Best sorta closer views I’ve managed to take of Ijmuiden (right) and the Zuid-Kennemerland National Park (that’s the green dunes in the center), because on this flight we took off to the north and then turned towards England so, as you see, we banked right over it all :-). Any time you see photos of Sloterplas from my apartment, this is basically what’s out there in the distance where the sun is setting – it’s all more or less due west of me. Below, more including the coastline of Noord and Zuid Holland. I also got some of the best views of the islands and peninsulas of Zeeland, and the area around Hoek of Holland and the Maeslantkering that I’ve gotten, so stay tuned :-).
Final shots from my visit to Huis Doorn, where Kaiser Wilhelm II lived in post-WWI exile. It’s a bit weird that I live in an actual monarchy and still find it hard to keep enough legitimately royal stuff in my photo collection to post. I’ve commented in the past that finding royal-y stuff is far easier in Paris (not a monarchy since the 1800s) than here in NL. Nice to have heads of state with dignity and gravitas, and who draw so little attention to themselves, I must say.
Amsterdam’s “Hortus” botanical garden underwent a major renovation over the past couple years, with the greenhouse you see above as one of the lovely outcomes. A few days after I took the above photo (just a shot snapped on my bike ride home), we had the chance during an ‘away day’ workshop inside one of the Hortus buildings to do a lovely guided tour, from which came the circle gallery (if you’re in full-view) of photos below. Having been founded only in 1638, A’dam’s Hortus isn’t even the oldest botanical garden in NL (Leiden’s is), although it probably does rank amongst the 20 oldest in the world.
Windows at Hortus Botanicus, Amsterdam’s centuries-old botanical garden which happens to be around the corner from our office and a good place for offsite meetings :-).
