An autumn day in The Hague

Last Wednesday I went to The Hague with two friends of mine. It was as dark and dreary autumn day, but perfect for sightseeing. One of my friends, who was born in The Hague and knows the town very well, took us on a guided tour. She showed us Noordeinde palace, where our queen Beatrix works, the Royal stables and the Palace gardens. We walked along the Hofvijver, past the houses of parliament and the tower of the prime minister to the passage, a covered shopping street dating back to 1885. The day would not be complete without visiting some shops. We settled on the Denneweg and Frederikstraat, with it's many antique stores and galleries.

We ended our day in Hotel des Indes, where we had a delicious lunch. What a beautiful place the hotel is. It has the charm and grandeur of the old world, but with modern day luxury. It feels like stepping back in time, to the days when men and women were still wearing hats, doors were being held open and a hand kiss was still a frequently used gesture.

Let me show you where we have been.

Wish you all a happy weekend,

Madelief x

Biggie Best shop in de Frederikstraat

 

Inside the garden house

What a wonderful weekend we had in Holland! So strange to be sitting in the garden in October with temperatures up to 25 degrees Celsius. I planned to paint the ceilings of our garden house white, but because it was so hot, I decided to do it another time. Instead I took some photo's to show you how the inside of our garden house looks at the moment.

We took the old cupboard from our living room to the garden house. I was pleased to see that I could store more things than in our old cupboard. There was even some space left for the teacups, which I recently found at the flea market.

I still have lots of flowers from the garden. I can't remember having picked so much, for such a long time. There are still Sweet Peas, Cosmos, Zinnia, Sedum and lots of Dahlia's. Some plants seem to have taken a growing spurt, like some roses and the pepper plant in the greenhouse. I will show you some photo's next time! Hope you all had a lovely weekend too?!

Happy new week to you all,

Madelief x

Getting ready for autumn

We had some beautiful sunny weather in Holland this weekend. Perfect to do some work in the garden and empty the outdoor kitchen. When autumn storms arrive, I don't want my china and enamelware to be all over the garden.

I was sent two beautiful tea towels by the All tea towels company. They have the most wonderful selection of linen and cotton tea towels. From contemporary designs to vintage prints and more romantic patterns. All high quality. I found it difficult to make a choice. They have so much on offer. When the tea towels arrived by mail on Friday, my middle daughter asked me if she could have the red one with the text 'Keep calm and carry on', to put on her bedroom wall. Guess I will have to get a new one for myself !

Now that the garden is slowly going to sleep, I will be posting less frequently. Probably once a week. This leaves me with more time to finish my crocheted plaid, do some baking and cooking, and finally read those books that have been lying in my bookcase for weeks now. 

Wish you all a happy Wednesday! Enjoy the sun :-)

Madelief x

Autumn decorations

Today was a lovely autumn day in Holland. It felt good wearing a summer dress and sandals again. I spent a great part of the day outdoors and even found time to make some minor changes around the house. The summer accessories were put upstairs in the loft and replaced by plaids, pillows & candles in colours I find more suitable for autumn and winter. At our local fleamarket I discovered an old blue vase, which I couldn't resist. It looks beautiful on our new dresser and matches perfectly with the blue china and glassware inside.

Tomorrow we will be heading for the garden, to empty our outdoor kitchen and make everything ready before autumn storms arrive.

Hope you will all have a lovely sunny weekend!

Madelief x