The many marvels of the Louwman Museum

Finally, after years of living nearby and biking in front of it every single morning, I managed to visit the Louwan Automobile Museum and I must admit it's spectacular.

Even someone like me who has no driving licence and very little interest in cars (as in: "what car does she have?" "Dunno, a grey one?") spent a fantastic 4 hours (!!!) in the building.

Granted, I personally think it is quite ugly from the outside and doesn't fit at all in the surroundings, but once inside all is forgiven and forgotten.

The collection is outstanding and include a lot of unique pieces, such as a steam car powered by coal that had to be started 50 minutes before departure,  one of the few remaining first Toyotas (discovered in a Siberian barn and brought to Holland by train), one of the first Ford model T and also a Benz that was once "stolen" and driven by Mrs Benz to visit her family, a journey that made her the first person ever to drive more than 100 km ( you go Bertha!).

And the best part of it? The Louwman has now joined the Museum Card programme, so you can get in as many times a year as you wish!

http://www.louwmanmuseum.nl/

If I had a driving licence, this would be my car.

Feel good cafe'

Today we discovered this very nice network of cafes and workshops run by an organisation called Ipse de Brugge providing assistance, support and job opportunities to people with disabilities.

We visited the Smulhoeve in Leidschenveen but there are many more cafes scattered around the country (Alphen aan de Rijn, Nootdorp and Brielle among others).

They also do pottery and painting workshops and they produce honey, which was voted the best in The Hague in 2014.

Next on my to do list is a visit to Choco Toko, the chocolate lab they have in Zoetermeer, which sounds very promising....

Here's today's cafe:

http://smulhoeve.ipsedebruggen.nl/

List of all cafes and other activities available here:  http://www.ipsedebruggen.nl/Ontmoet-ons/Winkels-horeca/1902,,,,,,,,/

Barefoot in the park (in Gelderland)

A.Vogel is a company that makes natural remedies from plants. Regardless of mine or anyone's stance on the topic, it's possible to visit their garden in spring and summer for free. And it does look lovely.

It offers a series of walks, bicycle routes, educational path and boards, a restaurant, and even a "barefoot path" which is said to be very good for your feet, especially after they have been sealed in shoes all winter long!

According to their website, best season to visit is June to September, but I am sure it is very nice in May too.

http://www.avogel.nl/tuinen

Copyright photo: vandaagopstaap.nl

Coming up this weekend, in a greenhouse near you!

Discover what's going on in those famous Dutch greenhouses this weekend during Kom in de Kas (Come to the Greenhouse).

The website usefully divide the activities by provinces, so you can check what's going on near you.

Apart from being able to visit greenhouses, fields and farms, you can take part in cooking workshops, flower arrangements classes, gardening displays and much more

In many places there's live music and tons of things for the kids to do as well. Check this link for all the locations and activities:

http://www.komindekas.nl/

More tomatoes sizes and colours that you ever knew existed!

Huis Doorn: home of the last Kaiser of Germany

Huis Doorn is a manor house not far from Utrecht.

Not long ago I read the excellent Geert Mak's In Europa, which I warmly recommend, and discovered that Wilhelm II, the German emperor during WWI, used the palace as his residence-in-exile from the end of the war till the 1940s when he died.

Although it is still occasionally a destiantion for nostalgic German monarchists, it has now been converted into a national museum with running exhibitions on WWI and military history in general.

During the coming Easter weekend for instance, they are showcasing precious enamelled eggs from their collection while kids can go on a Easter Eggs hunt in the English landscape gardens.

At the end of  May they will host a big living history event on WWI with the grounds and palace filled with "soldiers", original vehicles and equipment, demonstrations and classes and there's an interesting programme on King's Day too.


http://www.huisdoorn.nl/eng/

http://www.huisdoorn.nl/

Huis Doorn. Image copywright: huisdoorn.nl

Minibieb: book crossing cabinets taking over the country

I had seen some of these small, nicely decorated boxes while driving or biking around.

Lately one appeared in the neighborhood so I had the chance to examine it close by and discovered that it's a book crossing experiment!

The Minibieb is basically a small library where residents can borrow books for free and leave the ones they enjoyed for other people to read.

It could be "managed" by someone living nearby, who decides to paint an old cupboard and stock it up with old books, it can be a group of neighbours with a passion for reading or schoolchildren and their teachers from a nearby school. Anything goes really.

Each cabinet also contains a notebook where people can note down what they borrowed and when, what they liked and what they would like to read.

It's also a great way for cash strapped foreign students or recent immigrants to practice their Dutch in a social an inexpensive way.

More info and how to sign up here:

http://minibieb.nl/

The bombing of The Hague, March 1945

Many people are well aware that Rotterdam suffered a terrible bombing at the beginning of WWII, that left the city almost completely destroyed.

Not so many people are aware that a part of The Hague was also destroyed, this time by Allied Forces' bombs.

On the 3 March 1945, 67.000 kilos of explosive were dropped on the Bezuidenhout, killing more than 500 people and leaving 12.000 people homeless.

The English planes were aiming for German rockets, which according to their intelligence were hidden in the Haagse Bos, but due to miscalculation and possibly adverse meteorological conditions, they hit the (already then) lively neighborhood.

The residents' committee and the City of The Hague have recently inaugurated an historical path complete with explanatory boards that takes walkers through the neighborhood and the woods, with before and after pictures and extra bits of history about the area, from its first developments in the 18th century till becoming the popular area it is nowadays.

More information and a list of related events planned for the month of March, here (in Dutch):

http://bezuidenhout.nl/index.asp

One of the panels with before/after pictures. 

A de-wine accommodation in Friesland

There's an hotel in Stavoren, a town on the "Friesland side" of the Ijsselmeer, that offers its customers a very unusual sleeping accommodation.

Four of their rooms have been "carved" out from giant 14.500-liter capacity Swiss wine casks.

The room comes with two beds, bathroom and small lounge but sadly no wine tasting facilities.

Not recommended for those doing a Dry January... and not just because of the weather.

http://www.hotel-vrouwevanstavoren.nl/engels/indexengels.htm

Copyright: Ocholeguas.com