Tuincentrum, Spring, Easter

Posted on by ghotiindustries

Since moving to the Netherlands I have wanted to buy some plants. First we were renting and had nowhere to put plants, then by the time we moved into a more stable living environment we were spending our money on setting up our new home. Then it was the depths of Winter and I didn’t think any plants I wanted on the balcony would survive the snow and frost, so I continued to wait. Biding my time until I could … spring … into action.

Well it’s Spring now, and the call of blooms was just getting too much to cope with! The trees are just waiting to explode with leaves! I think they are just waiting for the snow to finally give up and stop falling!

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I had been told about a garden centre in a nearby suburb, and when on the tram the other day had even spied it out of the window. So off we went to explore! Would you like to know more?

Shopping on the Haarlemmerdijk

Posted on by ghotiindustries

You’d never guess there was a fertility festival coming up!

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All those hand-made chocolates. Would you like to know more?

Artis

Posted on by ghotiindustries

Natura Artis Magistra – the Artis Royal Zoo, located in Amsterdam. That was where we decided to spend the last Sunday in August. In the intermittent rain.

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I had wanted to go to Artis almost since we first arrived in Amsterdam. Having lived nearby and at one point taking the cats to the Vet opposite, it had been tormenting me ever since.

When we woke up on Sunday and there was yet more rain forecast, I looked at Himself and declared that I’d be willing to dress for the weather just to get there finally! Thank goodness that he is as open to adventure as I am! Off we went with umbrella and raincoat stowed safely in the backpack.

It didn’t take long for the first of several downpours. This one happened as we were nearby the Reptile House, and in we went.

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We were reminded that we will need to look up the laws on snake ownership in the Nederlands for our next pet adoption.

Another happened as we were encountering the Lemurs in Lemur Land. You can actually get close and interact with them! Although, at one point all anyone wanted was to be under the umbrella, out of the rain! We all crammed in there together.

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Zebras are not wet weather animals. They told me.

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With another downpour we were at the Aquarium which is housed within the same park. How cool is that?!? This wee froggy stole my heart! He was about the size of the nail on my little finger.

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I guess it makes complete sense that if you have a big cat enclosure, then you’d have a resident taxidermist as well. I wouldn’t want to say good bye either.

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I swear these sea urchins wanted to try out to be soot sprites from Studio Ghibli.

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The Koi pond will always hold a special attraction for me.

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I saw my first ever racoon! And Oh My Goodness! Can you stand the cuteness?!?

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My first ever sloth! I like sloths. Always have. Don’t know why.

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There seemed to be baby animals all over the zoo. Baby gorillas, baby sharks, a baby giraffe, this baby elephant …

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But of course, the best was saved ‘til last. As we were being kicked out of the premises as they had closed a half hour before …

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the baby lion.

You can bet you britches that we’ll be going back to see all of the park we missed (and we were there for five hours), very shortly!

Hope you had a good weekend one and all!

Molen van Sloten

Posted on by ghotiindustries

It’s amazing what you learn when you pay attention to the advertising screens on trams! I recently read about Molen van Sloten on just such a screen, and resolved that at the next chance we got, that’s where we’d go! I’d had no idea that there was a working windmill so close to Amsterdam!

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As directed, we took the tram and got off at the last stop, and just followed the signs from there. And a remarkably picturesque walk it was too!

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Can you believe these are the back of peoples back yards? I’m so jealous!

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This was the best sign so far, and had me giggling.

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It directed us to walk through Sloten, a thousand year old village which only got annexed to Amsterdam in 1921. It’s so tiny and quaint!

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I love the atmosphere of this village. If it was further away I‘d want a Summer house here. But it’s so close that I can visit whenever I want!

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Out of a tree shaded walkway we then saw the sight that had drawn us here.

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The massive rotating sails of the mill. This particular mill is a water mill that, by use of an Archimedes Screw, keeps the polder of Sloten above water level, if not sea level.

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This is the only public mill in Amsterdam and being able to go up inside it as it was turning was such an amazing experience! We both had huge grins on our faces!

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Being us, on the way home we stopped off in Leidseplein and sampled a few more of the delicious cocktails off the menu at the Bar Americain.

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Pretty good way to end the day if you ask me! I hope your weekends were both productive and educational too!

Local Woods

Posted on by ghotiindustries

As has been evidenced in a previous post, where we live now is rather green, and after staring at google maps the other day, I decided that there was a section I really wanted to explore with my camera. Thankfully, Himself is amenable to my whims, and off we set to explore the local woods! Having already spotted my first wild hedgehog just up the street from where we’re living, I thought I’d up my chances of finding another in the actual woods!

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Alas, it was not to be on this occasion. But there was still lots to see!

I love all the flora which is so different from what I’m used to.

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Though we were in the woods, it doesn’t stop there being streams and canals all over! This picturesque little bridge was the subject of quite a few photos!

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The bumble bees were out in force and hovering over the thistles and other pink flowers mostly. I still find the sight of actual bumble bees a thrill!

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Not only is there canals everywhere, but it had been raining. So everything was a little damp. But the water level never changes. This would be the difference between canals and creeks.

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Something that I had been told all my life but had never seen was that if lost in the woods, moss will always grow on the North side of trees. Well, have some ivy doing just that!

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I have mentioned before on twitter that I love all the natural long grasses that line all the canals and major roads. This is the perfect example of the vibrant splashes of red poppy that punctuate these grasses.

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Another bumble bee all laden down with pollen. (They’re so cute and fluffy!!!)

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And this Ladies and Gentlemen of the audience, is in my opinion, the cutest house in the village!

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Oh look! Another bike shop. I think I’ve spotted a theme …