Last week I learned how not to wear this jacket. Therefore, this week, I wore the jacket unbuttoned with my new green balloon skirt. Much more flattering.
Marjolein suggested we’d do the art deco and art nouveau route through The Hague, knowing how much you love old buildings. Personally, I adore art nouveau and even more art deco.
You are about to see a building and my outfit alternately. I can only give you information on some of the buildings as we didn’t follow the list with art deco and art nouveau buildings too closely.
Below: Number one. This one I know, it is an art nouveau building.
Below: There was a lot of backlight but I still like this photo. A bit blurry.
Below: Probably a totally different architecture style. Honestly guys, I am not exactly an expert on this.
Below: We found this lady sitting outside of her shop and I joined her for a chat.
Below: Across the road we saw this building from 1916 with a stone pelican on each side. Not art deco or art nouveau but in the style of the “Um-1800 Bewegung” (never heard of).
It needs a clean to shine. Always the problem with sandstone as Glasgow knows so well. And I hate that they put electricity cables across the front of the building. Not something you see much in the Netherlands.
Below: I would have guessed art deco, but no, our guide list said it is art nouveau, from 1901.
Below: Another bench. I tried a couple of poses which I picked up from Instagram. Horrible execution by me, haha. I definitely need to practice them in front of a mirror.
Below: I doubt whether this is art deco. I just liked the building.
Below: Trying out a new pose. Hmm…not that good, at least not with this skirt and a belt.
Below: Building with stunning stained-glass window at the top of the shop window. The style is Amsterdam School from around 1925.
Below: Neither art nouveau nor art deco, but a stunning door, nevertheless. Internet told me that this building is an “expressionistically tinted variety of the Um 1800-bewegung”. I was lost at the first word; I am a culture barbarian.
Below: A fine door to shoot Marjolein’s outfit. Very colour coordinated, in trendy brown with a dash of her favourite colour purple.
Below: Close-up of her fun shirt and beautiful earrings (purple with gold). Also love the whimsical jacket.
Below: The ground floor of this art nouveau building from 1903, used to be a fancy pastry shop (by the name of Krul). Both Marjolein and I adore curved windows. So did my mum. Must cost a fortune to replace when one breaks.
Below: Little square with a water pump.
Below: We were now away from the art deco and art nouveau area, but in a street with pretty buildings and stunning doors.
Below: And another one. Grand.
Below: If you didn’t know better, you’d think you are in France with that table and those chairs on the narrow pavement. It was a little French delicacies shop.
Below: Last building before we left for home again.
What happened in my life this week
More IT problems, especially with the blog. My terrific IT-man is helping me so well. Without him there wouldn’t have been a post last week, nor this week.
I got terrible news; my friend Rolf suddenly died at the age of 65. His wife Hanka called to inform me personally and I was flabbergasted. The day before he died, he and I had contact through WhatsApp. He wasn’t in good health but knew how to hide that from nearly everybody. Devastating news. Below: A photo of him and me a few years ago.
We might not have seen each other every week, not even every month but we knew each other about 40 years. That makes a friendship special and easy. I hope I can be of some support to his wife Hanka.
Over to happier subjects as I don’t want to bring you down.
Marjolein came to Haarlem and we had a jolly good day without a photo shoot. We both spent money on clothes (she is just as bad as I am).
Below: Marjolein bought this jumper (sweater) in her favourite colour. Look at that!
Below: The shop owner suggested I’d take a photo of Marjolein while she leant over the half shop door. Made for a pretty picture.
Below: I wore this while shopping with her.
My SIL celebrated her birthday in the east of the country and I love these birthday parties. I get to see my whole family and their offspring, which happens only once or twice a year.
Below: Two photos of the celebration in the garden.
Below: I wore a black shirt with a black and white skirt to the party. I had the skirt made from a second-hand dress I saw in a charity shop. The idea was nice but unfortunately, I get a great, big, fat tummy in it, which my darling husband pointed out to me when I got home. I am wearing the shoes that made me fall a couple of weeks ago. Thought they wouldn’t do much harm with a skirt, but the toe of the shoe got stuck in the rug and I nearly went down again. I will ask my cobbler whether it is possible to shorten the toe.
Below: This was the outfit, styled with a more fitted shirt and trainers (sneakers). I really like it but I have to say, I didn’t look in the mirror from the side…
We were supposed to go to Paris by train, leaving on Wednesday and returning on Thursday. Then on Monday the prime minister of France had to step down and the people were very angry about the government cut-back plans, like cutting down holiday days and raising the retirement age. And those people show their anger by blocking traffic (“Bloquons tout”) and what not. We thought it would be safer and nicer not to go. Some other time.
Photo assignment ‘In Touch’
Here are a few new photos for my assignment ‘In Touch’.
Below: When I asked my tutor Katrien whether I could submit these sparrows for this assignment, she said: “Anything you feel connected with, goes.” I adore sparrows, so this one counts.
Below: Beautiful dog, mesmerized by the treat his owner was holding in her hand. We had a fun little conversation.
Below: I got permission from this father to photograph him and his baby daughter. That look of love on the father’s face!
Below: I laughed when I saw this doggie. His or her sibling was on another bike.
Below: How gorgeous is this young woman? I asked her whether she was a model. She wasn’t. (Her sister joined later and was also beautiful.) I think I have done her justice. Of course we chatted.
Below: Me and my shadow. The owner tried to make her look at my phone. He succeeded once but I missed part of his/her tail. No chance of doing this shot again. No biggie, the shadow shows the tail.
Below: Neighbours, not from my street but one around the corner. They had their street party a week after ours and it was their first. They were thrilled. Our street party was the 19th one and we got a bit ‘simple is enough’, but they went full blast.
I was taking the plastic to the container when I bumped into them. We talked for an hour. That is connecting, isn’t it?
Below: I struck gold with this one. When I turned the corner to city hall, I thought to myself “Wouldn’t it be awesome if there was a wedding going on?” Bingo.
Is this In Touch/Connected or what?
In between rain showers, Ron was kind enough to do a photo shoot for next week’s blog post. That sets my mind at ease. I get nervous when I haven’t got photos in stock.
Greetje
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