Tag: beauty

Bucket list

As we start the preparations for our move to the Amsterdam region, we also are thinking about what we will miss once we leave. So we’ve started a bucket list of things to do while we are still around. Number one for me was a visit to my favorite forest pool on the St Jansberg in Plasmolen. It never disappoints!

Other items on the list:

  • Lunch at the newly renovated castle Jachtslot Mookerheide
  • Dinner at the Plasmolense Hof
  • A visit to the Oriëntalis museum about Middle Eastern history and culture
  • A visit to the landscape museum in Berg en Dal

Hofjes in Amsterdam

On my way to work earlier this week, I explored another side of Amsterdam: the hofjes. Hofjes are houses around a courtyard that is accessible from the street through a door and a hallway. Today, the courtyard is often a green space with trees and flowers. It used to be the place for communal services like water (in many hofjes you can still see the pumps) and toilets.

Hofjes have a long history in the Netherlands. The eldest were founded in the 12th or 13th century as a philanthropic act of wealthy citizens for widows or elderly men. Some hofjes have a religious origin, as intentional communities of laypeople such as the Beguines. In the 19th century another type of hofje was built: housing for people who had come to the city to look for work. These were sometimes maintained by slumlords who profited from the rule that for housing built off the street no permit was needed.

My walk took me to more than 10 hofjes in the Jordaan quarter of Amsterdam. I enjoyed the green, quiet spaces in the bustling city!

Autumn colors

It’s been so long since I found time to get out into the forest! But today I was working from home and when it started to get foggy I packed my camera and tripod and went out. A last chance to get some autumn colors!

Familiar and unexpected

Another stage of the Walk of Wisdom, from Malden to Grave. Again, it was an amazing combination of the familiar and the unexpected. In this stage, we also passed the halfway point of the route. Three long stages to go! Today’s was 20 km, and I’m proud of myself for making it this far!

Maria Laach

We spent two days hiking at Maria Laach, a big lake in a volcanic crater. In the water you can see bubbles coming from the bottom of the lake, a sign that the volcano is dormant but not dead. Apparently a new outbreak is statistically overdue. Makes exciting hikes!

Hiking is lovely on the steep slopes of the volcano. We saw many mice, interesting beetles and even a snake. But the highlight is the Abbey of Maria-Laach that has stood on the banks of the lake since 1093. Unimaginably old, that is! The place has a very peaceful and loving atmosphere and we enjoyed spending the night at the abbey.