Las Palmas, Rotterdam

There are many good fish restaurants around the world. Mine is Las Palmas in Rotterdam. Run by Herman den Blijker and his partner; they know their fish. Nothing else to say, excellent.

Oh, I will buy the waterjug they use to serve the bouillabaisse in, made by the Koninklijke Porceleyne Fles (Royal Delft).

www.hermandenblijker.nl
www.royaldelft.com

Golden Coffee Box, Baarn

I started drinking coffee when I was about 33. It slowly crept up on me. I had my husband take me to a lunchroom where they serve the best brand: Golden Coffee Box. Because the secret is to go for excellant coffee and you will never tire of it. And you go to places where they clean the machine minutely. It will have an impact on the taste.
I learned from experience not to stray and go for espresso, or machiato, or restretto. No Nespresso, Senseo, or old fashion coffeepot on the kitchen counter will tempt me. Like tea and wine, coffee is a culture. There is so much to learn.

The Golden Coffee Box is Max Havelaar, without wearing the name. It is about equal changes, opportunities and spreading of profit. An honest cup.

You want to know more, go to www.goldencoffeebox.nl.

Didi

Basicly because of their staff, who are not size 0 and make you feel that you are just right.
And the clothes are great too.

www.didi.nl

Away in Neercanne

Don't tell me you can't see yourself away on a weekend, staying at this place? Hotel Huize Poswick Neercanne. I did. The rooms are a treat; suites with own bathroom, ouzing charm.

Then go and checkout Restuarant Château Neercanne. You can't miss it. Let me tell you this story. On our way to Huize Poswick, we past this castle, rising high above the road. Being me I can't resist a place like this. So we decided to go for a tea. It's was in the afternoon and the one Michelin star restaurant was closed. But they have an auberge as well. We entered, sat down and looked at the menu. This lunch menu popped out. We went for it. Four hours later we were done. It was so good that I can still taste it after all these years. The appetiser, the wine, the suckling pig, the cheeses, and to make my day: Betjeman & Barton tea!

We've been back to dine at the restaurant. Just as amazing. They have there own wine, stored in a cave behind the main building.

Neercanne is about 5 kilometers below Maastricht. It's an experience!
www.hotelhuizeposwick.nl

Calexis

Shoe haven: Calexis at Kijkduin.

I have a size 5, or 35 as we say in Holland. I prayed to anyone who would want to hear my plee to get larger feet. It has been hell finding fasionable shoes. If I am lucky I can get Italian or French shoesize 36, but they are rare. Us Hollanders have a name for being the largest people on earth. I am defenitely the exeption to the rule. I bring the average way down. I buy childern's socks beacuse they fit.

So when at a birthday party years ago two gay guys told me about this shoestore that had all shoes displayed in size 35... I thought I died and gone to heaven. They were not kidding. It was true! I could try any shoe I wanted and they were all amazing!!!! And matching bags. Yes, heaven incarnated!

They also have a seperate kids store.... Oh boy!

www.calexis.nl

Habana, Kijkduin

What can I say about beach venue Habana? Great great great food, lounge, great seating arrangements. You wouldn't want to leave, ever.
Have a great day at the beach of Kijkduin.

www.habana.nl

La Cantina, Scheveningen

Next to the sea entrance (de havenhoofden) to the Scheveningse harbor, there is a strech of beach that starts off with a great beach venue called La Cantina. There isn't another venue in sight. Don't need to be; it's perfect at La Cantina.

Spend the whole day with the kids playing, have a drink, or watch the sun go down.

sushi 2

Scheveningen harbor and you will find great food. Also sushi at Ginza.
Take a lunch on the terrace.

Dr. Lelykade 28b, 2583 CM Scheveningen

Haags Gemeentemuseum

I was about 7-8 years old. My grandmother's friend Ernst took me to the Haags Gemeentemuseum (The Hague Museum). Monet, Mondriaan, Kandinsky, Van Gogh. It connected. Ernst told me about the painters, making it come to live. I bought postcards of the paintings I liked, which I would proudly show back at school where nobody understood my fascination. I would stick them in a album and write about what I had seen. My parents bought me childern's art books. My first love was Renoir. They even got me A4 reproductions.
To this day the sound or heels klicking on a wooden parket floor sets me off to a very special place.

The Haags Gemeentemuseum hasn't lost its charm. It is an amazing building by Berlage and it holds tsuch reasures. I saw the sculptures of Ah Xian there for the first time.

www.haagsgemeentemuseum.nl

Oh yeah, there are also the GEM and Fotomuseum Den Haag situated next to it.

secondhand 2

Zoetermeer has its own 'kringloop', recycling store. Find unique pieces of furniture, dishes and such.

www.kringloopcentrumzoetermeer.nl

Opinion

It's my opinion.
Not a question of life and death.
Nor does it matter,
or translate to anyone else.

The Power Rhythm

pause - organise - work - excell - recreate

(Not mine, but boy does it give perspective. As if the world just gently opened itself up and everything is possible.)

Wooden Thai chair

One day I will purchase me a small wooden chair that I frequently used in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
It is a bit loungy and precisely my size. That is to say, not Western-huge, can't get my feet on the ground type of seating thing.
This little chair is perfect for reading on the porch. I could steal some private moments on it.
The Thais don't think it is special as it is part of their everyday life. I think it is perfect.

(The picture is of the bench version, as I can't find a picture of the chair. If anyone could tell me where I'll be able to purchase the chair or bench, I'd be most grateful.)

Zwanger & Co

Looking fabulous at a reasonable price, that is what Zwanger & Co does for pregnant women. They also sell lovely clothing for babies. Just a pleasant store. Great advice.
Too bad they're only in Den Haag and 's Hertogenbosch.

www.zwangerenco.nl

Bloemboutique (flowers) Ton Hofman, Den Haag

I've already written on fresh flowers. And this is the shop to go to: Bloemboutique Ton Hofman.
It's a small shop, but they have the most fresh, beautiful flowers. They go further then your average flowers. You can also get fashionable vazes. Plus the way they can make them up into small gifts or large bouquets; they are artists.
I used to work very close by. I pushed to get our presentation flowers or gifts for gasts at Ton Hofman, and we would get praised every time for the originality.

When a friend planned her wedding and her soon-to-be-husband called me with the question 'help, what to do about the bouquet', I didn't hesitate. We did see another shop, but this one impressed. The bride loved it so, that she has an enlarged photo of the bouquet hanging in her dining room. If that isn't praise?!

www.bloeiendezaak.nl

Café @Home, Rotterdam

The Italian Espresso Bar Belmondo, my slice of tranquility in the morning.

I rest, take an espresso, a fresh orange juice, read a magazine, write, organise my day, make lists, anything. There I get in touch with myself. All along to the slow beats of nice music.

Goudsesingel 52, 3011 KD Rotterdam

Guthschmidt, Den Haag

If you say jewelry to me, I say Guthschmidt.
The galery has established a name over the course of 20 years. She (the owner) goes for real artists. Not your avarage jeweler, but out of the ordinary, unique, one of a kind pieces, which will sprak your imagination. Enternal class.
If I could have a wish, I would want to go crazy in there, buying everything that takes my fancy. And oh, it's calling me.

www.galerieguthschmidt.nl

Bijenkorf

I have been a Bijenkorf girl for years. Even when I was broke I would walk around all the different departments, looking and escape, build my sense of style.

Have you ever eating their pastry?

Chatuchak market, Bangkok + Chiang Mai market

Bangkok is a city like none other, and so is this market. You need some stemena to survive its mad house, but fun. Anything, anything you need you can find there. Food, dishes, household aplliences, beds, clothing.

I bougth a little green purse made by a guy with a true gift. He handsowed them all. Gorgeous.

Talking about markets in Thailand (there are so many), head up north to Chiang Mai. It's night market is outstanding. Beautiful craftmanship to be found. And food, because Thais don't do anything without food. (I miss it so.)

Genji

I will read The Tales fo Genji one day. A beautiful bind addition has been on my bookshelves for years.

I did start, but you are reading two books at once with all the notes next to it. And that takes a lot. The story (stories) is so gorgeous though. I am in love with 11th centry Japanse literature.

Did you know that it were only female writers at that time? The reason is that women were not aloud to use the official language of the high court: Chinese. Thus they wrote in Japanese, their day to day language. These pillow books, as they were called, were very popular. That was the birth of Japanese literature, because before that nobody had used Japanse for literature.

Japanse tuin Clingendael, Den Haag

The epitamy of a Japanse garden. I try to make it once a year, as it's only open for a few weeks to protect it.

Check www.denhaag.nl for dates. I just checked and next to the months May/June they've added a fall season to visit. Great! Go!

Landwinkel 't Zand, Den Bommel

This such a great store. Located right in the middle of farming ground, you can get fresh fruit, vergetables, chees, nuts, meat, bread and dairy products. All bio and eco. Also some wicker baskets, small plants, wine, bio juices, baking products, mustard, etc.
Here comes the best part: at regular prices. Not three times as much at those hip stores in the Randstad (area Den Haag, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Rotterdam). No, normal prices. I can get a kilo of patatoos for 0,25 eruo!!!!!
It is a three miniute drive from my house. So, for anyone who wondered why in Gods name we moved to Den Bommel...

www.tzand.landwinkel.nl

Dim sum at Harvest

Chinese restaurant Harvest (Den Haag) will give you that typical Azian experience. Right smack in the middle of the Chinese district you'll find longer tables at which various groups can be seated, menus in Chinese, and the dishes will be presented whenever they're ready.
You know it's good when Chinese themself go there, and they do at Harvest.

I think their dim sum is the bomb.

Sint Jacobstraat 1
2512 AN Den Haag

Body- and Giftshop Ring 28

Ring 28 is a small shop in Oude Tonge (Goeree-Overflakkee) that stands out because they sell biologically produced body products from brands like Greenland, New Care and Lavera. The owner is very involved, with a personal approach.
After years of only using very expansive products from Clinique (which by the way is amazing stuff), I have found an alternative to some products which my skin will allow me to use.

www.ring28.nl

High tea at DesInDes

Hotel Des Indes (Den Haag) has a lunchroom / restaurant called DesInDes. They serve a fabulous high tea with real high standard service. Everything is home made, and let me tell you: a feast for your tongue!
Time flies when you're having fun, because it took me and a friend 3 hours. Give yourself a treat and go.

To make a reservation go to: www.desindes.nl/hightea

sushi 1

There are two things that can get me out of bed (and I am not kidding; just two). Those are tea and sushi.

Hamachi, Schiedam
Tiny restaurant, also do take out, Japanese speeking cook, friendly service, excellent sushi and other Japanese dishes.
www.hamachi.nl

Oni, Den Haag
Great restaurant that also gives us modern hip people a good visual interior. Just sit at the linked tables and you know what I am talking about. Very loungy.
www.oni-restaurant.nl

Passwords

Give the passwords you use, a personal touch. We have so many with this virtual life we lead.
Don't just think of your kids names, if you have kids. Think of your favorite fruit, or vacantion spot, or places you'll love to visit. Anything. Maybe your favorite designer or supermodel. It makes a boring business like having a multitude of passwords that much more fun to use. It draws you into your innerlife.

And no, I am not going to tell you the ones I use...

Tea

There's just one store in the Netherlands, and it's in Den Haag, but oh do they have amazing tea: Betjeman & Barton. Just going to their shop is fantastic.

They have an webshop too. Making it great for people like me who moved away from Den Haag, to stay in touch and have a slice of heaven at home.

www.betjemanandbarton.nl

Secondhand shopping 1

Find unique, one of a kind items at bargain prices. So much fun as you'll never know what will hit your eye when you enter a second hand store.

Het Goed, Vlaardingen (and other cities)
Large and well organized. You can furnish an entire house and dress everyone. I go there for dishes, kids clothing, chairs, lamps, and rugs. And I bring most of my old stuff there. Keep the cycle going.
www.hetgoed.nl

Geroezemoezzz, Den Haag
Unique kids clothing and toys. You can also have your old stuff sold through them. Any profit I made I had them donate to charity.
www.geroezemoezzz.nl

Fresh flowers

I heared Oprah say this years ago, and I live by it.

Buy fresh flowers. Never, never, never put artificial flowers in your home. If you can't afford a whole bunch, buy just one. Believe me, it brightens your day.

Grass

At the start of a warm day walk barefoot on grass that hasn't been touched by a sunray. Or in the middle of a day find a large tree and walk on the grass in its shadow.