Monday, January 14, 2013

A Sunday Joy Ride

When we found out IKEA was open last Sunday, a week ago (the first Sunday of the month), we decided to drive the 35km to go buy a new lamp.  The one Astrid had brought to the aprtment was from 30 years ago.  Kaput!

So, off we went to do our business...knowing we would then take a round-about joy ride on our way home!

At the IKEA entrance was this lovely group of tennis ladies having a party.
Who knows why they were at IKEA but they are students at the University of Utrecht.  
Girls just wanna have fun, you know!

From IKEA Astrid drove off the main roads along the Lekdijk...(the Lek river on the left with us up on the dijk)....to start our joy ride.

We weren't the only ones, as you'll soon see.

This alone made my day!  How's that for a joy ride!

Everyone was out-n-about...and the sun wasn't even shining.
One thing I've learned about the Dutch:  they have to be outside whenever possible.

And the farmhouses we passed were older than dirt!

It was about this time that Astrid mentioned we were near Schoonhoven.  We were here before, she said, back when I first arrived in the Netherlands.  Really?  I had no recollection of anything!  The name didn't ring a bell.

So, once home I opened my Schoonhoven-Oudewater-Nieuwpoort file from May 2010 and...no wonder I didn't remember.  I hadn't processed most of the images I took that day!  That was back before I was doing collages.  So guess what I decided to do this past week....

1.  SCHOONHOVEN, pop. 12,000:

Actually, this isn't Schoonhoven per se but out in the polder before getting there.

THIS is Schoonhoven and reminds me of a smaller-scale Gorinchem where we live.

This, too, is Schoonhoven, in May 2010, remember....

...with one of the most ornate water towers I've ever seen, from 1901.
(click any collage to enlarge)

2.  OUDEWATER, pop. 10,000.

Just as charming as can possibly be!  
St. Michael's church is on the right (above), from the mid-13th century...

...and here's St. Franciscus church from 1882.

 Oudewater is famous for its Heksenwaag (witches weigh house--bottom right above).
So it didn't surprise us when we saw this parade of witches with school children that day.  HA!

 Every town has its icons, of course.  Some are unique.

As we left Oudewater on our way to Nieuwpoort, we passed hundreds of sheep tending their wee ones:

I can never get my fill of sheep!  So adorable, especially in the spring...which is coming soon.

And out in the same middle of nowhere, we had to stop...
first for the water tower near Polsbroekerdam and Lopik, and then the free-range chickens.

3.  NIEUWPOORT, pop. ca. 1500.

 You may recognize this small town by now because it's where we go for spareribs 2-3 times a year.
We were there back in November when the Christmas lights were over the canal.
That's when we went to see Adrie, the wood turner, at his exhibit, remember?
Gotta love all that charm!

And speaking of Adrie, that drive home from Nieuwpoort always takes us by the windmill and church in Goudriaan where he lives and has his shop:

This, Folks, is Holland as I know and love it!

I stop for every weathervane I possibly can.

...and every gevelsteen.  You know me:  I want to see it all!

All in a Sunday's joy ride...and an added trip down Memory Lane from almost 3 years ago!  Now I need to go to my other files and see what images I never processed!  Stay tuned....

24 comments:

  1. What a wonderful trip to memory lane. It is a nice way of spending your Sunday. :)

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    1. What a nice surprise to meet you here, Al. I see you know some of our same friends from Scandinavia. Welcome to my blog. Thanks for dropping by.

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  2. A Sunday afternoon well spend, I would say. That Lekdijk and the weather made it, that a lot of people were out. A nice location and not much traffic.
    I am so glad that you have made the pictures of our trip to Schoonhoven, Oudewater, into collages. It gives a fabulous overview of what we saw.
    The statue, I took pictures of, the man with his head in his hands, that is Swiebertje. My hero from TV. He was in a (black and white)TV series from 1955-1975...... I grew up with him.
    This post shows Holland at it bests :)

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    1. The things I learn from you! I love finding out all these tidbits. THANK YOU for making these photo hunts...even from so long ago...a real joy. I will backtrack to make sure I get all the images processed...eventually! Otherwise, what's the sense in even taking them??!!

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  3. So many pictures – and time marches on so fast that we don’t look at them all. I am pleased you went back and found yours as they are special. I like the lambs and also that rooster, then also the man resting his head on his hands, and, and – well I like them all. There are so many sights close to your home and they are so varied – a photographer’s delight and a delight for your viewers.
    I just saw your comment on my post. Shirley MacLaine made an appearance on the first episode of the 3rd season of Downton Abbey – that was the first time and I don’t know if she will be back. I heard that she enjoyed herself on the set so she may come back.

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    1. I have a feeling there's a lot of pictures I need to go back and check, Vagabonde. In that first year we were driving on photo hunts every weekend. Now it's more like once a month, for good reason. Sometimes we just need to rest! :)

      Thanks for explaining about Shirley MacLaine. Now I know.

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    2. I'm thoroughly enjoying Downton Abbey too!

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    3. We're gonna start the first two seasons one of these days, Margaret. Based on everything we have read, it'll be delightful. We adore Maggie Smith, of course. :)

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    4. The beginning of the third season slowed down a bit... but I really didn't mind. The artistry and acting talent MORE than made up for it for me ... plus it ended the season with a bang! (I have already watched it as it comes out in Britain earlier than on public television. (I had to buy it as I watched the first season for free on Netflix) That's how good it is... I've never done this before. And yes, Maggie Smith steals every scene she is in.

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    5. I can hardly wait to start! Maybe we'll tackle season one this weekend! :)

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  4. OH MY! I love this post! So many wonderful images. A few that are probably my all time favorites! Thanks for another wonderful journey. I so look forward to your outings. xoxo

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    1. I'm sure it all feels different to you, Robin, after having been here in the Netherlands. And I can just imagine which are the images you like the most. :) I always think of you on many of them. Thank you. :)

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  5. Y'all really get to visit the most interesting places! But what kind of lamp did you bring home?

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    1. You would love this little country that is packed to the gills, Susan. The lamp we bought is the one we use near our table/desk for our laptops: http://www.ikea.com/nl/nl/catalog/products/80149889/. It's perfect because we can twist and turn it any way we want! It has a €10 LED energy-savings bulb that's supposed to last 20,000 hours. We calculated that'll be 6-7 years for us! And trust us, we'll be counting. :)

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  6. I really loved the photos of "out in the polder." It reminded me of a school project I did on the Netherlands as a kid. I was struck by the beautiful legendary landscape then, and now. Somehow when I finally went there I stayed in Amsterdam. Next time I will get out into the countryside a bit more.....it's so lovely:~))

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    1. As I usually tell everyone, Amsterdam is NOT representative of the Netherlands!!! By a long shot. However, that's only what most visitors see. When YOU come back, we will pick you up in Amsterdam and THEN take you to the real Holland where you can then see it through my/our eyes. It's a promise. :)

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  7. Your trip to Ikea is more fun than mine. I don't get all those scenic stops when I go :) Maybe I should take your route :)

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    1. HA! I'm guessing our trip to IKEA is better than most, especially if you choose to take the back roads, as we do, Maria. :) Thanks.

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  8. Ginnie, so many attractive historic buildings and cute details, what a joy ride. A good occasion to dust off your older photos.

    I love the lying metal figure, its head resting against the bucket! And the little calf and those yellow pancies in the red pot! She said, sighing deeply. :)

    My attention was also caught by the older-than-dirt expression! Sounds very unusual to me but interesting. Makes me think. :)

    Weathervanes are pieces full of imagination, I bet you already have a huge collection of their "portraits". It would be a nice book! I imagine a square format, a photo a page, a wider frame of the background colour followed by a thin black line around each photo, the name of the location above every photo accompanied by a short text. It could be very artistic. :)

    And the sheep, they are chaaaarming. If I could ever choose where I was to be born, it would be in a sheep farm. ;)

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    1. You have so patiently and lovingly worked through my post, Petra. Thank You. You have mentioned the things that are important to me. And yes, I do have quite the collection of weathervanes. I could easily make a book of them all! :) And sheep? I can never get enough of them...!

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  9. Sensory OVERLOAD! Just love the little cottage/homes tucked into the gently rolling hills and the gorgeous black horse HAD to be a Friesian. Sigh. Your windmill/swan/cow pasture collage just takes my breath away. ...the canals, the curving streets... it is hard to believe such charm exists.

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    1. You have mentioned all the things that take my own breath away, Margaret. You'd be tempted to stay if you ever come over to visit. HA!

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  10. So many images... how DO you find the time to process them all? I'm with Margaret on sensory overload and absolutely loving the windmill/swan/cow pasture collage! I also think the church with the windmill is fabulous. I almost always feel as though I'm neglecting some of your marvelous collages when I don't have something to say about all of them... but I'm off to drool over more of your images that I've missed seeing since the first of the year!

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    1. I am well aware of the sensory overload for everyone who comes here, Victoria. HA! My response is that these images are more for Astrid and me to remember all the nuances of our trips and photo hunts. For me, it's my full-time job. That's how I see it. I go to work every day! :) I'm guessing you do the same! And please do not feel you ever have to comment on everything. An over-all impression is more than enough! HA!

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