Photographing the photographer

Curious what he was aiming at while floating on a Zwolle canal? I showed you a few days ago, click HERE ... :)

Fietsje

 "Fietsje" ("Small Bicycle") is located at the Akerkhof in the centre of Groningen and they sell and repair all kinds of bicycles, including carrier-bicycles as you can see. 

There's something to tell about the name: There used to be a text on the building that said: "huisje -  boompje - beestje" ("House, bells, bliss") and when it became a bicycle shop it sounded logical to add the word "Fietsje" ("bicycle") to it. I hope this makes as much sense in English as it does in Dutch.. :)

Maybe you already noticed on the first photo, they have indeed used the front part of a bicycle (including a crate, handy for groceries!) as a sign.

I'm linking to signs, signs.

Zwolle streets

Two random street views from the city of Zwolle, taken last Saturday. This is at the crossing Koestraat / Sassenstraat..

..and this is at the corner Blijmarkt en Kamperstraat. The tower in the background is the Church of Our Lady-tower, though its common name is "Peperbus" ("pepper box"). It was built in the 15th century.

Embroidery Show

A weird exhibition at first sight: Rob Scholte´s Embroidery Show in the Fundatie Museum in Zwolle. "The collection of almost 1,000 embroidery works shown on the rear side invite viewers to witness the struggle required to make the front as beautiful as possible.

Scholte aligns familiar images of painting by old masters, like The Milkmaid by Johannes Vermeer. The until now hidden rear sides offer a privileged glimpse into the level of intense work required, as well as revealing the true character of the makers." (info from the museum)

Whether you like the concept or not, I think it's new and original and it does make you look with a different eye. It was charming somehow.

Walking over water in Zwolle

As part of the Zwolle Architecture Biennale 2016 this "invisible bridge" takes pedestrians from the Stationsweg to De Fundatie. Yellow boots were available, though a lot of people went barefoot.

With this bridge the architectures in Zwolle like to show how they influence people's perception and space around. I took both photos yesterday.

More spectators

Looking left, looking right..    lots of things were happening around them.
Photo taken at the balloon festival in Assen last weekend.

I'm linking to Saturday's Critters on Eileen's blog.

Concentration

Missing not a thing of the stunt rider's demonstration, last weekend in Assen.

Bird show

Prior to the balloons getting up in the air (see previous posts) we enjoyed a bird show with birds of prey like this eagle owl..

.. and a fish eagle. Impressive!

Walk-in balloon

This old hot-air balloon at the TT Balloon Festival was open for visitors: a "walk-in balloon", or "inloopballon" in Dutch.

The pirate and the clown

 More from last weekend's TT Balloon Festival in Assen with the pirate and the clown, just after take-off.

Flying motorbike at the TT Balloon Festival

We visited the TT Balloon Festival in Assen yesterday evening. About 15 hot-air balloons, among which several special shapes, went up in the air next to the TT circuit. The biggest and most spectacular special shape balloon was this really HUGE motorbike! Here the balloon is still being filled with hot air..

Slowly slowly getting up..

And there it is! The bike is 46 meters (150 ft) wide and 37 meters (121 ft) high.

And there the balloon is taking-off! A banner hanging down from the basket advertises for the Dutch TT, a major motorcycle event that will be held at the TT-circuit in Assen next Sunday 26 June, as part of the MotoGP World Championship.

Watching it lift up in the air, slowly getting higher.. 

I will post more photos from the event in the coming days.

Family parking

Extra wide parking places for families outside IKEA in Groningen.

To focus or not to focus

I took this photo several days ago near our home; imagine a grain field on a sunny day, waving gently to and fro in the breeze. My camera, on which I had put the telelens, was frantically trying to focus. Oh, it just couldn't decide! This one, with a very vague tractor in the background, is one of the results. Hope you like it :)

I'm linking to Seasons today on St Germain's blog.

Pigeon and milk cart

This beautiful mural picturing a huge pigeon that pulls a farmer on his milk cart is located at the Kostersgang in the city of Groningen. It was painted by local artist Klaas Lageweg. Lageweg, who passed this big empty wall often on his way from home to the city centre, designed a mural and asked permission at the owner of the building as well as the company that rented the place, to create his piece of art on the wall.

The farmer on the cart is Roelf Bierling, who lived in a farm near this spot about a century ago and who went door-to-door selling the milk from his cows. Lageweg chose to paint a pigeon instead of a horse as obviously the pigeon is the kind of bird that is most common to find in a (or any) city. The space on the wall allowed him to paint the pigeon as if it was about to fly away up to the sky.

I'm linking to Monday Mural.

Carrier cycles

Easy for those in the city of Groningen who need to move something big but don´t have a car. Here at the A-Kerkhof you can rent a carrier cycle.

Weekend reflections

This is the semi-circular glass facade of the Oosterpoort in Groningen..

.. a building complex with 2 concert halls. The Oosterpoort is located at the Trompsingel, just south-east of the city centre. Inside is room for 1,600 people to enjoy music.

I'm linking to James' Weekend Reflections.

Happy weekend!

Foxglove

On sunny spots alongside one of the forest paths we walked last Sunday near Sellingen were these lovely plants. Foxglove is called 'vingerhoedskruid' in Dutch, they are very common to find here.

I´m linking to Floral Friday Fotos.

The Marine Insurance Company Ltd

 Old and new buildings at the Rokin in Amsterdam.

Drawing attention here is this elegant, in Art Nouveau style building from 1901 by architect Gerrit van Arkel. It is the former main office of The Marine Insurance Company Limited, and is now listed as a national heritage site.

Streetcorner

A rather quiet and sunny Saturday morning at the Spui in Amsterdam.

Museum Square

View on the Museum Square in Amsterdam seen from the 2nd floor windows of the Rijksmuseum..

..and this is from the other side with the museum in the background.

In the pond

Another photo from our hike yesterday. When we arrived at a pond this fellow jumped in the water just in front of our feet.

I'm linking to Seasons on St Germain's blog.

Sunday hike

Sunny and very warm today! We enjoyed our hike in the Westerwolde region, starting in the village of Sellingen.

National Monument

Pigeons sit on one of two male sculptures representing members of the Dutch resistance, at the side of the National Monument on Dam Square in Amsterdam. Other sculptures on this World War II monument, a concrete conical pillar, represent suffering and loyalty, victory, liberation, peace, and new life.

I'm linking to Saturday's Critters on Eileen's blog.

A passing tram

Look for the colours blue and white if you want to take a ride with a tram in Amsterdam. This is at the corner of the Leidsestraat and Keizersgracht.

I'm linking to Weekend Reflections.

Atrium glass roof

From a large patio called the Atrium visitors enter the Amsterdam Rijksmuseum. It's a huge square space with daylight coming in through the roof.

The ends of the huge beams supporting the glass roof aren't hidden but are beautifully decorated instead.

Cyclist underpass

The Rijksmuseum seen from the south side with cyclists coming out of the 'fietstunnel' (cyclist underpass) underneath the museum. The underpass, that leads to the Museum Square, caused a lot of discussion regarding safety for pedestrians and cyclists, but at the end turned out to be one of the eyecatching items once the renovation had been finished.