Den Haag

Last week, for a little change of scenery we took a train to The Hague (Den Haag). It's 50 mins from Amsterdam, but very different. Dutchies say that the money is made in Rotterdam (the largest port in the world), divided in The Hague (the seat of Government) and spent in Amsterdam (the capital city).



We both enjoy museums so we loved the Maurithuis, which is a musuem housed in a house for the governor of Dutch Brazil in the 1640s. We pondered Girl with the Peal Earring by Johannes Vermeer. The painting is sometimes called the Mona Lisa of the North as she too has a puzzling expression and her identity is a complete mystery.

The Hague is a charming city and more posh than Amsterdam, with a larger expat population. 40% of it's 500,000 inhabitants come from a different nation. We really enjoyed strolling the antique district and came away with some minature canal houses made of porcelain.

Unlike Amsterdam centrum, the main center of The Hague
has an interesting mix of old and modern architecture.

Our new favorite museum in all of the Netherlands is the Panorama Mesdag. It is a cylindrical painting, more than 45 feet high and 390 feet long. You stand in the middle of the room and the painting of the sea and a nearby beach town completely surrounds you. It feels like you're on top of a sand dune and have a 360 degree view of the seaside around you. The illusion is enhanced by real sand between you and the painting, so the sand looks like an extension of the beach.

Vincent van Gogh visited the panorama in his day and said it "is the most beautiful sensation of my life. It has just one tiny flaw and that is its flawlessness."

Sand in front of the painting

One of our New Year resolutions is to visit a new city each month. We want to see and experience lots of different parts of the Netherlands in addition to traveling to other European countries. We loved The Hague and definitely plan on going back when the weather is warmer.

The train ride home

In other exciting news- I am now a two-time guacamole champion! A group of gals from my American Women's Club decided to host a "guac-off." I had won a guacamole competition two years earlier and am so pleased to have another win under my belt! :) No, I'm not going to give out the receipe, but I will say that the secret ingredient is kosher salt.

The victor with all that remained of her winning guac

Some of you may also be wondering if Brent's job with Starbucks is secure here in Amsterdam, given all the press about upcoming lay-offs. Thankfully, we don't have anything to worry about as he is in a necessary and secure part of the company here (this region is still growing). It's obviously still a difficult time for the company and employee morale, so we are thankful to be overseas and a little bit removed from spotlight in Seattle.

Wishing you a happy Monday!