A different post this week than usual as I was pretty ill. No opportunity to do an outfit photo shoot. It probably started with a virus three weeks ago and I thought it had gone so ventured out again, only to pick up another virus. Or, the one that I already had, got worse. I coughed all week as if I were going to die the next morning. Went to the doctor and she checked it is a virus and not pneumonia or so. Got codeine to help stop coughing. That helped a bit. Not going out and not talking helped even more. Needless to say I am pretty peeved.
So no great outfit photos this time. Instead here is a report on my day in Amsterdam with Susan, a loyal Canadian reader of my blog (see photo above).
It was a gorgeous sunny Sunday and although I didn’t feel too well, I met Susan and her husband Brian anyway. I mean, it is not as if they will come to Amsterdam again next week.
I ‘know’ Susan from emails we have sent each other for quite a while and luckily she is as lovely as I thought she would be. Always a gamble of course when you meet someone in real life for the first time. A bit like a blind date.
Below: Brian and Susan on a typical Amsterdam terrace where they bought me lunch. Very sweet. A fortnight before coming to the Netherlands they had visited Malaga, which is why they already have a tan.
Below: After lunch we strolled through the streets of Amsterdam. Restaurant Herengracht has a small terrace on the pavement outside their building.
Below: And they also have a larger terrace across the street. This photo only shows part of the terrace because to the right, the beautiful buildings were covered with a hideous bright green screen for renovation purposes.
Sunshine, canal, trees, good food and drinks. It doesn’t get much better.
Below: The trees on the canals have their green leaves again. It makes such a difference to the atmosphere.
Below: I took a picture of Susan and Brian with typical Amsterdam stairs in the background. Susan broke her back a year ago and it is still limiting her. But it doesn’t stop her from going out and doing things. She uses a stroller for balance which I left out of the photos haha. I admire her zest. Her cardigan is a beauty by Joseph Ribkoff and a recent birthday gift from her husband.
Below: I remembered this building with the ornament of a climbing cat. Lovely with all those flowers. The building itself is beautiful as well with its round tower and round doors.
Below: The Felix Meritis building, built in 1776 for the new society called Felix Meritis for Music, Drawing, Physics, Commerce and Literature in the modern neo-classical style. Now “Felix Meritis is an independent international meeting place and serves as director of the European public debate, cultural processes and international projects and exchanges.”
Below: Although it is no longer what it used to be, the ‘Knopenwinkel’ (button shop) is still worth visiting. Half the shop is now a gallery for paintings but the other half is still a really good button shop with the rarest buttons. Susan bought a few and Brian whispered to me: “She has so many buttons now, she could open up her own button shop.” LOL
Below: We had lovely tea/coffee with sweets at Chocolaterie Patisserie and Tearoom Pompadour. Brian and Susan shared a tiramisu. He already had the extra spoon, but the dessert is on Susan’s table… Just kidding, he had his fair share. I had a chocolate truffle with my cappuccino.
Below: One of the last buildings to show you, is this church.
Below: Two amazing trees in the church courtyard.
Surprise…here are two photos of the outfit I wore meeting Susan in Amsterdam, which Ron took this weekend in our garden. I felt a bit better but couldn’t venture out yet.
Below: The lime duster is a treasure which you have seen a couple of times before. Great shape and colour for me (link to 2016 outfit post with blue shirt and colourful bangles).
Below: The AMA trainers are the same as you saw last week. The checked top by Essentiel is a gift from my friend Peggy (link to 2021 outfit post with different trainers). I forgot to include the bag which is in the photo at the top of the post. It is from Mads Nørgaard and bought at kpa.haarlem last year; light as a feather.
Funny how the green earrings seem to be the same green as in my trainers.
What happened in my life this week
Mum and I ventured out to buy new slippers for her and succeeded. I was surprised the temperature was much lower in her village than in Haarlem. And the wind was fierce. It might be that my cold got worse there.
Below: Mum, actually smiling. She gave me her pearl necklace with matching earrings. I have a similar necklace, bought at a vintage market.
There is a funny story about the necklace. Years ago, beginning of the century (does this sound ancient? yes it does) I wore my pearl necklace to a family gathering. My mum was admiring it and my sister-in-law enthusiastically called out “Let’s buy something like this for your mum, for her birthday!” I tried to signal her to abort that thought, but it was too late.
You see, buying a second-hand pearl necklace at a vintage market doesn’t cost you much. But going to a proper jeweller, showing him that second-hand necklace and asking “Do you have something similar or can you make it?” is something quite different. Different as in price range. It was bloody expensive. Luckily for us, my father paid most of it (50%?) and we, her children and children in-law, paid the rest.
Mum says she cannot manage the fiddling with the lock anymore, nor with putting in earrings. Her eyesight isn’t good and her fingers got stiff. Rather than leaving it in a drawer, she prefers me to have it.
I checked with my brother and sister-in-law whether they were OK with this and as I suspected, they are. No problem.
Below: That Monday I wore the necklace and the earrings with this outfit and I think it added elegance to the outfit. (Link to original post with this outfit, only with yellow slingbacks instead of golden boots.)
I went to the film The Book Club Chapter 2 with my friend and neighbour Monique. The film was amusing and we did enjoy ourselves but we agreed with the critics that the writers could have done a much better job for these brilliant actresses. Some scenes and lines made me cringe. And the obvious sponsoring by an airline and by the Italian Tourist Board didn’t amuse me either. Nevertheless, it was nice. I would rate it 7.5 (out of 10). But the woman sitting next to me rated it 9.5. Perhaps it depends on your level of expectations?
Below: After the film, we went for a drink in a typical Dutch ‘brown café’. The temperature had dropped further, the wind increased and I was feeling worse by the minute.
Below: This is me the next day, feeling totally miserable. Couldn’t bring myself to get dressed or put make-up on. This is the naked truth, dears. This is what I look like with no make-up, not having brushed my hair and feeling ill. I walked around like this for two days. Poor Ron.
Below: Then on Thursday I felt sorry for Ron and got dressed again, put my make-up on and earrings in. However, the cough was still there. Really horrible during the night, and milder during the day. You wouldn’t know I was ill if you saw me like this, would you? LOL (Link to original outfit post with different jeans and silver high heels.)
Below: An update on the garden. The pond is now finished, the plants are in the pond as well as in the garden. All we need now is rain and sunshine for everything to grow. No problem in this country.
Cat Sophie is mesmerised by the little fish we now have in the pond. She is also fond of the little salamanders who are clearly visible in this water with (too) small plants. I wonder whether she has eaten a couple as I could only spot one salamander this week. They are usually moving around the edge which is of course too easy for Sophie.
Luckily I am now feeling a lot better. Next week I will make up for this week.
Greetje
I hope you are feeling better. It is so not fun to be sick. I like the jeans and sweater photo plus all of the lovely scenes. How nice to meet one of your blog fans.
During the day I am feeling much better. Around half past nine the couching starts again. Luckily I got some more codeine to get me through the night as I spend hours on the couch downstairs because I don’t want to keep Ron from sleeping.
So glad to read from the comments that you are now on the mend! Love the glimpses of the city… adore the architecture and coziness of shops and restaurants…and the canals. So beautiful!! Hope you are soon 100% and back to your post-retirement blogging career : ) I love to travel to Amsterdam every week!
Recovery of the flu is going slowly. According to the doctor’s assistent it is a nasty flu that lingers on in your lungs for a long time. Oh well, it will pass.
I would love to still live in Amsterdam, but it is so expensive to live there and it is very hard to park your car. Two big reasons not to live there.
Yuck, I hope that virus has left you, Greetje! You look pretty good without your make-up and feeling sick – we all have that look of haggardness when we’re sick! How lovely of your mum to give you the pearl necklace – what a nice treasure and memory. She looks lovely too, in her fancy necklace, and so good to see a smile!
Yay, fun to meet up with a reader! Canada, you say? Well, you know we’re all delicate flowers, right? Ha! Looks like you all had a good time. Love your lime duster!
Well, I don’t particularly like my face without make-up and feeling ill. You know what I also got as I grew older? The area underneath my eyes is all red. I have a friend who has the same. So weird.
I will wear the pearls with fond memories. When they are gifted by your mum, they’re special.
I HAD THAT COLD/COUGH FOR FIVE WEEKS!HORRIBLE…….THAT WAS AFTER HAVING PNEUMONIA FOR THE MONTH OF JANUARY!
I FEEL FOR YOU!
I HAVE BEEN SICK THIS WHOLE YEAR……..SO FIVE MONTHS!
LOVE THE PEARLS AND YOUR MOTHER LOOKS ADORABLE!SHE LOOKS SHORTER THAN YOU WHICH OF COURSE WOULD BE THE CASE BUT I SEE YOU IN HER FACE!YOUR FRIEND FROM CANADA LOOKS LIKE SUCH FUN!BROKEN BACK?GOSH I GUESS WE HAVE NOTHING TO COMPLAIN ABOUT!EVERYONE SEEMS TO BE TRAVELING AGAIN WHICH IS GREAT FUN TO TRAVEL ALONG IN THEIR INSTAGRAM POSTS.
LOOKS LIKE YOU HAVE THE RETIREMENT DOWN TO PERFECTION!
I WISH YOU COULD WORK ON MY HUSBAND THAT ITALIAN!
HE WILL NEVER STOP WORKING!
I SO WANT TO SEE THAT MOVIE…….THE CAST IS UNBELIEVABLE BUT THE WRITING SO-SO?THAT MAKES ME MAD!!!
XXX
Oh darling, my misery is nothing compared to what you are going through. I shouldn’t really complain at all.
My mother is a lot shorter than I am. My father was very tall. I think I look as much like my mother as my father. My brother is the spitting image of my mother.
I don’t know whether it would be a good thing for your husband to retire from work. If your work is something you love to do, you would take away a lot of joy. Go and see the movie anyway; it is good fun, despite the writing at some points. It isn’t bad through and through. Not at all.
So glad you are feeling better. With the exception of the “true” picture of misery, you looked lovely in all the photos. Nice choices; particularly love the green jacket/denim look.
Your mother looks lovely as well and how thoughtful to give you the pearls so they are worn and loved.
The green jacket/denim look was an inspirational moment in 2022. When I don’t know what to wear, I look through my Outfit Gallery at the top of my blog and choose an outfit I have already worn.
My mother is practical, like I am. It is of course better that someone has fun with the pearls, than to just leave them in a drawer.
Sorry you were sick! hope you are better now. What is a “brown” cafe? also, I have two strings of pearls which I never wear. given to me by the first horrible husband. lol. Maybe that is why I never wear them. they look really nice on you!
A brown café is literally what it says, a café which is brown on the inside. Because of smoking a lot in the old days, because of brown furniture, brown walls. And it is old. Amsterdam has a lot of them, although it is now forbidden to smoke inside.
Your first husband might have been horrible but don’t hold that against those poor pearls. They cannot help it, they are not responsible. Just look at them, admire their beauty and take pity on them. AND wear them.
I don’t know how I discovered your blog, especially since it is not American. That is not to say that I would have avoided a foreign blog, just don’t know how I was so lucky! I avidly read everything you share, especially the content about your country and the towns. I am always so sorry to read of your being under the weather; the info about your kidney surgery was of particular interest to me, as I am having a bit of testing on a renal mass ( sounds ominous, doesn’t it?), but I am prefering to not panic. Yet! I am 72, not quite as adventurous fashion-wise as you, but trying to stave off being an “old lady” at every turn. Thank you so much for all your very personal offerings, and I wish you full and quick recovery from everything.
Thank you for all your compliments. I presume you stumbled upon my blog because I have a lot of American readers (60%). One leads to another. I read that most of the time a renal mass is benign but always needs further investment. I will keep my fingers crossed for you. I don’t think I am very adventurous fashion-wise but I am not average either. I am lucky that I have never cared much about what others say. It always reflects themselves not me.
And I am hoping to keep on blogging for a long time yet. It is a great hobby for an extrovert like me.
I really like your photos of your beautiful country, you make me discover wonderful places! Thanks for that! Although you think that I am a classic and that I only admire classic and very feminine looks, that is not true. I love informal and casual looks, as long as they have a nice balance and are understated. That’s why I like your look, jeans with the yellow jacket and those beautiful paintings. You are my best example that a woman can dress casual and be stylish. What a pity to see you with a sick and sad face, but then I regain joy when I see you happy and beautiful again.
I have misjudged you then. You managed to give me a compliment at the same time as you told me what you like haha.
My sick and sad face is gone, the cold is also (nearly) gone and I am happy again. I wish you would have your blog again.
Oh Bless You! You were sick! Glad you’re feeling better. The pearls your Mother gave you are lovely. Family jewelry is such a treasure to have and to hand down to other family members. They are truly special.
She already gave me another pair of pearl earrings, more modern, which my father bought her in the sixties. When you get them from your mum, they are very special.
I’m glad to hear that you’re feeling better! If we’re ever in the Netherlands again, which I hope we will be, I would love to meet you for a “blind date”!
Just let me know if you are ever in my country again. June, July and August are the months you have the best chance for good weather although it is never guaranteed.
Goodness, so very sorry that mean virus has attacked you! You are one brave lasdy. I usually wait a day or two so I can be sure it’s gone.
You, Susan, and her husband looked very nice. Love your coat! It’s so happy! I also love the green blazer.
I hope you feel better today than your sick photo shows. I almost hurt for you, the photo was so sad.
Your sweet mother was so sweet to give you her necklace. I know you will love it always.
Enjoy your new garden and let yourself rest so you don’t relapse!
I am not so much brave as stupid and impatient.
Luckily I am feeling much better now. It isn’t totally gone, but I can do things again.
Hello Poorly Person
So sorry to learn how much you’ve been under the weather lately. I always think that it’s not until you’re at the perking-up stage do you realise just how low you were initially. But you certainly look like you’re on the mend, so fingers crossed…
Lovely photo of Mama, and looking so well and happy. What a sensible idea to pass her pearls on. Far better for them to be worn than holed up in a jewellery box: pearls need to be next to skin. And they were the best accessory possible for the outfit you wore to the cinema. Just love that jacket! I’m longing to see that film and refuse to listen to the critics; what do they know?!
UK weather has been warm(ish) and sunny for the last few days so we’ll probably get fog and snow by the end of the week! But your city pics showed that your city green is actually on a par with.ours over here with the trees and fields and gardens all bright and er, green with colourful flowers adding the last pretty touch. As for your cottage garden, as I’d call it, it’s a credit to you and Ron (and the gardener) It’s well set out, it’s just the right size I’d say, and it’s nice and er, green!
Hurry up and feel better. Hugs all round..
Gee x
The film was very amusing, so don’t let the critics stop you. As I said, the woman next to me rated it 9.5.
Love your weather forecast haha. I hate that North/north-east wind. It makes it so cold.
The garden is a joint effort of Ron and neighbour Froukje. The size was a given fact. We couldn’t afford a bigger house so it came with a matching small garden.
I echo the other comments. Please take care of yourself, dear Greetje. Love your outfits and your photos. I especially like the outfit with blue jeans and green blazer. So flattering! And the photo of your mom is so sweet. And thanks for sharing the photos of Sheila. Love to see other Canadians are fans of your blog too!
I do take care of myself, it just bores me haha.
The outfit with the blue jeans and the green blazer was one that I created in 2022, one of those inspirational moments haha.
I think you meant Susan and not Sheila. I took so many photos for her to have as a memory and then it dawned on me I didn’t have material for a blog post. Luckily they both consented to letting me use them.
So sorry to hear you were ill when having a long distance visitor, that is the worst! You managed to look lovely despite it all. I looked for the building with the cat when I was there years ago, but couldn’t find it. I hope to try again someday!
The building with the cat is on Herengracht number 395 in Amsterdam. There you go. Next time you are in Amsterdam, you can find it straight away.
Glad you are beginning to feel better. Thank goodness for codeine cough medicine! Hope you are on the path to recovery. Have a good week.
My cold is getting better every day. It isn’t gone but I can move about now. As long as I don’t forget to bring handkerchiefs.
Do hope you are feeling better Greetje, its soo boring being ill isnt it? I adore that pearl necklace from your mum, it looks beautiful, mind you i do love pearls, I think they are a blondes best friend! Thanks for the effort you put into posting whilst feeling unwell!
That is the right word Linda…boring.
Pearls are favourites of mine as well. But I find it hard to combine them with more modern clothes. I don’t want to look outdated.
And the post was my pleasure entirely. It is after all, my hobby.
Dag Greetje
Wat fijn van en over je te lezen ! Hopenlijk viel je je inmiddels weer helemaal Okee
Wat ontzettend leuk die foto’s van de gebouwen in Adam !
Ja, vanaf maandag gaat het beter. Ik moet nog veel mijn neus snuiten maar het gaat echt de goede kant op.
Amsterdam is natuurlijk een beeld van een stad om mooie foto’s te nemen.
So sorry to hear you’ve been ill. A lingering cough is the worst, as it keeps you from getting the rest you need to get better.
What fun to meet up with your reader and show them around. I’m still hoping to get back to Amsterdam someday.
And the pond looks lovely! Hopefully the kitty won’t learn to fish….
You don’t want to be around me when I cough haha. It sounds terrible; as if I am going to die.
Fortunately it is getting better. I even slept good last night. On two pillows to keep me a bit upright. If I lay flat I cough.
Ron spotted two or three salamanders today, so apparently they are still there.
Sorry ’bout your illness. I had RSV in February; it was like a very bad cold. Your clothes look great here; I just need a translator. We don’t use words like “duster” and “trainers.” You’re expanding my vocabulary. 🙂
I am using British English and not American English and there is quite some difference between them. Like trainers (UK) and sneakers (USA).
Having a cold isn’t that bad. I moan about it, but really, it will pass. I had a cancer tumor near my kidney which was removed in March and after the operation I am pretty susceptible to lots of diseases. As I said, it will pass. It is minor compared to your eyes.
I know (about the language differences) and was simply teasing you. Or, as the Brits say, taking the piss out of you. 🙂
Sorry to hear about your tumor. I hope its removal is the last you hear of it. Stay healthy and enjoy life!
When someone is teasing me, I will always take the bait. Everybody always loves to tease me, because I react so much haha.
And like you are familiar with the language difference, I am familiar with the expression ‘taking the piss out of someone’. I have worked with a British company for 2.5 years and learned a lot.
The surgeon is going to monitor me closely, every three months to see whether the tumor comes back, but I don’t expect it to.
Hope your eyesight will not get worse.
Bless your heart! So sorry you have been so sick. Glad you were brave enough to post your sick picture…most of us have been there at least once, and can feel your pain.
Your pond and yard are beautiful!
Many wishes for you to get well and feel wonderful again. Take it easy until you are sure you are really well this time. We will forgive you if you miss a week or two.
I know you will forgive me if I miss a week publishing a post, but it is a hobby and I really want to do it. Fortunately I am feeling a lot better now, so I am on my way back.
Dearest Greetje, You are such a trooper, not feeling well but still soldiering on. Love your candor and willingness to share your “feeling sick” photo. Love the pearl necklace on you. Amazing how something so simple can be so elegant. Please take care of your sweet self.
Thank you very much Lynda, for your kind words. Since this morning I am feeling a bit better and I had a good night sleep. Sharing my “feeling sick” photo is to keep things real haha. Not everything is glamour.