Along the market square

The gift shop / candy store at the market square in Bourtange.

Bourtange street

The old village of Bourtange is an open-air museum and has a population of less than 500 people.

Neon art

"Neon 206 is a continuation of Chihuly's explorarations in neon. The coloured tubes seem to float, multiplying in number. The installation consists of factory-made glass tubes that have been heated and bent into angular forms which are filled with neon and argon gasses and charged with electricity." (museum info)

Neon 206 is part of the current exhibition "Chihuly" in the Groninger Museum.

Monday mural

Mural around a building site in Leeuwarden city. I'm linking to Sami's Colourful World.

Tea, dear?

From the collection of the Princessehof Museum of Ceramics.

The waiting dog..

..in front of the restaurant at the market square in Bourtange.

Rainy day

View from inside the Groninger Museum across the city canal towards the Stationsstraat and bus station, on a rainy day last December.

Chinaware Piano

Dutch artist Jelle Mastenbroek combined a porcelain cabinet and a piano, and so created an object for both the eyes and ears. After pushing the button (there in the bottom left corner of the photo) the piano started playing automatically, producing a sound resembling a happy (though maybe somewhat primitive) carillon. It was pretty loud as well so I expected one of the plates to break any minute. But obviously that didn't happen haha :)
Mastenbroek graduated in 2012 from the Design Academy Eindhoven in the discipline Man and Well-Being. This installation was made especially for this exhibition in The Princessehof Nat. Museum of Ceramics.

Blue, red and black..

..on the Prins Hendrik bridge in Leeuwarden.

Happy New Year

Ik wens al mijn bloglezers een sprankelend nieuwjaar!

I wish all my blog readers a sparkling New Year!

End of year shopping

The Kleine Kerkstraat in Leeuwarden.

Roof tops

View from the top floor of The Princessehof National Museum of Ceramics in Leeuwarden.

KLM houses

For a long time, KLM has been giving every passenger flying business class a miniature earthenware Delft Blue house filled with gin. Each house is the likeness of an existing Dutch house. Every year, KLM releases a new miniature around 7 October, on the occasion of its founding date in 1919. Meanwhile, the Delftware houses have become true collectors' items. There are 93 different types, if you'd like to read more click HERE.
The collection above belongs to The Princessehof National Museum of Ceramics in Leeuwarden, that I visited today. I have never travelled business class so I haven't got any myself :)

Chihuly Icicle Tower

'Chandeliers (like the one on the photo in a previous post) and Towers are perhaps the best example of Chihuly's desire to mass and control color on a grand scale. Unlike traditional chandeliers, they reflect light instead of emitting it.' (Museum info)

Go see the exhibition in the Groninger Museum if you have the chance. Happy Friday! :)

Foggy countryside

Two more photos from yesterday. Here we are on foot on our way to Bronneger, a hamlet near Borger.

The weather still allows cattle to be outside.

Foggy day

Fine conditions for a hike or (as for the gentleman coming towards us) a bicycle ride and get some fresh air! Photo taken earlier today on a quiet country road just outside the village of Borger.

Merry Christmas

Fijne kerstdagen

Merry Christmas

Chihuly Icicle Chandelier

The current major exhibition in the Groninger Museum exists of 16 installations of sensational glass creations by Americal artist Dale Chihuly (1941). His series of Chandeliers and Towers are assembled with multiple hand-blown glass forms mounted to a steel armature.

More to follow in the coming days. Check the link to the museum's website HERE.