Why I love Holland

The Netherlands... Holland... where the Dutch come from... by whatever name... I love said country! I have had an interest in it since I visited Amsterdam in December 2008 and have been infatuated ever since. I had the pleasure of a return visit this last weekend and it reconfirmed all of my reasons for loving it so!

SO here are my reasons for Why I LOVE Holland:

The city of Noordwijk - beautiful oceanside of the North Sea.

Keukenhof Garden - the most amazingly lush exhibition of flowers. Such effort for flowers that only blume once and once a year and for only a month or so. THAT is dedication to beauty.

Windmills!!!

Amsterdam! (deserves a category all on it's own) Colorful, free spirited city full of culture and excitement! A city for the Lush of many levels!

The Rijkmuseum - amazing work by Rembrandt and tributes to all the glory that is Dutch

The Anne Frank Huis - moved me beyond words and tears. I will NEVER forget the experience.

Bicycles GALORE!!!

Centraal Station - connecting everything like the center of an awesome pinwheel

Canals beautiful day and night full of swans!

Delft Pottery - Beautiful and blue. Reminicent of times past when the Dutch discovered the beauty of the orient! I was able to visit one of the last Delft pottery factories where they still hand make and paint every piece. Delft Pauw means Delft Peacock!

The Hague - for being a city of art and peace and culture!

The Gemeente Museon - for being an architectural feate and for housing an amazing collection! I especially enjoyed the exhibit on Picasso, Mondriaan and Cezanne. Picasso's "Skull with Potato and Leeks" was one of my favorites!

Mondriaan - the artist of harmony and simplicity! Art does not have to start with nature.

Scheveningen Beach and Pier - even though snowy I am totally stoked to try to go back in the summer and enjoy the beach!

MC Escher - for just being too cool and making crazy mathematically genius art! It was so fun to see the Escher Palace!

The adorable city of Delft

Rembrandt - for being a painter of light... more amazing and detailed paintings then I could ever dream of. Seeing his work in person is beyond words and belief.

Vermeer - for being the Sphinx of Delft and leaving paintings to cry in awe over! pictures of his work will never do it justice!

The Mauritshuis - one of the smallest and most exclusive and expensive museums I have ever been to. It houses some of the most incredible works of art I have ever seen in all of Europe. Twelve rooms definitley worth the 13.50 euro!

If you every have the opportunity to travel to Holland, do explore and enjoy the art and life and food and everything that is Dutch. It is somewhere I will cherish and remember always and I hope that some day I will be able to return and explore more.

Love and tulips,

Queen VII

(you may have read this one already on my previous blog site. I am going to possible start reposting a few of my best blogs from that old site every now and then! enjoy!)