I’m in Holland now, teaching tomorrow in Friesland, but today I took my mum for a drive round this beautiful place to see where her family came from. I came across this perfect picture – an old windmill going full flow and surrounded by the new wind mills.Its a country of contrasts, beautiful old places
surrounded by modern concepts and art. This is the village of Hindeloopen – narrow cobbled streets and beautifully restored houses on the edge of a lake. In the 18th century it enjoyed fame and wealth – their costumes were an interesting combination of chints and checks in wonderful colours. The museum is well worth a visit with rooms set out as they were 300 years ago. As you can see the weather is glorious.
We went on to find some of my mums long deceased relatives, their headstones were still there. You might think this a bit morbid, but they tell such stories and my mum remembered each one as a relation and the kind of person they were.
We also found a small furniture maker, he was in the middle of painting this gorgeous glass cabinet as a commission, in the patterns and colours that are specific and traditional to Hindeloopen.
Wat een leuke plaatsen heb je allemaal bezocht, Ineke. Toch grappig, als je niet naar Engeland was verhuisd, was het nog maar de vraag geweest of je daar ooit heen zou zijn gegaan.
Fijn dat je zo’n tijd in Holland verblijft, want gister was een geweldige workshopdag. Heb weer veel geleerd, gespeeld en gekletst.
Mijn Zijlstra voorouders komen trouwens uit Hardegarijp.
ja ik heb een erg leuke tijd gehad in nederland, in Apeldoorn was het ook leuk en kleurig – zal snel nog een paar fotos op mijn blog zetten en dan weer even kreatief aan de gang.