Naarden's Great Church

Summer 2012 - Naarden

Once again the Grote Kerk. Apparently, it's one of the older churches in The Netherlands, having been built in the 15th century, and not having been destroyed by the 16th century Spanish invasion. You can hardly tell from theses photos, but the ceiling is beautifully painted with scenes from the Bible.

When we visited, there was an exhibition of a photography contest in the church. Though the photos were really interesting, many of them were quite violent. This combination of something so very modern and dissonant to the atmosphere of the church is something I notice the Dutch do a lot - and I actually quite love it. They are reverent towards their past, but willing to integrate the past into the modern world.

I Spire

Summer 2012 - Naarden

The Grote Kerk (Great Church) in Naarden has some great spires on it's steeples. My favourite is the two headed eagle, which is on the town's flag. 

Fortified

Summer 2012 - Naarden

Naarden. In order to understand what is so cool about Naarden you should probably click on the link. Did you see it? Yup. The first photo is of that impressive earth works/mote. Apparently in the last 20 years they actually went back and restored it, as some of the pieces were collapsing. 

You can basically walk the whole length of the old town in about an hour, and that is what we did.

Up for a Challenge

Summer 2012 - The Hague

This is something different. For about a year I have been hearing about the amazing-ness of macarons. I had a few back when I was in Houston this summer, and was intrigued. Would it actually be possible for me, someone who is essentially a novice at baking, to pull off this difficult cookie?

Well, I baked three batches over the summer. The first ones looked perfect but were not the right consistency/hardness. The second batch was completely cracked, so the photo record I had taken was abandoned half way through as I dimly watched the cookies in the oven. 

About a week ago, I decided to try again, in our new kitchen. These were to be Earl Grey Tea Honey macarons, and they were to be wonderful. 

The meringue - it has to be super stiff before you can incorporate the dry ingredients.

The macaron batter - this is the tricky bit. Too stiff, cookies crack, too runny, they don't bake up with their signature little feet. Full disclosure, this is not mixed well enough. After piping the first tray (below) I could tell it needed a mix or two more. 

Do you see how these are not flowing into little circles? That's the problem there. 

Well they puffed up like little sheep. You can see the cracks and everything. 

BUT...

The second batch came out perfectly! Ok, so my piping skills could use work... but hey! 

Here they are ready to be given as a gift :) Again you can tell the piping is not the best, especially on the filling (honey buttercream, by the way) but they still tasted great!

Anyway, that was that. Baking was definitely fun to attempt to photograph. 

ps. When I edited these photos, I was actually finally up to date on all things photography! However, today we went out to Naarden, a very pretty Dutch city, so as of posting this, I am unfortunately not up to date. Darn. And, of course as I write this, I am not yet in Edinburgh (though when you read this I'll have been there for a month! (head spinning yet?)) where I am sure I will be taking many more photos. le sigh.

On the Streets

Summer 2012 - Utrecht

Utrecht's streets are full of many combinations of art - illegal, legal and Medieval all coexist. 

Illegal - the classiest stencil I've ever seen.

Legal - The Letters of Utrecht, an endless poem that began lining the streets of the Oudegracht (Old Canal) this June - every Sunday a new letter is laid. 

Medieval - A rock chained to a building. Why? The rock was originally placed on the corner so that carriages would not run into the building. Sometime in the middle ages it was decided that evil spirits congregated around it, so to keep them from taking it away, it was chained to the building. And, you know, it just stayed there. 

I absolutely loved the day that I spent in Utrecht - I can't thank Chris enough for showing me around and sharing with me all it's fascinating history. 

Door to the Sky

Summer 2012 - Utrecht

A door to the sky, a rainbow bicycle, and a horse hitch hiding in ivy. 

Utrecht

Summer 2012 - Utrecht

Even though I've called Holland my home base for a little over seven years, before this summer I had never been to Utrecht. Luckily, my friend Chris lived in Utrecht, and he is a Medieval historian, so he knew quite a few interesting places to visit. 

One of the most famous sights in Utrecht is the Dom Tower. The tower is the tallest church tower in Holland, but it's not actually connected to the church. The construction for the church and tower began in the 1300s, but the church was never completed. A few hundred years later, a tornado (seriously) swept through Utrecht, and through the church, separating the tower from the nave. Eventually the nave was reconstructed but not reconnected to the tower. If you visit now, look at the church - there are still pieces of the broken wall visible on the outside. Also look at the ground in the square between the church and the tower - there are gravestones, like one would normally see on the floor in a church.

Just peeking out from behind the building on the left in the second photo is the Catholic Cathedral. 

And in the bottom photo is what looks like another church - but also a bar. Yup. It is an old church converted into a pub! It looks like just a normal restaurant from outside, and that is because it was a hidden Catholic church - built inside a normal house but hidden from the Protestant officials.

Den Haag Sculpture

Summer 2012 - The Hague

Every Summer, the median of the Korte Voorhout in The Hague is lined with sculptures - every year a different theme. This year's was called The Rainbow Nation and all the sculptures were done by South Africans. 

The sculptures included an elephant made entirely of recycled strips of tyres (pictured), Granite slabs with tally marks for the number of days POWs were imprisoned, metal sheets with reflections of the words "LOVE" and "HATE," a kneeling man made of South African dirt, straw and rocks (pictured), and a bus made out of plastic hangers. 

Amsterdam Garden Days

Summer 2012 - Amsterdam

Every summer private gardens all over Amsterdam open up to the public for a weekend. Last time we went, it poured rain for the first half of the day, and stayed cloudy and grey for the rest. This time, the sun was out the whole time. We went to about eighteen of the forty gardens, over about three hours. I can't imagine doing them all in one day! 

Flying Home

Summer 2012 - Suzanne's Garden, Houston

I was back at Suzanne's this past summer, (see last year) where I discovered a few new additions as well as visiting one of my old friends - the flying pig.

Sunset on the Sound

Summer (Gasp!) 2012 - Five Islands Park, New Rochelle

As of this post, I am only about three months behind! 

Moving forward - Last summer, while google mapsing something, my mother saw our driving route passing Five Islands Park. Last time we went the sun was setting too (here).

Returning to Ashland

Summer 2011 - Ashland, Oregon

I had only been to Ashland once before this summer - in 2007. So going back I wondered if it would still be as magical as I remembered it.

Ashland is home to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, one of my favorite Theatres in the United States. Unlike it's name would suggest, it is not actually a festival but a 9 out of 12 month Theatre that does many beautiful plays in three venues - Including the Elizabethan, which is outside (photo here).

I also think Ashland's small-western-town-in-the-summer feel works great with this slightly strange film.

First shot was the view from my residence for the summer, which was a great thing to wake up to in the morning. The retro ford, I passed on the way to work along with the pretty purple flowers.The English lions, along with many other crests, line the lampposts on the main streets, just in case anyone forgot Ashland was full of theatre folks. The final photo is of the historic Ashland Springs Hotel, though you can hardly see it under all the sun flare.

ps. It's the 1st of September!! I am probably on my way to Edinburgh as you read this post!

Using Up Film

Spring & Summer 2011 - Delft, Dublin, Wassenaar

The problem that I have with my Lomography cameras is this - I take film photos of something or somewhere really cool, like Sicily, and then I still have about 10 shots on my camera. Three months later, I finally develop them.

The first three shots are of Delft, all taken around the town square.
The next two are from Dublin, one taken while walking across the Liffey, and the other looking straight up from Front Arch in Trinity.
The final shot brings us back to Holland, in the fields outside of Wassenaar where my dad and I were riding our bikes.

The Garden of the Flying Pig

 Summer 2011 - Houston, Suzanne's Garden

All these metalwork sculptures are, of course, by the same guy. 

The flying pig, the bottle tree, and the huge zipper. 

Check out the background of the second photo - behind the pink cactus flowers, there may be lurking a kitty.