Desta Páscoa

Easter 2014

Na Museumplein (Praça dos Museus) em Amsterdam

Esta Páscoa, andei pela Museumplein em Amsterdam: com o meu marido, para ir ao Concert Gebouw, assistir ao Messias de Handel, e com a minha amiga R., num passeio pelo Museumkwartier e o Jordaan. Digam lá, se a Museumplein não está bonita com este lago de túlipas?

No Concert Gebouw

Na passada segunda-feira, foi o segundo dia de Páscoa. O tempo esteve cinzento e murcho, ou seja, óptimo para uma actividade mais acolhedora, como um concerto de música clássica no Concert Gebouw. Inaugurado em 1888, o Concert Gebouw é considerado uma das três melhores salas de concerto do mundo. Os quase 2000 lugares do auditório principal (Grote Zaal) por pouco não esgotaram para o concerto do Messias de Handel pelo The Bach Choir & Orchestra of the Netherlands, dirigido pelo maestro Pieter Jan Leusink. Desde os mais jovens aos mais velhos, todos vieram, muitos em família, gozar este segundo dia de Páscoa.

Gostei muito do espectáculo e achei piada à exuberante expressividade do maestro (podem vê-lo, neste link, com o Holland Boys Choir, na Paixão segundo S. Mateus, de Bach).
A execução do Messias foi exímia e nem um deslize se notou quando alguns velhotes tiveram pequenos "ataques" de tosse.

No intervalo, deambulámos um pouco pelos corredores e pudémos apreciar muitos quadros evocativos dos músicos e cantores líricos que passaram por esta Casa. Há, também, ao longo dos corredores, vários bares à disposição. Os consumos já estão incluídos no preço dos bilhetes.
De salientar, as obras de renovação do exterior do edifício. A nova área, com paredes de vidro, além de funcionar como bar, protege a fachada lateral da poluição e proporciona uma vista explêndida do ambiente circundante. Gostei muito.

Esta foi a primeira vez que assistimos a um espectáculo no Concert Gebouw.

As fotos do interior da Grote Zaal foram tiradas com o telemóvel e esta última pelo meu marido.



No Museumkwartier e no Jordaan

Já o passeio com a R, levou-me ao encontro de mais uns bonitos detalhes das ruas de Amsterdam.

Mas, a música parecia andar no meu caminho, nestas mini-férias de Páscoa. A R. encaminhou-me para um local muito especial do Jordaan: a  Johnny Jordaanplein, onde podemos apreciar um conjunto de estátuas dos músicos e cantores mais emblemáticos deste querido bairro de Amsterdam. Estes cantores e estes músicos protagonizaram um tipo de música popular que ficou conhecida como "levenslied" (tradução literal: "canção da vida"), uma variação holandesa da chanson française.




Johnny Jordaan


Tante Leen


Johnny Meijer


 Jan &Mien


Manke Nelis

No Café Americain

A tarde esteve soalheira e, já pelas sete, fomos ao Café Americain, no Eden Amsterdam American Hotel, junto à Leidseplein. Este café, em estilo Art Deco, é muito frequentado por artistas e escritores holandeses. Mas, como não prestei atenção a quem lá estava, tão entretidas ficámos a conversar, não reconheci ninguém. A R. levou-me lá porque sabe que gosto de arquitectura e Art Deco, mas também porque já nos apetecia um bom sumo de laranja, depois de tudo o que caminhámos.
Um destes Domingos, a ver se vamos lá ouvir um bocadinho de Jazz...

Uma fotografia por cima do bar...

Os vitrais...


A mesa do bar onde nos sentámos...


Cinema em casa

Nestes dias de Páscoa, aproveitámos também para pôr os filmes em dia. Eis as nossas escolhas, que recomendamos:

"The Butler" e " Philomena", ambos de 2013

Aos leitores portugueses a residir em Portugal, desejo um bom feriado e bom fim-de-semana!

Àqueles que vivem cá, desejo um excelente Dia do Rei! Divirtam-se muito!

Sint Maarten

November, 11 - Saint Martin's evening

This year we lighted our doorway with pumpkins.

From Sint Maarten 2012

We put the chocolates in the bowls on the corridor stairways and waited for the children with their lampionnen...

From Sint Maarten 2012

This year, they came earlier - about 6 pm. All of them have sung the typical Sint Maarten liedjes very well, so, everybody has received a chocolate.

I didn't photograph the children singing at my doorway, but I leave you with a video from Youtube, so you can see how lovely is this evening in the Netherlands.

Last year, more children came. I remember I had no time to sit down on the sofa.However, this year, I had a big surprise. A group of children came to see Fofinho. "Waar is Fofinho? Hij is zo lief! " (Where is Fofinho? He is so sweet!) they said. I invited the group to come in and they were delighted to see him.So sweet of them to ask about my cat. Lately, he doesn't come out very often, since it is raining most of the time and he is a bit weak. I noticed that especially the daughter of my neighbor F. was missing him very much. She is very attached to Fofinho. Always was. :-) 

My A-Z of the Netherlands: B is for Bikes

When we think about The Netherlands, we think about bikes and cycling paths. It's one of the country's trademarks. This interesting video tells us how cycling became so common in The Netherlands almost 40 years ago.

I don't cycle like the Dutch do

I don't cycle when it's snowing, windy, rainy or cold. I generally take the bus. Almere has a very good bus network. The bus stop is just around the corner and every 7 minutes we have a bus to the city center. A much warmer and comfortable trip, don't you think? ;-)
I only use my bike for recreation purposes. I enjoy cycling, specially in the spring, nearby the canal. I stop here and there, have a picnic, watch the sunset, and come back. Heel leuk!
For the rest, I use the bus or the train. I don't need to use my bike as they show in the video below. However, I think it is very cool to do as they do it!



I don't have a long history with bikes

I had a bike when I was a child, but soon I stopped cycling. The primary school, as well as the high school, were just around the corner. Later, when I went to the University, the bus and the metro were my favourite means of transport. And they remain so for 20 years more.
My current bike was bought after two years living in The Netherlands. I didn't miss it at first because we were living in the city center. Everything was just there.

A sad episode

One day, I dared to go for a long ride and I even crossed a bridge. However, the experience didn't go so well. I was on the right side of the road when I saw that a motorbike was coming on the left side. So far, so good. I slowed down a bit. Then, another motorbike suddenly appears between me and the previous one and I saw myself with no space available to go forward. I was not expecting this and I got scared and fell. Nobody stopped or asked me if I was ok. Just for luck, my glasses didn't drop in the canal. Niet leuk! Now, I'm trying other routes. I have a lot of paths to discover yet.

The Dutch are Pros with their bikes

The Dutch are very professional when riding their bikes. I'm far from having their cycling confidence.
I don't see myself riding my bike and, at the same time, reading a sms, talking on the phone, reading a newspaper or holding an umbrella. For me, it's also difficult to stop at the stoplight, put the foot in the floor and then restart cycling. I need a sidewalk where I can lean on.

Everyday Life in a Bike




In this video, you will find very interesting moments, specially in the following minutes:

1.42  A lady riding a bike and watching her mobile phone.

2.20  A lady riding her bike with her bags behind and her child in the front.

5.09  A lady riding her bike with one child behind and another in the front.

5.28  A lady riding her bike with a front box and three children inside.

6.18  A lady riding a brommer, very useful for those who have problems with their legs or get tired easily.

7.53  Children, adults and old people cycling. This is Netherlands!!!

8.29  A housewife in her bike with several baskets.

8.34  A well dressed lady riding her bike, probably coming from her work.

Almere has an extensive cycling network

Almere offers great cycling conditions. An extensive network of free cycling paths covers the entire city. Bikes can be rented at Almere Centrum and Buiten train stations. The Spoorbaanpad in Almere is considered the longest urban cycle route of the country. The name means ‘Rail road path’ and refers to the fact that it follows the rail road for its entire length. For more details, please click here.

How we say "bike" in Dutch?

"Fiets"! You can't imagine my surprise when I've heard it for the first time. "That's so different!" I thought...

I would like to hear from you about your cycling experience in The Netherlands. Do you want to share it with us?

Batavia Stad

June, 26, 2011

We went for the sales in Batavia Stad, an open- air outlet in our province, Flevoland.

From Batavia Stad

Once a year we go there. This time I needed to buy a swimsuit, a bag, sun glasses and a watch. I was very pleased with the prices I found.

I came happy from there.

We had a delicious lunch in La Place. :-)

From Batavia Stad

The weather was also nice. A sunny and warm day, very pleasant for a walk and to admire the replica of "Batavia", a ship that was built in Amsterdam in 1628 at the behest of the Dutch East India Company (VOC).

From Batavia Stad

On the site about Batavia, we can read the whole story: "On 4 June, 1629,however, the ship, carrying a crew of 332 and heading for Java, was wrecked on its maiden voyage off the coast of Western Australia.

From Batavia Stad

[...] The reconstruction of the Batavia was an initiative of master shipbuilder Willem Vos. It started in 1985 and under Vos's impassioned guidance, a changing group of long-term unemployed, volunteers and employees worked on the ship.

From Batavia Stad

The basic aim was to create an authentic reconstruction, using original materials and a traditional construction method. The ship is built entirely out of Danish oak and decorated with several hundred hand-carved figures and ornaments. The rigging and guns have also been reconstructed.

On 7 April 1995, the ‘Batavia' was christened and launched by Queen Beatrix. Since then, the Batavia has attracted visitors to Batavia Yard in Lelystad on a daily basis."

I will come back to Batavia Stad. I want to visit Batavia and also the Niew Land and the RACM museums.

From Batavia Stad

The Nieuw Land museum introduces visitors to the history of Flevoland. We can learn about the neolithic Swifterbant Culture inhabitants of the marsh lands, past the medieval lords of Kuinre, the fishermen and island dwellers through to stories about the land reclamation and pioneers of the new land, and also admire seven magnificent model ships from the collection of the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam.

RACM is about nautical and sub-aquatic archaeology. The RACM is home to the largest nautical archaeological depot of the Netherlands. More than 30,000 artifacts are shown, all taken from ships. There are even complete ship wrecks: from a Roman vessel to a regular barge service vessel. Besides, specialists will be working while we visit. This I found very interesting!