The Trip that was: October 24, 2009/2017

 2009

Back in Assen, to visit the Drents Museum.  before meeting up with Dutchboy's parents later in the day.  We were SO lucky to visit this museum when we did.  They had an exhibition of Belgian Art Nouveau.  It was the day I fell in love with Victor Horta. 

I don't know why I adore this poster by Jules van Biesbroeck, I just know that I do.  It was designed for the opening of the Maison du Peuple (The People's house) of Brussels designed by Victor Horta.  

The interior the museum is as lovely as the contents. 

Dutchboy with his friend Bartje Bartels! Bartje is the main character of books by Anne de Vries and a symbol of the province of Drenthe. Bartje was a naughty boy who didn't want to follow in his parent's footsteps and become a farmer .  His most famous quote is, "Ik bid niet voor bruine bonen",  I'm not praying for brown beans . 

2017

This was such a fun day!! We were with friends who planned a fantastic surprise outing-- we were taking a steam tram from Medemblik to Hoorn!  Museum Stoomtram Hoorn-Medeblik  is like traveling back in time, to a slower paced life.  What is the difference between a steam tram and a steam train?? Evidently, it comes down to smaller size, smaller speed, etc.  There were very strict regulations.  It didn't matter...looked like a steam train to me! And it was a fun way to travel across the Dutch countryside.  We started off in gray, rainy Medemblik.  We took a look around, had a snack or two, and waited for our tram to arrive!

There she is!! All Aboard!!

We had a brief "layover" in Wognum! The friends we were with, split up, one went on the train with us and the other took the car to meet us at the station.  He would then drive on to our end stop, so we wouldn't have to take a return trip to Medemblik and could instead stay in Hoorn.  Michel, beat us to the station and filmed us pulling into the station. 

    

All aboard again! Time to leave Wognum and head out to Hoorn! Waving goodbye to Michel from the train...

Hoorn.

The Westfries Museum. 

De Waag, Hoorn. We had reservations at the restaurant that is now housed in the building, d' Oude Waegh.  Dinner was perfection! Highly recommend!

The evening ended at our friend's house, with a guitar lesson.  Dutchboy never misses a chance to play guitar. Any guitar. Any where. And he will try to teach everyone he knows to play guitar, too.  

The Trip that was: October 23, 2009/2017

 2009

The market in Assen. It's very typical of markets all over the Netherlands. 

Look at all that licorice.

Mergpijpjes. Food of the gods.

 

After a quick tour of the market, we headed to Groningen. If you can pronounce it, you're either Dutch or better at languages than I am.

After leaving Groningen, we drove to visit some hunebedden.  Hunebedden, "giant's bed" are communal graves dating back to the Funnel Beaker people, 3450 BC.  There are 52 hunebedden in the province of Drenthe, and 2 more in Groningen province. 

2017

Different views of Alkmaar. No cannon balls, no canal photos-- it's the other side of Alkmaar. The liveable side. 

Tot Ziens!