Bike eating monster tree (Or: Sea of green)

Posted on June 9, 2024 by Niki

Recently I spotted this monster tree eating bikes alive:

At least that is the story I am telling myself. It was a lot of green and just a bit of bikes peeking out on each side.

Here’s a weird story for you (in Dutch, from omroepwest.nl): Missing three year old found at supermarket filling shopping cart with mackerel and chips. A massive search was started after parents reported their toddler missing. During the search a supermarket (Jumbo, a large supermarket chain) called the police to say they spotted a very, very young customer in their store… filling a child-sized shopping cart with lots of goodies. The list of groceries? A whole mackerel, chocolate milk, Lay’s potato chips, a bag of mandarins and a bossche bol. The last one is a Dutch inspired chocolate pastry – see also English Wikipedia.

The girl was reunited with her parents. The police didn’t say whether or not she was allowed to take the groceries with her, unfortunately.

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European elections (Or: Flags by the Hofvijver)

Posted on June 6, 2024 by Niki

The European elections are being held today through June 9. The Netherlands is going to the polls today, although you need to be a European Union citizen to vote. I am not a Dutch citizen (yet) so I won’t be voting.

To celebrate the occasion, the flags by the Hofvijver (normally the flags of the Dutch provinces plus the flag of The Hague) have been temporarily switched out for European flags. I do enjoy seeing how the flags change throughout the year to mark special occasions.

Voter information for those living in The Hague

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Covered in rain drops (Or: Beautiful pink flowers)

Posted on June 4, 2024 by Niki

As I noted in my last blog post, Marco and I visited the BlowUp Art exhibition which was on the Hofvijver. Sunday was the last day. I also took a few photos of some gorgeous flowers on the platform which I just have to share.

And a close up so you can see the raindrops on the petals:

Here’s a random story from the Netherlands for you: Woman on TikTok fries chicken on the train and claims it is allowed.

Crazy.

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BlowUp Art The Hague (Or: Up close and personal)

Posted on June 1, 2024 by Niki

Today Marco and I went to the Hofvijver to check out BlowUp Art The Hague. Note: tomorrow is the last day to see it! This time we went on the platform itself, which was an experience to say the least. The walkway area leading to the platform is quite wobbly. The best way to describe it is to say it is like walking on a swing bridge as it sways in all directions, especially if you choose a less than straight path. If you walk straight forward it doesn’t move around as much.

You can get some great pictures here with the Binnenhof in the background. The Binnenhof is the parliamentary building for the Tweede Kamer (House of Representatives). The eggs were pretty cool because they are reflective so you can get some interesting photos, especially if you come as a group. The other thing to notice is the tower at the far left of the Binnenhof building – that is normally the office of the prime minister, when the Binnenhof isn’t in the middle of a 5-year renovation.

I mentioned the tower being the office of the prime minister because this pink tower is actually a homage to it.

There is also one colorful egg which will end up in a lot of people’s photos for sure.

Finally, here’s a look at the platform itself to show that you are actually on top of the water.

I think I’ll miss this art installation. When it first arrived it didn’t look like much, but not all of the blow up art was in place yet. It was also more fun than I expected to walk on the platform, although I was glad to get back on stable ground after!

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Looking down (Or: Construction on the tower by the Binnenhof)

Posted on May 28, 2024 by Niki

The Binnenhof in The Hague’s city centre is currently being renovated. For a very long time – the current estimate is that it will be done around the end of 2028. If they are lucky.

One thing the city is working on is a tower (uitkijktoren in Dutch) where visitors can look up and over the Binnenhof walls to see the construction that is currently going on.

Here is a look from a bit further away (and a look at the beautiful sky today):

The tower is about 28 meters tall (92 feet). There is of course no elevator (!) but entry is free. The city is hoping that this will keep tourists interested in the area while the Binnenhof is closed since the Binnenhof is a main draw for tourists. The tower hasn’t opened quite yet, though.

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Not as special (Or: Cruffin from Albert Heijn)

Posted on May 24, 2024 by Niki

Last week I posted about the cronut Marco purchased for me which was delicious. This week he decided to try the next croissant variation that the world has thought of: a cruffin. Even Safari’s spellcheck doesn’t know what to make of this invention.

It wasn’t nearly as impressive as the cronut, though. It was a lot less sugary, except for the bottom. It could be something tasty to eat for breakfast, though.

In other news:

There is actually a lot more going on this weekend. Check out The Hague’s weekly agenda.

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Interesting design (Or: Horse drawn carriage in The Hague)

Posted on May 19, 2024 by Niki

A few days ago I spotted a horse drawn carriage in The Hague’s city centre. It was near Buitenhof and the H&M store.

It is definitely an interesting choice to have the seats facing inward, since you have to turn around to see anything outside. But maybe conversing with the group at the same time is also important?

Happy Sunday everyone! If you live in the Netherlands, happy day off tomorrow (Monday after Pentecost), unless you work in the horeca. ho = hotel, re = restaurant, ca = café.

Horeca is probably my favorite Dutch abbreviation…

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Sugary goodness (Or: A cronut from Albert Heijn)

Posted on May 15, 2024 by Niki

Apparently cronuts (a crossing between croissants and donuts) were first made in New York City in 2013 (Wikipedia). But I first had one last year, from the Dutch grocery store Albert Heijn. Technically I’m not a huge fan of sweet stuff – I like it in moderation – but this is a nice exception. A few times a year.

Check out Marco’s lovely knife work to show off a cross section of the cronut. So much flaky goodness! And the texture does indeed taste different than a normal donut.

Consider this your public service announcement (PSA): if you live in the Netherlands and have an Albert Heijn nearby, see if they stock cronuts. They come in packs of two. Put it in the fridge for a few hours so it gets a bit colder before you eat it. It’s also great with a cup of black coffee to counter the sweetness.

Although you’re talking to someone who loves storing her gummy bears in the freezer, so maybe take my advice with a grain of salt…

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Hamster pasta (Or: Albert Heijn is selling what?)

Posted on May 12, 2024 by Niki

Here is an unexpected item which you can purchase at the local Albert Heijn:

It will definitely cause you to do a double take! The reason it is hamster pasta is because that is the mascot of the Albert Heijn. The hamster forms are definitely cute but I wonder how the form affects the taste. What I do like is the use of the apron as part of the label – that is nicely done.

Today was a lovely day full of sunshine, no rain and not too much wind. Marco and I even went to Florencia and got an ice cream, our first of the year. I had mocha and Marco had lemon and mango. (Note: I linked to the website but it is pretty sparse at the moment. The website owner left a note that they are working on it.)

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Ingenious uses for a bike (Or: Flower pots everywhere)

Posted on May 9, 2024 by Niki

Last week I came across this bike converted into a flower holder:

Definitely some great choices of flowers to display. The pink ones pop out immediately.

Of course, the bike itself won’t be going anywhere anytime soon – check the tires. Or what is left of them…

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