Something for the eyes

I uploaded some pictures of my long exposure shoots of Leiden on Facebook but as the quality there sucks I decided to share them here also with you as for me, it really looks pretty beautiful.

Who says that you need a tripod for taking long exposure pictures? Being creative enough to use a bridge or railing as a tripod. Click on the pictures to enlarge them and see the full beauty :).
Pictures are made with Canon 600D and the Tamron 18 - 200 mm lens .

Leiden reloaded

Yesterday we have been to Leiden. No reason to go there just to discover and see the city a bit more. Leiden is only 15 minutes away by train from The Hague so it doesn't really cost the world nor is it far away and Leiden is a great city to discover and to go there for more then one time.

Cathedral.

All the way through Leiden you can find some sayings written on walls.

De Burcht! Yep, Leiden has a "castle"

Looks weird, but it isnt.

Those balls were showing some political affairs in the world.

View from the castle.

Het stadhuis!

Again!

View of Leiden from the Burcht.

Beautiful Leiden

Christmas feeling :)

One day they hate you...

One day your kids hate you and on the same day they love you.
This week I once said to the little girl she had to wake up 2 minutes earlier than usual because we are always, A L W A Y S, too late in the morning so I thought, 2 minutes wouldn't harm so I said get up and get dressed and then she began to start her drama show with crying and smashing the door and screaming like hell. And that only because I asked her to get up 2 minutes earlier. Yes. I asked a lot. I always do.

Well, because of that show she wasn't dressed in the normal time and breakfast was also later. And so we were late for school. Finally, after 3 months of being here, we have been too late in school. I actually wondered why this never happened earlier as we are always late.

Actually, at this day we were too late everywhere we went. Jazzballett, hockey, everywhere. Sucked a bit but well, that was the "Too Late"-Day.

That evening the parents came home late so I ate with the kids and then the girl and me chilled on the sofa and she was cuddling a bit on or / and with me and then she suddenly said "Kathi, je bent het liefst Au-Pair" (= Kathi, you are the loveliest Au-Pair). Yes. One day they hate you and on the same day they love you.

I feel like I'm doing my job quite well. Well, I know that but that gave me the special "Yessss!".

Amsterdam, the capital city

Amsterdam!

A M S T E R D A M !!! 

On sunday we have been to Amsterdam. Yes, I have been there several times before but now, after a good while avoiding this city, it was time to go there again. Just for that sightseeing stuff even though I might have seen the most or important things but still, even if you think you have seen all of Amsterdam, you are wrong, this city has so much to discover and there is always something new to see or to discover.

And I can't recommend any specific time to go there as it's always beautiful. In spring when all the flowers grow or in autumn with all the leaves and autumn colours or even in the winter when all those beaaautifuuul christmas lights are up and there is the "kerstmarkt" on the street from the Centraal Station to the Dam Square, very easy to fall in love with that city then.

During the christmas time, you can find some small "food trucks" where they sell dutch christmas food ala Oliebollen and that stuff. And if you are there, make sure you try "Oliebollen" or one of that delicious things as they are soooooooooooooo tasty !!!

If you go in the summer or spring or autumn, check out the NEMO. There is a roof terrace and from there you have such an awesome of the city. It's free to go there. Also, go to one of the parks for example the "Vondelpark", lovely! And check out the "Leidseplein" for a beer or a party.

Trams, Trams and still more trams! Take care of them while you are in Amsterdam (or any other city like The Hague). They are dangerours ;)

Still so beautiful!

Some long exposure.

Sinterklaas intocht in Amsterdam!
We didn't know it was today or whenever so we were pretty surprised but it was so funny!
Such a great tradition of the dutch people, lovely!

Zwarte Piet is black.

Amsterdam Centraal.

Some sightseeing, of course.

Reasons to L O V E Amsterdam.

PURE LOVE!

Oliebollen! You can compare it to donuts without any topping or so. So so soooo delicious!

Kalverstraat!
Go shopping!

Between Halloween and Haarlem

I didn't know that Halloween is still that big. Well, not over the last years in Germany but this year, the part of the town where I live here did it big! The houses were decorated in the best Halloween style and the kids were all dressed up. (Well, lets forget about the 16 - 18 year old guys who wanted to sell me that they are still 12 years old...)

In our part of the town Halloween was that super duper cool, that even one princes aka one child of the king Willem-Alexander went here to celebrate it with other kids. Strange world. And yes, it needed to be said.

My hostmother organized it in our "buurt" so we even had GLÜHWEIN, yummy!

Limonade

Dressed up as fries. What the heeeeell?! No doubt, we are in The Netherlands.

That was our entrance. We did our best...

On a nice first November weekend we decided to use this awesome weather to do a bike tour. Actually we wanted to go to the beach in Noordwijk, as we haven't been there yet, but then the sign said it's just 13 km more to Haarlem. So we were like "Uhm... 13 kilometer aren't that much compared to what we already cycled today." So we spontaneously changed our plans and cycled further to Haarlem.

And to warn you: NEVER TRUST THOSE KM-SIGNS! They lie. And it hasn't been 13 km. Maybe 20 or even more.

 

KEUKENHOF! Tulips! Such a tourist place! Near by Lisse, you can cycle there from Den Haag or Haarlem. It's quite in the middle and a must see in spring.

And then, we have been in Noord-Holland. Goodbye The Hague, Goodbye Zuid-Holland. Just skipped provincies!

Haarlem! You might know, I have a "special" connection to this city. Almost my city where I would spend a year. Almost.

That is Haarlem. Wonderful old dutch city (like almost every city is here...).
And if you like to do a bike tour and LOVE to cycle 50 km one way, you might have fun to cycle there from The Hague or wherever.
Yes, we found out that our 32 km were a bit more. About 50 km to be honest. And yes, I believe that as the way back was sooooooo long and cycling for 3 hours seemed so endless.