One year on...

I posted this photo on FB today and it brought back a lot of memories.

Flowers from my sweet friend, Michelle - May 2013

It has been slightly more than a year since we returned to Singapore.  Just as I had always suspected it would be, our time in the Hague had become like a nice little dream.  Surreal and remote.  So unlike our daily life here in hot and bustling Singapore.  Experiences there have taken on a dream-like quality.

I am sitting here in our dark bedroom recalling little snippets of our everyday life then, whilst Nicolas snores away on my lap.  In another year, I will probably recall even less, so I decided to journal whatever memories that randomly popped into my head.

December, nine months pregnant, getting ready to go out in the dark cold for a nice 3-course dinner.  It is hard trying to zip up my knee high boots, my suede winter jacket heavy and too short at the front..

Staring out of our bedroom window at 6pm, pitch dark and all the lights are on in people's homes and the school behind our apartment..

In the kitchen with the lights on, outside it is grey and cold and wet.  It's been raining the whole day..

Kevin and I on one sofa each, under our thermal blankets, eating our dinner of Albert Heijn schnitzel and mushroom noodles and watching IRIS..

The room is dark except for the night light.  I am sitting on my favourite flowery sofa, Lucas just fallen asleep after his bottle.  He is getting too big for my lap..

Switching on the lights and waking Lucas up from his afternoon nap.  Feeding him blended apple, banana and yoghurt for his tea.. 

Ironing in the study whilst Lucas imitates Tree Fu Tom on CBeebies..

Midnight and hanging out the laundry in the guest room..

Playing Chefville in the study, Lucas eating his appelmoes and watching Doctor Ranj on CBeebies..

Watching my favourite BBC programmes.. Bargain Hunt at lunchtime and Great British Bake-Off after dinner.. 

5.30pm, light is fading, going up the stairs with Lucas to prepare dinner..

5.30pm, heading home from the playground, Lucas in the stroller under the plastic cover, me pushing him against the chilly wind..

Another one of countless grocery runs at Albert Heijn on Theresiastraat.  One hand pushing the stroller, the other pulling the green basket-on-wheels.  Turn left to the vegetables, then past the fruits to the pork section for the schouderkarbonade.  Cross the aisle to pick up the salmon.  Past the rotating chicken rotisserie.  Cheese section for jong belegen shredded cheese.  Bakery section for AH's delicious Excellent wholegrain bread.  One tub of framboos yoghurt, one pack of halfvolle melk.  Out of Albert Heijn, stroller heavy with groceries, stop by Klink & Englebert bakery for their oud kaas pastry..

Sunday lunch at our favourite pink cafe on Theresiastraat, Nieuw Engelhard..

Dropping Lucas off at school, stopping by Koningin Julianalaan to go to Jumbo.  Turning the blue parking disc to show my arrival time and leaving it on the dashboard of the car..

Rushing to the tram stop to pick up Lucas from school..

Crossing the road in front of our apartment and heading to our favourite playground at Haagse Bos.  Stopping at the little wooden bridge to feed the ducks.  Running up the hill looking for mushrooms growing at the side of the wooden wall.  Running down the hill to look for fallen acorns amidst the thick fall foliage.  Standing in the middle of the field when the strong breeze lifts the brittle leaves off the grass, making them dance and swirl..

Running in the garden downstairs, looking for mushroom and chestnuts and avoiding dog poo..

Looking for dandelions along the path..

Picking berries along the path..

Unlocking and getting through 2 sets of heavy doors to get into our apartment building.  Going to the front to get our mail from the mail basket..

Watching the children in the daycare next door playing outdoors.  Babies dozing in their strollers, toddlers busy cycling, building, running..

Getting on and off Dutch buses with the stroller..

Walking to Rainbow Tots..

Walking through Den Haag Centraal station to get to the city, in all weathers - rain, shine, snow, ice..

Playground before dinner at Wong Kee..

Coffee at HEMA, lunch at Vapiano..

Saturday lunches and Thursday dinners at Sligro..

Hour-long breakfast at our dining table - yoghurt, cranberries, cereal, butter on delicious toast - which invariably slides into playtime..

Lunch and Jay Chou music videos.. 

 

Drive NL: De Olmenhorst Apple Orchard

Self-pluck apples and pears season in the Netherlands started last week.

We headed to De Olmenhorst farm in Lisse, just 40 minutes drive from Den Haag on the A44.

Entry to the farm was free.  We paid 3 euros for parking and was free to walk around and explore. 

Pluck and eat.  Or in Lucas' case, pluck and admire.

He was excited to discover there were pear trees too.

That's one very happy boy.

It was lovely and peaceful in the orchard.

There was also a horse cart ride around the farm.

And life-size tractors!

With his new friend, Kato.

Park Clingendael

After days of super hot weather, we were happy to welcome an overcast day and walked to the Clingendael Park to say hi to the animals.

 

At noon in mid-week, the park was wonderfully quiet, green and peaceful.

New family member.

Giant mushroom.

Making a trail through the moss.

Drake and his harem.

Pine so ancient, even the branches are half-buried.

Moss-covered pond.

A watery sanctuary by the Japanese garden.

Drive NL: Kasteel Middachten

Last Sunday, we left Kevin at home with his books and drove 130km east for a picnic with some friends at a castle.

It was sweltering hot and a certain little person was in a super foul mood.  This explains the lack of photos for this post.

Walking to the castle for the indoor tour.

Kasteel Middachten is still a working estate and only open to the public at certain times of the year.  It has been kept within the family over the generations and is now managed by the 24th Lady of Middachten.  The current house was built in the late 17th century.  The interior was not large but beautifully decorated with antique pieces.  There were English speaking guides downstairs in the kitchen and they gave us some interesting anecdotes. See http://www.middachten.nl/.

We would have liked to spend more time in beautifully kept gardens but unfortunately the weather was just too hot.  A visit in spring or autumn would have been lovely.  And in winter, there is a Christmas market on the grounds, and every room of the castle would have a Christmas tree.

At 4.30pm (closing time), we bid goodbye to the castle and drove 30 minutes to Bennekom for pancake at what used to be an 80 year old farm.  De Panorama-Hoeve is a bit of an institution in this part of Netherlands, having been around for so long.  See http://www.panorama-hoeve.nl/.

At 5pm, the place was packed with locals having their dinner.  Lucas was a lot happier after running around in the playground and making friends with the pig and goats at the little petting zoo.

There was no room at the terrace so we sat in the converted farmhouse, beautifully decorated with rustic charm.  And the pancakes were delicious!

Ham, cheese and pineapple pancake. 

Remnants of the berries pancake in the foreground.

Drive NL: Haarlem

Over the weekend, we drove to Haarlem which lies just outside of Amsterdam.  The more famous Harlem in New York City was named after this Haarlem in The Netherlands (New York was a former Dutch colony).

The pigeons of Haarlem.

Boat house by the river Spaarne.

We caught the opening of the road-bridge to let some leisure crafts through:

Here the bridge is closed and the road above it is open.  Later, it would swivel 90º to let boats through.

Can you spot the difference?  The bridge/road has turned and is open for boats to pass through.

Waiting for the road to open.

Here is a video of the bridge/road swivelling back into place - quite cool:

Gorgeous flowers by the sidewalk.

Local pigeons and ducks.

Lovely old buildings by the waterway.

This is another bridge which was kind of half open, so people can pass above and below it.

Sint-Bavokerk at the central market square.

Lunch by the cathedral.  It was sunny but the wind was chilly.

Impromptu PDA (Public Display of Affection) on the streets of Haarlem:

First, the forehead rub.

Then checking for cavities.

Finally, the nibble.

Typical street scene.

Window display at a violin shop.

Interesting decoupage shop facade.

Chilling out by the river before heading back.

All strapped in and not going anywhere :)