Morsels of Milan

We take photos as a return ticket to a time otherwise gone.

The Last Supper – Decorating the former dining hall of the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, this remarkable crafted fresco, painted around 1498 by Leonardo da Vinci, is one of the ultimate masterpieces of the Renaissance.
This giant needle and thread represents the fashion industry that Milan is known for.
On our tour we went to the Sforza Castle and marveled at the gigantic fortress that it was back in it’s day.
Inside Milan’s Duomo. The third largest cathedral in Europe. There are 52 columns like these, one for each week of the liturgical year.
The Duomo has the most beautiful marble facade!
I loved the stone balconies.
Typical Milanese building.
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II – Glass domed arcade on the main square, perfect for window shopping and people watching.
For good luck, put your heel on the the torino’s (little bull) testicles and spin clockwise. People were lined up to do just that! With so much spinning, the mosaic has to be replaced every few years.
Murph and I walked over to this local park.
And I had a delightful interaction with this little boy. As he went round on the train we would clasp hands for a few seconds each time. The smile on his face was priceless!
The glory of this Duomo is hard to capture,
but I think you get the “picture” 😉
Look at the entrance to their Apple store! 🍎
And down below, where the store is located, many stairs to sit on and a fountain to play in.
In front of the Milan train station The Apple Made Whole Again is a symbolic work opening itself up to the world, in the same way as the train station, also symbolically, opens the city up to the world…The symbol of the apple made whole again symbolizes the recomposition of the opposites: nature and artifice.
Met up with friends, George and Mary, in Milan. After two days there, we’re heading to the train. See where we end up – next post…

Cinque Terre (CHINK-weh TAY-reh), or just heaven!

Our first entire day in this blissful haven.

Started the day by eating breakfast on our terrace overlooking the village of Vernazza.
We climbed up the trails.
And stepped down the trails. (I know what you’re thinking, Catherine. Motrin has become one of my best friends, along with you 😗 )
Destination – the village of Corniglia.
Stopped to watch a man working at his art – constructing a wall by fitting the stones together as if he were building a puzzle.
Worked up quite a sweat or as I like to think, I was glistening 😉
Saw many Madonnas along the trail and prayed we’d make it!
Must have worked because we happily arrived!
A perfect Italian lunch – caprese on foccacia! And oh, the view!
Hiked back home again – journey taking about 4 hours in total. Plenty of time to see the sun set at the harbor.
Lively dinner scene at the square. Good night 😗

Miscellaneous…

When was the last time you saw Olive Oyl, if ever? After “meeting” her, in Leiden city centrum, I did a bit of research. She was introduced in 1919 and Popeye? – 1929!
Just a fraction of bikes at the Central train station in Leiden.
Our room with a view – Delft.
Obligatory shot of me filling my water bottle. Or am I !?!?
A face only it’s mother could love!
Outside a tea room in Hungerford, Wiltshire, England
This man never misses an opportunity to photograph a train. He loves them!
The living room at our place in Hoorn.
Hey Roger, remember when we used to talk about opening a restaurant? We ate at a Kabob House in Hoorn and Murph’s lamb kabab came with pizza on top!

Lovely Leiden & Lakes

On our walking tour of Leiden.
One of the many beautiful buildings in town.
The oldest building in Leiden, now an American Pilgrim Museum. After the pilgrims fled England, this is where they came to live, before sailing to America in the 1600’s.
I love the windows in this great old building.
From the 1500’s until 1961 this was the Holy Ghost Orphanage which housed 700 orphans. While the locals offered them shelter, they also worked them hard in an age long before labor laws. Children were also brought in from other countries to be “taken care of” and put to work in the cloth industry.
The entrance gate to the Holy Ghost Orphanage.
Look how this sign “candy coated” the place.
A budding Randy Rainbow, perhaps? “If we could all see the world through the eyes of a child, we would see the magic in everything.”
After touring town we biked out to the countryside and around the lakes of Leiden.
Pretty sure these fields of flowers are sold in cut flower bouquets. Beautiful to pedal by them.
We took a few ferries along the route. Fun!
Stopped for lunch at a cozy cafe and watched people on small boats working the locks. All self serve!
Talk about hitting the spot! Elderberry lemonade with mint and ICE!!!
Our bike bath went right through the farmer’s field – loved it!
The lakes of Leiden – magnificent!
Back into town after a 30 mile jaunt. Time for showers and dinner!
At the train station heading for the airport then on to Italy. We’ll meet the Tewksburys and you there!

Leiden ➡️ The Hague ➡️ Leiden

Took the train from Delft to Leiden and walked about a half mile to Het Vogelhuis B & B.
Jan met us at the door and showed us around.
Everything we needed.
Plus a kitchen.
Time for lunch and getting organized, again! This will be our home for the next 4 days.
The following day we took the train to Den Haag (The Hague). We haven’t seen buildings this big in over a month.
Destination: Mauritshuis Royal Picture Gallery.
Of course, we saw many paintings, starting with the Flemish masters. We were somewhat surprised when we saw The Goldfinch and no one was really paying much attention. When we thought about it though the reason we were interested was because we both read the novel by Donna Tartt. May not have gotten that much press here in the Netherlands. Beautiful just the same.
Remember when we were in Delft and went to Vermeer’s museum we saw none of his original art? This is probably one of his most well known paintings, yes? I have to say it was very impressive in “real life”.
Those lips and eyes! And, of course the pearl earring!
I read the novel The Girl with the Pearl Earring and I always thought, in the story, she was abused by Vemeer. I just had a bad feeling about it. Whenever I looked at that painting it made me feel a bit uncomfortable. UNTIL I read this! I guess the author was taking poetic license.
Vermeer’s “View of Delft” is also breath taking in person.
This is a painting by Rembrandt – unusual for him, I think.
Could this man be the next Flemish master!?!
Last look at The Hague as we head back to the train station and Leiden.

Cycling in and around Delft

Ok, it’s rainy and windy and here we are heading away from the cozy city. When we told people we were going biking in Holland they said “oh yes, nice and flat.” BUT does anyone ever talk about the wind!?! There’s a TON of wind to deal with. Honestly, do you know anyone as crazy as us???
Look at these cute ducks we spotted while biking. Anyone know what kind they are? (Found out -Egyptian goose with goslings!)
At a couple of different junctions we came to points where we had to take a self serve ferry. Pull the “boat” across the canal to our side by turning a wheel that drives a chain and drags the boat to us.
Get on the ferry and reverse the process. Now that we’ve crossed the water we are back on our way. Fun!
Quintessential Dutch!
Lunch time!
Fortified, we turn for home.
Lovely community garden or as our British friends say – allotment!
Look at the perfect hedgerows that border these gardens. Takes a community to do that!!!
Vermeer’s Milkmaiden
See the resemblance?
Part of Delft’s economic heritage is in printing. The bible hanging on the corner of this building recalls the first printed Dutch Bible, produced here in 1477.
Like me, do you think this an odd juxtaposition?
Awwwww…
There’s a lot to love about Delft 💕

Delft – Definitely Old

The Oude Kerk (Old Church) the oldest church in Delft (1245) – beautiful towers, right?
But looking at the main tower from this angle is a bit alarming. “Let’s not walk too close to that, ok?”
Delft is the birthplace of Johannes Vermeer (1632 – 1675). No original paintings of his remain here but this reproduction of his “View of Delft” (1660) is quite striking. Only 37 of his paintings exist and are in museums around the world.
Oostpoort (East Gate). This city gate is the only remaining gate of Delft and dates mid-1400s.
Nieuwe Jerk (new church) – competed in 1655.
This gate dates back to the 15th or 16th century.
One of the many beautiful canals in Delft. As a matter of fact – Delft means canal!

Tidbits of Holland

Poffertjes – delightful treats, drenched in butter and powdered sugar (icing sugar for our British friends). 😋
Making poffertjes.
This measuring pole indicates the flood water heights. The water was as high as that red marker approximately 50 years ago. The dykes held the water back, with very limited damage to the surrounding windmills.
And you thought you saw the end of flower pics(?) Nope! 😉
Too magnificent to walk by without a photo!
And too cute to ride by this moorhen and fluffy baby.
We spotted many of these baskets in the canals.
Turns out they are duck nesting baskets!
On the prowl…
Looking over the canal – “if I were a big cat, I’d go after those seagulls down there!”
I just cannot resist a grebe!!!