Netherlands Part One

I just returned from the Netherlands.  After many business trips to Amsterdam - finally a vacation trip and opportunities to see the country!
I'm not counting Day 1 - from the US we landed in the afternoon of the following day - with the time change.  Enough time to settle into our first hotel.  Hotel one was at the airport for some initial meetings.
We checked out the train schedules and enjoyed local food before bed.

We always like to try local foods.

These are bitterballs.  A recipe and detailed description is available HERE.

Great with a local beer, these were served with mustard dip.

Day 2
My my friend J and her husband drove in from Brussels, Belgium.
We met at Central Station and took a  walk around the canal ring.

I love this photo with the tram in front of the station.  The trains and trams were easy to use.

Of course one of our planned destinations was Den Haan Wagemakers. I had not been there since 'the boys' sold it to Petra and Nels.

The walk was enjoyable as we discussed our fabric needs!

J needed a particular red, and sure enough she found the perfect choice.

I bought a bit of fabric.  I am happy to report it is all available now in the US.  Aren't we lucky?  After my visit to Virginia last year, and power shopping at Web Fabrics I feel well stocked and very inspired.

J gifted me with a beautiful fat quarter pack I treasure.  It's the larger Dutch prints tied in a pretty Den Haan Ribbon.  In the shop they use the ribbon as bookmarks.

We saw many nice shops.

The cheese is wonderful, with specialty shops around every corner.  The large cheese wheels displayed in the window run about 26-27 pounds.  No, we didn't bring one home, but it was tempting!

We enjoyed cheese with most every meal.  Gouda and Edam are very popular.  We will always check labels now for Dutch cheese.  Imitations might be good, but do not taste the same.

My bad photography - I do not know the people in this photo!  I don't have pictures of us... J does, and I will get copies soon.

We also visited the Amsterdam Museum.
The building was constructed in 1580, for use as an orphanage until 1960.  The trade signs/plaques on the exterior wall are collected and saved - note the 1607 dates when you enlarge the photos.

Their collections are online with high resolution images.  The costumes are wonderful.  HERE.


After all that fresh air we retuned to the hotel for some quilt show 'n tell and dinner.
It was a wonderful day!  Many years over due.



Day 3
I met Phyllis (Oh Oh Quilts) and we visited Delft.

The weather was cool, but mild. Perfect to walk around town square and along the canals.

The cobble stone market square is lined with lovely shops and restaurants.

We stopped for a morning snack - raw herring.  Think a Dutch version of sushi + heavy salt.
It's been a staple in Amsterdam for over 600 years.  Legend has it, it is a good cure for a hangover.
It is a fatty fish - 15% fat.
The onion is optional.  You hold the fish by the tail, dip it in the onion, then let it slip into your mouth.  It is a little hard to hold that slippery tail.

The market square has two large buildings surrounded by the shops.
One is the church (Nieuwe Kerk), the other is the Delft Town Hall (Stadhuis Delft).

This is the 13th century restored town hall. The renaissance tower includes a torture chamber.

We were there on market day.  There were produce dealers, bakers, a dealer of olive oils and balsamic vinegar, local honey, leather goods...

Lunch at a small cafe off the square was a nice break in the day.

We had a nice walk around the town square - it was market day with plenty to look at.

Some of the Delft workshops had artists painting the distinctive pottery.    It is a white glaze base painted with a cobalt oxide that turns blue with firing.
Some of the images may remind you of 18th and 19th century chintz, even the insects and birds.  The pottery has been produced since the 16th century.

We also had quilting show and tell in The Hague.
It was wonderful seeing Phyllis's studio, antique flying geese quilt and current projects.  She has a large basket of rolled quilts at the ready for her family to snuggle with.
How lucky am I??

Next time, let's all go together.  Would you come along?

In Part Two I'll post about the next stop - Overloon and Dorry's Quilt shop:  Quilt It Dotty 
I hope you are stitching today,
Dawn