The Trip that was: September 23, 2008/2010/2012/2014/2015/2016
This was a day visiting castles near Utrecht with Mum and
Dad! WE started at Castle de Haar. De Haar is the largest castle in the
Netherlands. And it’s also one of the oldest, as there was a building belonging
to the de Haar family on that site in 1391.
Of course that building long since burned and was replaced. The property stayed in the de Haar family until
1440 when the last heir died. Then the
Zuylen family took possession. Descendants
of that family still stay here yearly.
One of the Rothschilds married into the Zuylen family in 1887 and the
castle received an overhaul by renowned Dutch architect, Pierre Cuypers. The
influx of Rothschild family fame and wealth meant the castle had many famous
visitors, from Coco Chanel, to Roger Moore, to…MOI.
Father and son. Dutchboy needed to learn that Father always knows best!!
Much less grand,
and much quieter, was Castle Sypesteyn. Here's the info translated from their
website: “Sypesteyn offers
a unique insight into the world of esquire Henri van Sypesteyn (1857-1937).
Opposite the 15th-century Sijpekerk, the esquire built the castle at the
beginning of the last century on old foundations; the place where he
himself thought his ancestry would have stood. Later this turned out to be
just a dream, but the result was a stylish building, surrounded by canals and a
beautiful historic garden. With Sypesteyn, the esquire wanted to honor his
family.
The interior of
the castle is still largely as the esquire left it in the 1930s. During
the guided tours you will become acquainted with all facets of the rich
collection of the esquire and you will see, among other things, the Armory, the
Gothic Chamber and the 17th-century Low Hall. On the first floor, Eastern
and Dutch porcelain are on display, as well as many family portraits from the
rich regent life of the eighteenth century."
They have a lovely garden at this castle. But we were very late arriving after having spent a lovely day at de Haar. So we peeked over the garden wall and found these rather odd red women.
But this was the view around the next corner. Ah. Much better.
2010
The Corncorde. Atlanta Airport. Says it all, really. Got more to say?? Well, I'm all ears.
2012
Another canal cruise! This time with Dutchboy's younger sister. She's the one with more hair and less wrinkles.
2014
Kensington Palace!! So I could ogle at Diana's, Elizabeth's, and Margaret's dresses! And to see the exhibition on Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.
When I was a child, I studied Egypt, completely enamored with King Tutankhamun and his treasures. I learned the pharaohs, the dynasties, the history of archeology. I proclaimed I was going to be an Egyptologist. Then someone informed me that I couldn't very well dig for EGYPTIAN artifacts in WILKES COUNTY. So, instead I am PROUD OF WHAT I AM. I AM A LIBRARIAN. Of sorts. Well, a cataloger. But that counts to most of the general public. Whatever. Forget it. Point is, the Brits stole all the best stuff from Egypt (forgive me. rescued it) and they put it in the British Museum. And after a lifetime of longing to see it, I finally did!
One of the true treasures of Prague, the oldest operating Astronomical clock in the world! And certainly a gorgeous piece of art. Installed in 1410, it's the third oldest example in the world, but the oldest one that still works.
Don't get so wrapped up that you don't enjoy the beautiful Old Town Square that is home to the clock.
We had supper that night in an old pub. Beautiful old building! This is right before I turned over my beer.
This is a plate of the stinkest, richest, cheese in the world. I loved it. Dutchboy, not so much. I ate so much that I could taste it for DAYS. And sometimes, at night, I think I still smell it. Though I might be confused, as it smells a bit like unwashed Dutchboy.
An after dinner stroll through the newer part of Prague. Still beautiful!
The Head of Franz Kafka by world-renowned artist, David Cerny. He is known for his political art statements, and his controversial works that encourage the public to interact with his art. In this case, the head turns, and as you walk around it you're presented with several faces, and broken images. If you're in North Carolina, you can see one of his similar sculptures, Metalmorphosis, in Charlotte.
Reflections in the statue base.
We went for a late night dessert at the Municipal House cafe. It's an absolutely stunningly beautiful Art Nouveau building! You can read more about the building here.
As we left the cafe that evening, there was a bit of magical street theater. You can watch it on YouTube if the video doesn't appear on your mobile device.
Spike. One of my friends in Bakkeveen! He loves you, until he doesn't. He's a love'em and leave'em type of cat.
On our way back to Amstelveen from the wilds of Bakkeveen, we stopped in Lelystad at Batavialand, and visited the replica of the Batavia, a Dutch East India ship that sailed in 1628 for Batavia, the captial of the Dutch East Indies. The original Batavia has a sordid history of a grisly mutiny and a shipwreck.
This replica Batavia has a sordid history of this.
Aye, aye, Captain!
A pirate's life for me!
This sculpture was called Exposure by the artist. But some of the locals apparently call it, "The Shitting Man". I can't imagine WHY.
Well, that's enough crap for now! Ha.
The Trip that Was: SPECIAL EDITION. That's right a second September 23rd post will soon follow!
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