When I met Janna (Timelessstyle.nl on Instagram) at the Rosewood Hotel in Amsterdam for lunch, I wasn’t planning a photo shoot. I was wearing wide white trousers with a blue and white top and orange accessories. Although you have seen all these items before, you have never seen this combination. So, I deemed this outfit worthy of a blog post. Especially, because the Rosewood Hotel and their restaurant Eeuwen were good for many interesting photos.
(No, I am still not getting any remuneration or free food for this shout-out. Plus, I have a critical note.)
Below: Entering the impressive Rosewood Hotel which is located at the Prinsengracht canal in the former Palace of Justice. It is huge and it took them 10 years to renovate. I will link to more information whenever there is a story to tell.
Below: The Rosewood Hotel is filled to the brim with art. If I am correct, about 1,000 items. Directly at the entrance, is this sculpture by Dutch artist and designer Frederik Molenschot. It is only a part of it. If you click the link, you will see more.
I was early, Rosewood’s restaurant Eeuwen wasn’t even open. A friendly hostess offered to show me around while I waited for Janna. She started at the exhibition of street artist Frankey. I love his work; so joyous with a subtle touch of mischief. Like Banksy, his art suddenly pops up. For instance, a little man might appear somewhere in Amsterdam, attached to a bridge or a house. If people in the street like it, they will leave it there.
Below: A work of art by Frankey (sold out). See what I mean with joyous?
Below: Another work of art by Frankey, a dinosaur with a golden tooth.
Below: A door stop by Frankey. So cute and funny.
Below: An example of Frankey’s fun art in Amsterdam. Suddenly on a white frame somewhere in the city, a little man appears, looking as if he is painting the frame.
(Note: I copied these photos from his website. Hope he forgives me.)
Below: The artist Frankey placing the statue.
After the Frankey exhibition, the hostess showed me a huge digital wall with art by Nxt Museum, Amsterdam’s first museum dedicated to new media art.
Below: Besides the art at the exhibition area, you can also buy art through a vending machine. I think it is very innovative and bloody expensive. But who can put a price on art, right?
Below: Janna arrived and we were taken to our table. We each got a little stool for our bag. How posh is that?
Below: Of course, we started with cappuccino, what do you think? It was excellent coffee and we both got a big chocolate with it.
Below: Close-up of the chocolate. It was worth the calorie intake.
Below: Choosing from the menu.
Below: They renovated the place to the highest standard. This is the restaurant’s ceiling.
Below: Janna’s view behind me.
The menu is luxurious but we are two slim Dutch women. We don’t eat a full course meal at lunchtime. We want sandwiches (very Dutch if they come with cheese LOL).
We saw something small on the menu, listed as a bite, a snack and went for that.
Below: Two brioches with smoked mackerel and fish roe. They tasted exquisite.
I thought it was so delicious I ordered another portion. Really, I wanted one brioche, but I could only order the pair. Which meant I was left with one as Janny didn’t want it. I was bold enough to ask for a doggie bag.
Probably no guest of the Eeuwen restaurant has ever asked for a doggie bag. The waitress knew what it was but they had to search high and low to find a somewhat acceptable box. I got a plastic box, 7 times the size of the lonely brioche, but I thanked them and took it home with me to give to Ron. He agreed it was delicious.
The blessing of growing older, you don’t give a shxt about what others think. Not that it interested me much when I was younger haha.
Below: The hostess had also shown me the garden designed by Piet Oudolf. If you mouse over a name on the page in this link, the garden he designed at that place will pop up. Here is a link to a video of the garden by the Rosewood hotel; Piet Oudolf himself is explaining his idea behind the garden if you click ‘Play Film‘.
Below: To the right you see a golden sofa. In the photo at the top of this post, you see me next to another golden work of art.
Below: Taking the sun into account (behind me), I took a photo of Janna who likes to combine jeans with a luxurious top. We both like this juxtaposition.
Below: Close-up of Janna’s shirt, in case you missed it last week.
Below: Janna took another shot of my outfit. I am pleased with myself (that is hereditary; my father’s side of the family) to have come up with the orange accessories. The white boots elongate my legs.
Don’t think it is easy to take photos of me.
Below: Some facial expressions that didn’t make the post. And look at the way I am standing; it looks as if I am peeing my pants.
Below: As we left the building, I saw these cakes (famous Dutch cake called Tom Poes). I thought they were real, but it is also art.
Now I must tell you the one thing that niggled me about this perfect hotel and restaurant. I mean, it is gorgeous and there is so much art. The staff is incredibly good and friendly. Nothing but A-standard. The thing that got me though was the water we had.
When handing us the menus, the waitress asked whether we would like some water. I said, sure. Just tap water will be fine and we got a bottle and two glasses (below a photo of it as I saw an opportunity for my photo assignment Reflections.)
At the end of the meal, she put another bottle of water on the table and took the empty one with her. I assumed the water was complementary. It was not. It was €6 per bottle.
Money is not the real issue; it was the way it was asked and presented. If I have to pay for something I like to know in advance.
I wrote a nice email to the hotel explaining my feelings and suggesting they could surely give water for free to their customers in future. I got a nice reply and a thank-you. It was duly noted. Quote: “We are always open to suggestions on how to improve our service and are constantly striving for ways to ensure our guests’ satisfaction.”
I am a nitpicker, aren’t I? I bet the lady of the Guest Service thought that haha. But she replied very politely and friendly.
NOTE
After a few emails back and forth, I learned that the water was not tap water but filter water. And it wasn’t charged per bottle but per person. We could get as many bottles as we wanted. Hence the second bottle we didn’t order.
Still, I can recommend the Rosewood. Mind you, if you book a room at the hotel, it will cost you around € 1,000 for a night. (So far out of my league.)
What happened in my life this week
The week (for the blog beginning on the Saturday) started so well. My friend Hanka (below) came to our house and we were going out to lunch. Such a cheerful woman. We can talk about anything.
I hadn’t seen her for a long time as she was suffering from long Covid. She is a teacher. Teachers and nurses were the ones who were at the frontline of this disease. Anyway, I was delighted to spend time with her again; we go way back (1984 or so?).
As we were walking to the city centre, I wore my ice blue trousers with the long jacket and…my long pointy shoes. Long story short…one pointy shoe got caught in a leg of the wide trousers. In less than a second, I hit the pavement on my right cheek and right shoulder. That hurt.
I was not going to let that spoil my afternoon with Hanka, so I picked myself up, made sure nothing was broken and we had our lunch and happily chatted for a couple of hours.
Upon arriving back home together, she insisted I’d call the hospital to check whether I should go in. Yep, they wanted to see me. X-ray, CT scan and three doctors took 5 1/2 hours. Nothing broken, no internal injuries, no concussion. All good. Only I couldn’t lift my right arm more than 10 cm. Two days later an echo confirmed that a little splinter broke off my shoulder. No biggie, it will heal again. I just have to be very careful with my right arm for at least two weeks. So no driving, no bike rides, no carrying heavy things, no walking the dog on a leash.
It could have been sooo much worse; I was lucky and will never wear the combination of these shoes and wide trousers again.
Luckily, I have three weeks’ supply of blog photos, so you don’t have to suffer. There will be a new post every week. (It doesn’t hurt to type.)
Below: My outfit to go for the echo. A tank top for easy access to my shoulder. Jeans, jacket and cowboy boots as it was a bit nippy in the morning.
Below: In the afternoon it got hot and I changed into my shorts and slippers. Even that was too hot and I ditched the jacket. Not that I think my exposed wrinkly arms are a nice sight, but I am trying to accept that.
It got hotter and hotter all week.
For reflection photos (my photo ‘assignment’), the beach turned out to be a great place. It was good for many photos.
Below: Me, photographing the reflection of the sun on that black stuff.
I cannot bend down so well.
Below: Google lens says the black stuff are cuttlefish eggs. How they ended up on a Dutch beach, beats me.
Below: My darling husband couldn’t resist this shot.
Let me show you some of my other reflection photos.
Below: Husband Ron is reflected in the sea water.
Below: A great subject for photos, our dog Watson. That is, if you can let him stand still for a second. Got him here reflected in sea water.
Below: The sun’s reflection on the water makes this look like a spine.
Below: A building reflected in another building. I love this one.
Below: Columns of the bridge reflected in the water. I love this one too.
Below: I am throwing this one in, not because it is a particularly good reflection photo but because I thought it was funny, those two young men on a paddle board. I was just a bit too late to get close enough for a sharp shot. Such a summery photo.
Although I am rather reluctant meeting my readers in real life, it happened again. You see, you know so much about me but I don’t know a single thing about you. There is a chance we might not get on. With Corinne I already established a bit of a connection and I agreed to meet her and her sister for coffee in Haarlem.
Below: I am obviously sitting in the middle. Margaret (the sister) on the left and Corinne on the right. Their parents were Dutch and they moved to Canada around 1945, when World War II was over. Margaret and Corinne were born in Canada and they were here for two big family reunions.
I thought Corinne and I look quite alike, especially with the same hairstyle. We could be sisters.
We got on so well, it was really nice. I walked a little bit through Haarlem with them and Margaret took this photo of Corinne and me (below). Good shot.
As the week progressed, I could lift my right arm a little higher each day. Nevertheless, I had to make an appointment at the hairdresser for washing and blow-drying my hair as I couldn’t lift my arm high enough to do that myself. Ron wouldn’t know what to do LOL.
Below: At the hairdresser, looking like Sid from Ice Age LOL.
Greetje
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