Just outside of The Hague is a small town in the Netherlands called Wassenaar. Getting there I’m transported into a very lush, very scenic area full of green fields, forests and magnificent homes. Once in the tiny city center, though, it’s a ghost town since it’s a drizzly Sunday morning.
The spirit of Sinterklaas is everywhere here as well…
and all of the sudden I’m feeling very anxious to be home for Christmas. Where has this year gone? I can already see 2012 just inches from my heels. But I’m not quite done yet. Take one last look at another windmill (this one happens to be an art gallery), and in the next post we’re going to break one of my personal records…
Tags: Sinterklaas, the Netherlands, Wassenaar
M. C. Escher was not a rap star but rather a Dutch graphical artist who worked in mezzotints, woodcuts, and lithographs. He was known as a “natural mathematician” because of his impossibly creative works that redefined a viewer’s perception of infinity and construction. The first time I happened upon an Escher tessellation was the time I found someone who could finally articulate my own obsession with patterns and symmetry, particularly when they morph into dizzying, multi-dimensional spatial abstracts…that are not actually abstracts at all.
Anyway! not too far from the Binnenhof is a wonderful, park-like area where you’ll find one of the most luxurious hotels in The Hague…
rows of lovely townhouses that make up embassies…
and of course Escher in het Paleis (Escher in the Palace or Escher Museum):
This museum was once the Lange Voorhout Palace, the winter palace of Queen Mother Emma of the Netherlands. So being here is like going to two museums for the price of one. First, you get to enjoy the building,
and then you get to explore the wonderful world of Escher:
I love this photo of the artist at work:
I couldn’t manage to take a photo of his famous 7-meters long Metamorphosis III woodcut but you can see a picture of it at this link.
Here are some final photos from the streets of The Hague before we move on to the next town.
I know…everything always leads to food.
Tags: Escher in het Paleis, Escher Museum, Lange Voorhout Palace, M.C. Escher, tessellation, The Hague
In the last post I showed you interior photos of the Binnenhof. Here is how the parliament’s complex looks when you round the corner to get the water shots:
I love how you can see the skyscrapers and scaffoldings in the background as a new skyline hovers over The Hague’s city center:
By the time I reach the flag-lined bridge, a flash of downpour hits,
so what is there to do but pop into a nice warm place to wait out the rain…while satisfying a sweet tooth at the same time?
In my defense, when you’re in the Netherlands, it’s practically a crime to not help yourself to some poffertjes, which are like baby pancakes covered with powdered sugar. I order one serving with fresh strawberries. When the plate comes out, it looks like my poffertjes were hit by a snowstorm (note to self, do NOT wear black when attempting to eat these):
It looks like every dentist’s nightmare, but it’s actually not all that sweet. As long as you don’t pour any syrup over it.
From here I make my way to the Peace Palace, or Vredespaleis, which is home to the International Court of Justice (judicial body of the United Nations) and a few other legal institutions. If you have any interest in the law, this complex is one of those places you want to visit to feel a little less cynical and a little more inspired…much like visiting the US Supreme Court. Unfortunately for me, it is closed to tours on this afternoon that I’m there, so I only have some exterior shots:
As I wrap up my report of the visit to the Hague in the next entry and post photos from the street, I’ll also take you to a cool museum that used to be a palace. But for now, I’ll take you to the dinner I mentioned from a few days ago. I’m finally breaking out that Chanel Paris Byzance cardigan coat that actually doesn’t photograph well (it looks much more shimmery in person) and frankly makes me feel like a Michelin man–maybe I shouldn’t have had all those pancakes:
I think maybe the coat looks better unbuttoned. But Michelin man or not, dinner beckons, and here’s another gratuitous shot of the new clutch having a martini 
:
Dinner is fabulous. Appetizer is mackerel tartare lightly seasoned with vintage soy sauce,
followed by grilled white fish on a bed of potato and beet puree–
which sounds simple enough, but I’ve never had better fish in my life. It’s cooked to perfection, and even the mushrooms are seasoned like no other. I’m not a true foodie, and my definition of gastronomy is purely subjective at this point, but at least now I know how fish should be cooked. This dish is that good.
To round it all off, dessert is funky, fun, and delicious. I wish I had taken notes when the maître d’ came by to explain the plate to me. All I remember now is that the underlining flavor is hazlenut, the tiny droplets of ice cream are pistachio-flavored, and the caramel sauce under the sprinkles of white chocolate simply melts in my mouth.
Yikes, it’s going to be rough to go back to my own cooking after this trip!
Tags: Binnenhof, Peace Palace, Poffertjes, The Hague, the Netherlands, Vredespaleis
Sometimes there are no words to describe certain photos. You’ll just have to go with me on this one.
Anyway, from Ter Heijde village limits (don’t you love how a windmill will just pop out of a street corner?)…
I said we’d go to The Hague, or Den Haag…
which doesn’t look all that different from any of the countless places I’ve featured in this region at my blog. There are the usual small alleys invaded by American culture–
even if it sounds a bit more exotic in a foreign language,
and then there are the not-so-foreign Chinatown gates that seem to be in every city, large or small:
But a big part of the Dutch landscape is their architectural aesthetic, of which I’m a huge fan, and The Hague’s city hall is but one example:
So that building is a nod to the future, and the Binnenhof, or a complex of buildings that’s home to their parliament, is a tribute to their past. These next photos are of the inner courts of the Binnenhof (I’ll share the exterior shots in the next entry):
Anyway, as I’m walking around looking at the symmetry of the windows, I hear a rush of laughter and some drum noises. I look behind me and there’s a group of costumed people, young and old, short and (very) tall.
All have black painted faces except for the one dressed as St. Nicholas. December 5th marks the St. Nicholas (or Sinterklaas) Day which I suppose is the Dutch equivalent to our Christmas celebration with Santa Claus. The main difference is the European St. Nicholas is typically accompanied by Zwarte Piet (black Pete), hence the black faces you see in these photos.
It’s initially shocking for an American to see black painted faces, but this is part of the Dutch tradition, and Zwarte Piet will find you if you’ve been naughty. St. Nich is the one you want visiting you. These days, all these characters will stroll the town and hand out treats to young and old alike…
OK, here’s a fashion interruption: fake or real Chanel bag ?
Look closely…
Now, where were we? Oh yes, so in those cloth sacs they’re carrying cinnamon-flavored cookies/biscuits and candies shaped like hearts and animals. Of course I got some!
I run into a few more different groups throughout the day, and those cookies get less exciting after the 50th one, so be careful what you wish for.
More pics and stories from this lovely town in the next entry. I’ll leave you with this parting photo. Looks like I got visited by both St. Nicholas and Zwarte Piet. What do you suppose that means?!
Tags: Binnenhof, Chinatown, Den Gaag, Dutch, Saint Nicholas, Sinterklaas, The Hague, Zwarte Piet
