Category Archives: Europe

A Quick Look Around Sneek

Waterpoort

Sneek is where we are situated. It is one of the Friese elf steden ( eleven Frisian cities ) that form a network tying the province together with roads, rails and canals. With all it’s canals, Sneek is the heart of the province’s water sport culture.

Along the Harinxmakade

Built in 1613, the Waterpoort, or watergate, formed part of the city wall and connected to the city with the harbor. It is now a Rijksmonument or National Heritage site in the Netherlands.

Waterpoort

Waterpoort with Schuitje

City Hall

Pet Heron

So I’m standing next to canal taking pictures and this heron walks up next to me. He was completely unafraid. I swear he was just curious to see what I was looking at.

Badhuisgracht 15

I googled the address and found that Badhuisgracht 15 is for sale for the meager sum of 447,000 euros.($578,820.30) That’s reduced from 479,000 euros.($620,257.10) Pretty hefty for a 2 bedroom, one bath.

Is any city complete without a carnival?

Whirlygig – Click Here

Kiddie ride?

Locked and loaded.

I’m thinking that a cute kiddie car with a ballistic missle attached is the definition of “Passive Aggressive”.

Hey, Someone Wrote On The Wall!

Dwell Land

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They say the French know how to live and that may be true. They certainly know how to eat and drink. But the Dutch, now, they know how to plan a community. Most everywhere I look I see quality, great design, common sense and a desire to make things that are highly livable and built to last.

Intercity Canal

I took a bike ride yesterday and came upon a new development just a few blocks away. I thought I’d stepped into the pages of Dwell Magazine or Architectural Digest.

: Two family homes. The backs have water views.

: Waterfront duplexes.

: Development

: Development

: Development

: Development

: Development

: Development

: Common dock and personal moorage.

: Side by side with a historic Schuitje.

Neighborhoods and developments are all tied together with roads, waterways, bridges, foot trails and bike paths. All of which help foster a sense that we are all in this together.

Bike and foot path.

Neighborhood bridge.

Don’t get me wrong, there are spray paint cans sold here and lunkheads that know how to use them, but people do seem to share an innate respect for each others property and the common areas they all share.

Recycle bins.

Glass, paper, plastic. These stainless steel recycle bins are at the end of the street. Clean and well organized, with easy access. The squares they sit on flip back to give access to the larger containers mounted in the ground. These receptacles are not dented, painted or pissed on.

And for the kids.

Stainless steel spider gym set.

The Russians Come To Assen

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We are here to see the exhibit “The Soviet Myth” at the Drents Museum.

The Drents Museum

This show has been put together on a scale that could rival a Hollywood production. Barnum & Bailey would be proud. It starts with the gigantic, spotlighted Lenin statue, erected at the apex of the major roads and canal adjacent to downtown. Because of the scale, its presence is slightly surreal, like being transported to a different time and place.

Super Lenin

Welcome

The paintings themselves are as massive as they are fanciful. Bright carnival colors, huge images of dedicated, industrious, self-assured, healthy and purposeful young men and woman. Ever striving.

The Joy of Communal Work

Death Defying Deeds

Completely engaged super solders forcing back a faceless evil.

Benevolent leaders like fathers and super heroes all in one.

Massive, over 40′ wide.

My trusty partner steps In for scale.

And that Red! Always that Red!

At first glance these images seem designed to simply motivate, inspire and create an overwhelming sense of pride and confidence in the people they are supposed to represent. But then, in the west, we were taught to distrust these images, as I’m certain they were taught to distrust images of us. Perhaps, with all that behind us now, these iconic paintings have simply moved into the realm of a classic, incredibly well done and very enjoyable advertising campaign.

Bye Now.

Big Lenin – Little Wendi

“It’s The Ijlst We Can Do.”

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The sun came in and out today so we decided a short road trip was in order. It’s a little windy and cold, 29 – 30F, but very beautiful.

My God the folks are hearty around here. In all the little towns we passed through, everyone, 9 to 90, goes everywhere on bicycles. Bright red hands and faces peddling against a 15 mph headwind. Tough. Way tougher then us.

The Center of Ijlst

Our first stop was Ijlst. I’ve heard it pronounced 10 times and still can’t get it right. A lovely little bedroom community now, at times it is a stop on the famous Elfstedentocht, the legendary ice skating marathon on the Friesland canal system. The race is 124 miles long and encompasses eleven cities. Our route was similar but somewhat shorter and warmer and involved frequent stops for coffee.

Ijlst

Bakery – Ijlst

Lumber Mill Windmill 2 – Ijlst

Lumber Mill Windmill – Ijlst

Hindaloopen

Lockkeepers House – Hindeloopen

Makken

Canal Locks at Makken

Workum

Art Gallery – Workum

The View From Staveron

Ijsselmeer

Even The Off Ramps Look Nice

N354

A Rainy Day In Leeuwarden

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Leeuwarden St. Bernard

It’s not really drizzle. But then it’s not really rain. It’s rizzle. And with rizzle you have to persevere. In this case persevering constituted a short drive to Leeuwarden, the capital of Friesland. Leeuwarden’s most celebrated daughter was probably Mata Hari, a Dutch exotic dancer, courtesan, and accused spy who was executed by firing squad in France under charges of espionage for Germany during World War I.

Mata Hari

This is a lovely little city despite the wind and cold and rizzle. Nice lunch, small shops, culture and beer.

Nieuwestad – Downtown Leeuwarden

They got cheese.

Coffee at the Fire Cafe

Keramiekmuseum Princessehof is an amazing structure and has a huge collection of Asian and European ceramics and tiles which, quite frankly, can make me a little nervous. When I was a kid we weren’t allowed anywhere near the “Good Dishes”. This is an entire palace full of the “Good Dishes”.

Keramiekmuseum – Leeuwarden

But then you get to the attic and they have life size contemporary pieces.

Yellow Dog -Keramiekmuseum

Boy -Keramiekmuseum

Just a little wacky.

Off To Holland

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Our long awaited Home Exchange has at last begun in earnest. This trip is special as we were fortunate to be able to enjoy some time with our Dutch exchangers Jan & Anneke. A great couple that we exchanged homes with 5 years ago. Adventurous, smart, fun, generous, let’s face it the Dutch are cool.

Anneke

Some gadget time with Jan

Over the years quite a few folks have expressed an interest in Home Exchanging but admit to a slight apprehension. All I can tell you is that there seems to be a little Zen in it. The nicer everyone is to each other, the better it works.

For those of you who have never ventured into Home Exchange before, exploring is the key. As lovely as Jan & Anneke’s home is, we didn’t come all this way to sit around the living room. Holland is a fascinating country with Amsterdam, de Hague, Harrlem and hundreds of picturesque towns. Copenhagen, Berlin, Hamburg, Bruges, are all in relatively easy striking distance by car or train. And with fairly inexpensive short European flights, the net gets even wider.

That been said, we are going to spend the first bit exploring Friesland when the sun is still low in the sky and spring is just now waking up slowly.

Canal side homes in Sneek, NL

BruceWPeterson Photography

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