We had dinner again with Esther at her home in the UNESCO neighborhood Agneta Park. Her son-in-law, Josh, and two granddaughters were there as well. Very cute Juneau and Cleo (not sure I’ve got the spelling correct). Abive: more bird life near the pond. Photos says Grey Heron. I think it’s in the family but…
Day: May 8, 2026
More than old masters
One visits the Mauritshuis in den Haag to see old masters. Rembrandt and those other guys plus a few Vermeer’s (Girl with a Pearl Earring and View of Delft are the famous ones). One does not expect to see, hung next to these illustrious paintings, contemporary black and white photos making commentary on the neighboring…
Swaying with the Tower
Yesterday, after our Vermeer sampler, it was time to go to grab a bite at my favorite broodje stand in the whole world that Hendrik introduced me to years ago. The secret to a broodje is fresh herring. And a sign of fresh herring are the seagulls that want to steal your snack. Once the…
A View of Delft
You’d think that to get a good view of Delft all I’d have to do is walk out the door of where we’re staying in Delft and take a look around. But no, not for the art snob. I have to take a train to den Haag and drag Ella to the Maritshuis to see…
Connecting with old friends brings joy
Wednesday morning (May 6) we had the chance to catch up with Esther in Delft, for cappuccino and a lusciously decadent slice of apple pie at Stadskoffyhuis, a local prize-winning coffee house in business for 60 years. You know those relationships that remain familiar despite time and distance? It’s like that with Esther. These types…
The Last Frontier
In talking with our friend Hendrik last night he reminisced about how wonderful it was to visit Venice in 1972. The adventure of a Baby Boomer exploring the world. I thought of Kit Carson whipping by me on his bike, how in an earlier incarnation, retired from mountaineering, he might have had nostalgic moments in…
I saw Kit Carson riding a bike
We were in den Haag. He was sporting a Custer’s Last Stand goatee and dressed like a fur trapper in a fringed leather jacket and floppy wide-brimmed hat. He wheeled by me without so much as a two-fingered salute. Later I imagined if I saw him in a café the conversation would go something like…