Summer flower

Happy to have a day without rain, and some sunny days ahead! This is one of the coneflowers (known as 'zonnehoed' in Dutch) in our garden, it's called echinacea purpurea green edge.

Estate gardens

In the gardens of the Menkemaborg, an estate / museum in the village of Uithuizen, in the north of the Netherlands.

The chicken

I'm always looking out for original signs, and found this one above the entrance of 'De Kip' ('The Chicken'), a steak & grill house in Antwerp. I read on their website that it has been a restaurant here for 50 years already! Well, the chicken looks a bit aged; maybe she has been looking out on the city streets from her high spot here since the beginning? I'd like to think so :)

For more signs around the world please visit signs, signs.

A good idea

Melkmarkt, Antwerp. When the weather is nice and there are no other important things to do, it's definitely a good idea to spend time at a place like this.

Cordelia mural

This mural at the Keizerstraat in Antwerp was made on request by the University of Antwerp, and pictures comic book image Cordelia in a variety of poses while studying. On the white wall at the background all university faculties are written.

Cordelia is a creation by Ilah (1971, alias of Inge Heremans), a Flemish cartoonist and comic book writer. Cordelia tells about the life of a Flemish girl who makes people smile because of her frankness, her ability to put things in perspective, and her clumsiness.
The wall is part of the Antwerp Comic Book Mural Trail.

I'm linking to Monday Mural.

A wreath made of..

..teapots, cups and saucers! We spotted it on a balcony above an Art & Antique shop in Antwerp. It really gives another meaning to the word ´recycling´..

Summer storm

A photo from the buddleja in our garden, taken through a rain-blurred window this morning. An unusually heavy Summer storm is passing The Netherlands today. A 'weather alarm code red' was given for the region along the North Sea coast. Festivals and other events have been cancelled throughout the country. So if you're around, take care.

Egnoaber

This sculpture called Egnoaber was revealed less than a month ago on the brand new Townhall Square in the village of Emmen.
It was Belgian sculpturor Nick Ervinck (1981) who made this 7 m high runaway tree root-like structure. He was inspired by Eastern as well as Western artistic forms. Egnoaber was designed on Ervincks computer, and was then given shape by the use of polyester.

The new square looks nice and spacious, and has several shallow water 'ponds' in which children can play.
But what to think of Egnoaber up there? I'm not sure. Maybe you can help me? :)

Dry saddle

I had never seen this before until last Sunday in Apeldoorn: a public bicycle rack with foldaway little roofs so your saddle won't get wet when it rains! Isn't that clever?

Paper Art - Forest Lungs of the World

  Hedgehogs? The ends of broomsticks? No, books!

The creator of this art object made of recycled paperbacks is English artist Julie Dodd. She brings new life and meaning to books, magazines and other discarded materials. Her artwork is based on repetition and inspired by pattern and shape found in nature.
These 'Forest Lungs of the World' are part of the current Paper Art exhibition in the CODA Museum in Apeldoorn.

Paper art - Bust of Agrippa

I'm really happy to have visited the Paper Art exhibition at the CODA Museum in Apeldoorn last Sunday! This remarkable piece is the Bust of Agrippa, created from paper by Chinese artist Li Hongbo (1974), who is known for his lifelike paper sculptures made entirely out of paper and glue. His work has been exhibited in museums around the world.

Conscience mural

Like the previous Mondays we follow the Antwerp Comic Book Mural Trail, and the one today is Conscience by Jan Bosschaert (1957), a Belgian comics artist, painter and illustrator.

Hendrik Conscience (1812-1883) was a Belgian author. He is considered as the pioneer of Dutch-language literature in Flanders, writing at a time when Belgium was dominated by French among the upper classes, in literature and government.

On this mural a surprised looking Conscience looks down from the City Library on a fountain that spits out letters instead of water!

It's location is the Wolstraat. For more info about the mural trail click HERE, and if you like to see the other murals I posted from the trail just click on the label at the bottom of this post.

I'm linking to Monday Murals.

Sunday bells

Antwerp.

Dressed bicycles

These 2 kid's bicycles were the objects of a creative person! And it looked like the yarn bombing was just done. It's not a new thing obviously, but I like seeing this kind of street art. How about you?

Enjoy your weekend :)

Upside down..

..at the Antwerp ZOO!  ;)

I´m linking to Weekend Reflections.

The old days

 This year´s theme at the Garderen sand sculpture festival is ´the old days´. The Dutch expression is Grootmoeders Tijd, meaning Grandma's Time. Well, she is knitting a HUGE shawl here.. ;)

..while the rest of the family is singing along with the radio.

Traffic signs

It was quite a collection of signs that they put here to block the entrance of this street in Antwerp!
('Uitgezonderd plaatselijk verkeer' means 'Except local traffic'.)

I'm linking to signs, signs.

The Hand of Oterdum

Last Sunday I told you about the history of the small village of Oterdum and its cemetery on the dike near Delfzijl, in the north east of the province of Groningen. This monument, also at the cemetery, marks the exact location of where the church once was.
The `Hand of Oterdum´ was created by M. Meesters. After the original hand, made of bronze, was stolen in 2011 a new hand of synthetic material was made to replace it.

Kaas Mural

This mural at the Korte Nieuwstraat in Antwerp pictures the cover of the comic book "Kaas" ("Cheese") from 2008, by Dick Matena. "Kaas" originally is a novel from 1933 by Willem Elsschot, a classic in Flemish literature. 

The drawing shows a man called Laarmans carrying a bag with round cheeses, who crosses the Grote Markt with the City Hall and the Brabo Fountain in the background. The story tells about an Antwerp office-clerk (Laarmans), who all of a sudden decides to change his life and starts his own branch office in Edam cheese.

Dick Matena (1943) is a Dutch comics writer and cartoonist. At the age of 17 (in 1960) he starts working at the Toonder studios, and helps with the drawing projects of Tom Poes, or Tom Puss in English.

The mural is part of the Comic Book Mural Trail in Antwerp.

I'm linking to Monday Mural.

Oterdum cemetery

Oterdum was a small village once in the north east of the province of Groningen, halfway the towns of Delfzijl and Termunten. 200 people lived here near the dike. Then in the 1970s all farms, houses, as well as the church and cemetery (only the grave stones, the bodies were left) had to move for a new higher dike that would protect the rest of the province against the sea. Oterdum was no more.

Years later the grave stones, all dating from the 19th century, were re-placed at their original spot at the new dike. Some of the bigger grave stones have beautiful drawings and remember of the old times in a small fisherman's village.
We were passing here today and I'm glad we stopped to have a closer look. It's a remarkable place.

Coffee made me do it

"Every now and then you need a good reason why you did something. Whether good or bad. When all else fails, blame it on the powers of coffee." That is one of the lines from a design called Words Brand USA, so I just learned.
The initial reason for me to take this picture however was the carrier bicycle; note the baby carriage in there! And I wonder if anyone knows who the gentleman in the round photo is?

The street reflecting here is a side street of the Meir, in Antwerp.

I'm linking to Weekend Reflections.

Sunset

View from our hotelroom in Antwerp, last month.

I'm linking to Skywatch Friday.

MAS - panorama roof

Climbing to the 10th floor of the MAS-building really takes not much effort as 9 elevators bring you to the 9th floor, and then there are only 2 more stairs to get to the panorama roof.

A glass fence provided amazing wide views to all directions. Even though the glass was quite clean, it was best to take photos through holes like this one. And lucky us to have such nice weather ! :)

MAS - curves and shadows

The high curved windows seen from inside the MAS at the 2nd floor, see also yesterdays post.

MAS - the building

 Located at the Antwerp 'Het Eilandje' ('The Small Island')-district, the MAS is a striking building. Its design was inspired by a 16th century storehouse or 'Hanzehuis'. The outside consists of red stone from India and curved expanses of glass 6 metres high. MAS is short for 'Museum Aan de Stroom' or 'Museum At the Stream'. At the 9 floors inside are several museums, and the roof at the 10th floor offers a 360 degr panoramic view of the the city, river and port.  More about that view later!

The red tower is covered with 3,000 hands in aluminium which reflect the sunlight. And as I mentioned in previous posts (you may well remember), hands and Antwerp have a historical connection!

Amoras Island mural

We are continuing with the Antwerp 'comic strip mural trail'! This one pictures the cover of  the album 'Het Eiland Amoras' ('Amoras Island') featuring Suske & Wiske (Spike and Suzy, or Willy and Wanda in American titles). The ghost is called Sus Antigoon, discoverer of Amoras Island; he died of alcohol abuse and therefore always appears with a bottle chained to his leg. 

Creator of the Suske & Wiske albums is Willy Vandersteen (1913-1990). The album 'Amoras Island' dates from the 1940's. This mural can be found at the Korte Ridderstraat. To view the other murals I have posted from this comic book mural trail click on the label underneath this post.

I'm linking to Monday Murals.

City bicycles

These are the bicycles from 'Velo Antwerpen' at one of the many Velo-stations that we spotted in the city. They can be rent for a day or a few days, but there are also week passes and there's even a year card. I think it's a great service for tourists!

Cheers

Today is going to be the hottest dat ever, so we have been promised. It's also the day of Le Grand Départ of the Tour de France in Utrecht, I wish them good luck in this heat!

The photo was taken on the Grote Markt in Antwerp, with the Brabo Fountain on the right and Silvius Brabo throwing a hand, like I showed you earlier.
The cold beer was my husband's, I enjoyed an ice-cold ice tea :)

Have a great weekend everybody, stay cool if you can and take care of yourselves.

Vroom vroom!

At the sand sculpture festival in Garderen, a few weeks ago.

Hidden

Somewhat hidden in an alley we found this small but picturesque restaurant. A lovely place to sit and eat on a warm Summer evening!

Het Fondueke

'Het Fondueke' is a fondue restaurant at the Oude Koornmarkt in Antwerp. We didn't try so unfortunately can't tell if they're good..  Their sign is great though!

I'm linking to signs, signs.