well but in Amsterdam. It was in April and freezing cold, so we could only sit in a restaurant. This time she came to Haarlem and I was rooting for a nice sunny day. But no, it came pouring down, so we sat on a covered terrace most of the afternoon. Such a shame I didn’t get to show her my beautiful little town. Nevertheless we got on like a house on fire and had a lovely afternoon anyway.
Below: Nicolene, who is a beautiful woman.
Thursday I saw Jacqueline in The Hague. We used to be colleagues and catch up from time to time. She had just bought a new house and gave me the tour. It is absolutely beautiful.
Below: Jaqueline, a beautiful woman in a gorgeous house.
You can imagine how the afternoon developed…chatting and coffee. Lovely to catch up. As if we saw each other yesterday.
Friday I went to The Hague again. Marjolein had tickets to go to the King and Queens Palace. Of course I wanted to have a little look there.
Below: Marjolein in a cheerful summer dress. It suits her so well.
Below: This was me that day. Contrary to Wednesday the forecast had been rain in the afternoon and we didn’t see a drop. I overheated. It is not my finest styling. The trousers should have been slimmer and more cropped with this long shirt. I’ll do better next time. You see me wearing the blue bracelet again, which I also wore in this week’s outfit. Marjolein had bought me the bracelet as a present. Isn’t she sweet? I love it.
Unfortunately the tickets were not for the King’s palace but for another palace, which we thought was crap. The guide must have been a history teacher in his working years. He took us on a long walk past several buildings and statues telling us all about them, pausing often or asking us questions like “Do you know who this man in the painting is?” We snuck out before the end of the tour.
Below: The guide and me in front of one of those building he is describing.
Below: Marjolein and me in a palace mirror.
As we walked through The Hague, Marjolein led me to a little alley, called cat alley. All the buildings are decorated with cat murals. So good. I’ll show you three photos below.
Below: We also did some shopping at TK Maxx but didn’t succeed. I found this lovely Moschino jacket, half see-through but the material wasn’t nice on my skin. Too bad.
As I drove back home I spotted 5 bulls (not real ones) on the roofs of loading platforms. Those roofs have grass on them for insulation. I have no idea what the bulls are made of but love the idea. (The platforms are lower than the street, just in case you are wondering.)
See you next week hopefully.
Greetje
Another great catch up of your week Greetje and as ever you look lovely. I know the colours are more subdued that usual for you but those sweet blue shoes get to take the limelight this way don’t they?
You are so lucky to be surrounded by such beautiful buildings and art – it truly is exceptional to have this standard of artworks on the streets and adorning buildings – wonderful!
I know that living in and near (old) cities has its merits, but you have incredible nature surrounding you.
Thanks for visiting, commenting and the compliments. Mwah.
What a fun week you had! I love your new blue shoes – that’s such a useful shade of blue. How kind of your friend to buy that bracelet for you! It’s like she knows you, ha ha!
Aw, poor mum – must keep her eyes working! She looks lovely in that emerald green.
I love the cat murals, but that first one is amazing.
My blue shoes were a lucky find in the sale. I figured that pink boots and shoes were very versatile, perhaps light blue would be as well and it is.
Oh yes Marjolein knows me inside out. I was sneakily trying to find out the brand and she gave me all the details. Then I told her I wasn’t going to buy it. So sweet of her.
Emerald green is such a lovely vibrant colour, isn’t it? Goes well with her white hair.
What a lovely place to spend an afternoon – I love the wonderful public art on display. That mural of the woman’s face is beautifully done, and as a cat lover, I enjoyed the cat alley.
You can wear neutral, lighter colours and they look nice on you. I am too pale to be able to wear pastels. I hope the news from your mammogram is good.
As a fellow cat lover I was so pleased with that alley. The city council decided to upgrade the neighbourhood by fixing houses and they asked artists to give the alley an uplifting and fun vibe.
Usually I am too pale to wear pastels as well, but in summer when I have a bit of a tan, I can get away with it.
The result of my mammogram just arrived and I am OK.
The bracelet and matching shoes are great – very French in that the combo is a small twist that completely upgrades the outfit. The cat alley is wonderful (I adore cats), as are the pics of the other buildings.
Yuur mum has an amazing collection of tops, doesn’t she? And good to hear her heel is better.
I had a mammo too a couple of weeks ago; like you, I hate it but at least it’s only a couple of minutes of pain. All was OK – hope yours is too.
Oh la la… I love that you told me that I incorporated a small twist which makes me look French. It is a very elegant look but elegant is also somewhat well-behaved. I am not haha.
I adore cats as well.
Yes, mum does have quite a few tops as she seldom throws one out.
The result for my mammo just arrived and I am OK. Yay.
The gray pants are very elegant and beautiful. The top is perfect in this posh look. Italian handsome boys, Frenchified painters… and flowers, in your city there is nothing missing in The Hague. I love the bracelet they lent you, even on your arm under gravity. LOL . And I love the close-up with the beautiful earrings, you look beautiful in it. Nicolene is a very interesting woman, I had lost contact with her, I try to recover it thanks to you.
This is what you like to see, an elegant style, right? I must say I also like this style but find it often too “well-behaved”. And I am not really a very “well-behaved woman”.
Thanks for all your wonderful compliments again.
You will find Nicolene on Instagram but not very often on her blog anymore.
I already follow Nicolene now on IG, we follow each other, thanks.
Love the shoes and bracelet with the outfit. While I appreciate the understated elegance of this outfit, my eyes are still used to more color lately, The garage mural is incredible. How can artists work in such a small way and create the larger picture. Also the ‘cat walk’ brought delight. I love how you find these whimsical places to shoot your photos. Brings great delight. Your rant about mammograms brought a smile – especially the image of the squished male organ.
My friend Susan called this understated outfit a ‘palate cleanser’ which I thought was a good description. As you know I am very much a colour lover but for a change I quite like being understated chic.
If I am on a day out with a friend who takes the outfit photos, I come across whimsical places and that creates a lovelier blog post than just outfit photos. But I cannot always supply that.
Glad I made you smile. Goal of this blog achieved.
Hi Greetje, I love your posts and since I work most days (not retired I am afraid) I can hardly wait to get home on Sundays to read your post. Yes, I work Sundays too. Interestingly I like the outfit you like the least. With the red sash. You have great style and are a fun person to follow. Thank you for sharing your life with me and others.
Thank you very much. For reading my blog, commenting and for the lovely compliments you pay me.
I am afraid I’ll make the posts too long and people will only look at the photos and not read it. But cutting it up an creating a blog post a couple of times a week, would mean new outfits a couple of times as that is the concept of this blog. And I don’t have the money to do that.
I look forward to your posts every week – so full of Dutch photos and outfits and very chatty. So nice. I love the neutral colours of your outfit with the pops of light blue and the earrings.
Keep going! Hope you have a good week.
Chatty…that’s me to a t. I’ll chat the whole day and to everyone, friend or stranger. Might get a bit too much for some haha. The outfit this week is a bit of a surprise to me, but I do like it.
Your country offers so many lovely surprises, both architectural and artistic. And of course the warm and welcoming people! I really long to visit again. Thanks for the smiles!
We are a funny nation, I’ll grant you that. If you can stomach the directness of the Dutch, then it is an easy country to live in. Hope you get to visit the Netherlands soon.
I happened upon your site a month or so ago. It and you are delightful! I must put you on my map of potential trips!!
Hahaha…thank you and welcome. Just remember, the Netherlands is a fickle country weatherwise. It often rains and you cannot predict when. That is why I love Italy. It is like an open museum with beautiful things everywhere, very good food and…sunshine nearly all the time. But I won’t knock my own country which is lovely too.
I love this neutral outfit. At first you take it in as a whole, and then you move on to each subtle accessory one at a time. Then you step back and see how it all came together. So pleasing to look at.
Wow, this outfit gets a lot of attention from you. I hadn’t looked at it like that. I suppose because this is a subtle outfit instead of a loud outfit (my usual thing). I quite like this idea of layered looking. Makes the outfit even more chic, right?
Such great photos, as always. That mural on the garage door is just amazing, and the cat alley is so much fun. Marjolein and you both look so stylish, as does your mom. I am so glad the wound has healed, and hopefully, the injections will help her eyes.
By the sound of it, you enjoyed this post and that makes me happy. Posts like this, that tell a story are always nicer to create than just photos of an outfit. But I cannot always supply that.
Hello, You
Love your pale outfit, very stylish. The shoes are just right and bracelet is, again, very stylish and so right for you. You have a good friend who knows you well!
As for that garage door: wow! And the cats – so clever. This is why I love the Netherlands so much; alongside its natural and architectural beauty there is always a quirky spot just waiting to surprise a passer-by. Lovely!
Yes, your Mum’s eyesight is precious and anything that helps preserve it should be tried. Hugs to her from across the Channel.
Have a good week, kiddo
Gee (new GreatGrandmama. Yay!) x
Hi Gee, congratulations with being a new GreatGrandmama. Lovely new baby to hug.
Although bright colours make me ‘sparkle’, a pale, stylish outfit makes a nice change.
And yes my friends know me well and Marjolein especially. I was trying to find out the brand of the bracelet without letting her know that I wanted to find it online. She knew exactly what I was after and what I would be doing. I told her I abandoned the idea and then she surprised me with it.
Lovely photos. I especially liked Cat Alley. It is always so interesting to see your photos.
I am glad I could bring you joy and will continue trying to for a long time. Thanks for reading and commenting.
I had a feeling the bracelet would be a gift to you. It’s so perfect with your shoes. What nice friends you have!
I so agree with you, I have really nice friends. Not because they give me presents but because they all have such good characters. And they are all honest and trustworthy. Highly valued qualities.
I thought the gray and cream outfit very becoming. It is simple but elegant. I hope the injections your mom will have are not too painful. And last but not at all least those cats are superb. What an incredible artist. Thank you once more for giving us a little bit of the Netherlands.
Simple but elegant is something I really want to achieve. It is also why I like Victoria Beckham’s clothes so much. But I have a fickle character and always stray to bright colours and quirky outfits.
The injections aren’t painful, but she doesn’t like the drops they administer to anaesthetize the eye. They sting.
It was my pleasure to show you everything. Thank you for reading and commenting.
Lovely outfits Greetje – and your usual stylish friends! Love the pale blue shoes. The neutral outfit really suits you and I love the bracelet too. As ever your mum looks good. Have a great weekx
I think I am more radiant in bright colours, but I like Susan’s idea that the neutral outfit serves as a “palate cleanser” from wearing colours.
I like the simple, neutral outfit. Sometimes it’s like a “palate cleanser” to take a break from wearing colors. The shoes are very You, so glad to hear they’re comfortable.
The cat alley is absolutely charming!
That is a lovely term, a “palate cleanser”, like water after coffee.
I do love a pump, even if it has a much lower heel than I love to see on me.
The cat alley had me in awe.