My Daily Life In The Netherlands 009

I had been looking to publish a every day life update inside the Netherlands a while returned but I just did not have the time to collate all of the pix I took. So, the concept become to do an each 2-month replace (preferably month-to-month) and now I am 6 months too past due! Goodness gracious, haha.

I took so many meals images that I do no longer understand how I am capable of put up them all of them here? I must make choices. This is one of our weekend breakfasts.

Driving at the Lekdijk (Lek dike) in Utrecht.

The battle is, I actually have LOADS of pics and they're throughout in my albums (downloaded from my digicam) and my phones. My journey albums are organised in keeping with the locations I actually have visited in keeping with yr, so the instances and dates every now and then do now not constantly correspond specially for neighborhood travels where I have multiple visits. I must check out every album to test which picture's are for a particular month. This goes into the info form of work, ugh.

So for this every day lifestyles update post now, I am doing a three-month timeline: August, September, and October. I will do my best to publish the ultimate months in some days. This is important to me due to the fact those styles of posts I want on this journal when I appearance returned three, five and 10 years from now.

So I bet you realize what my New Year's Resolution could be. Do a day by day existence replace every 2 months or monthly!

[To read the rest of the post and see more pictures, click the READ MORE link below]

AUGUST 2019

The month of August is the peak of summer season and enterprise is sluggish at paintings. On the personal side, Dutchman and I were canvassing local dealers and stores for the indoors materials of our house. I have additionally been busy within the kitchen, so as usually, every single day. Preparing for meals and cooking is like therapy for me.

Two of my favorite vegetables right here: Green peas and cauliflower. I love roasting cauliflowers but this one is sauteed with onions.

Beginning of August I went to Braintree in Essex, England for paintings. I stayed there for a few days travelling our office and facility, as nicely a patron in Ipswich, that's an hour in addition away.

I rented a automobile and it become the second one time of the 12 months that I drove on the alternative side of the road. The first one this yr was ultimate May in New Zealand. Driving on the other side of the road with a stickshift automobile during travels is a struggle, because, by the time you are used to it, you're leaving.

My motel room in Braintree.

A warning observe out of doors Tesco grocery store. I locate this pretty ironic but evidently those signs and symptoms are generally English or a neighborhood practice to save you ruin-ins.

Braintree town in Essex, England (UK).

When I got again at domestic in Utrecht, Netherlands, I was additionally back inside the kitchen, a fave sector in my home. We devour maximum of the times at home, probable ninety% of our dinners. We only eat dinners outdoor while we are on excursion and a few special activities. Nevertheless, I like to cook dinner and the Dutchman prefers to devour in privateness. Win-win.

One of our many dinners.

Fresh and plump blueberries on pinnacle of the biscuit and sprinkling of powdered sugar. We had this to go together with our afternoon tea.

We went to IJsselstein to visit a stone floor tile provider. We already recognize what kind of ground tile we wanted for the house, in an effort to be a ceramic stone in timber fashion, but moreover, we've got additionally decided which model of the ceramic tile. This selection, in truth, took us months to determine. So we've also shortlisted the sellers and we are simply doing the rounds for the very last decision.

We take our spending critically, specially after they move inside the lots of Euros, they're very well thought of and calculated.

This is IJsselstein town, not too some distance faraway from Utrecht town middle.

Then we visited the Dutch mother-in-regulation and her (2) lovable cats, Lucy and Puka. The cats have grown on us now and we wreck them to bits. When we go to, we usually provide them a hug and petting session.

This is Puka, the more youthful cat.

The Dutch mother constantly serves us tea with some thing, and he or she organized a biscuit smeared with butter, crowned with clean strawberries and sprinkled with powdered sugar.

So on the weekends, Dutchman and I are busy walking around canvassing many stores. For this weekend, we have surveyed some of hardware and lawn stores for the trees that we will plant in our lawn. I have an concept what form of tree it is going to be however there are such a lot of types.

This tree which looks as if an oversized bonsai is not cheap.

Driving on the dike and passing this farmhouse selling their personal produce: cheese, butter, apple juice, jam, and syrup. I would love to be partly self-enough.

We managed to trap a glimpse of a flock of birds above the dikes as properly.

I went to Amersfoort to go to an crucial customer together with a colleague. After the assembly, we had some lunch on the IKEA close by. IKEA is really handy, now not only for the home, however for commercial enterprise as properly. They have inexpensive, speedy and wholesome meals =)

My IKEA lunch in Amersfoort.

I also had dinner with a visiting colleague from the United Kingdom. Sometimes it is obligatory or out of courtesy to take them out to dinner.

Loft 88 located out of doors Utrecht city center on Biltsestraatweg became an amazing location because it has a pleasant outside terrace and there is loose parking. And due to the fact I have a hybrid vehicle, I continually get an available parking area. Most parking lots have specials spots for electric and hybrid automobiles.

We both ordered the Fish and Chips. Yum!

Again, because of our residence (in production), weekends are spent finding out hardware and lawn stores, home decor shops and interior material sellers. This one become in Leerdam I consider.

Oh, we've signed the purchase of our ceramic stone floor with a dealer in Leerdam, so this is like one task down among a mountain of others, haha. But indeed, it was a remedy after months of searching, evaluating and visiting save dealers.

I have this idea of making my own lamp for the dining region. I want 3 large lamps hanging above the dining table with the intention to be a desk length of two to 2.5 meters. I nevertheless have to shop for the brand new eating table, but at least I recognize what size I need it to be.

Karwei is a home decor save and this in Leerdam. We have just signed the acquisition of our ceramic stone ground tiles from the provider across this save. So earlier than leaving, we determined to stop right here to have a glance in the store.

On the manner domestic, we passed with the aid of this herd of cows.

Weekends also are time for personal errands and I opt to try this in Utrecht city middle. The city middle continues to be going through the facelift protection however there are already important modifications in region. I cannot wait to see the final makeover.

The Singel canal is now again! This is the view from the brand new Hoog Catharijne shopping mall to the Singel and Tivoli.

We invite the Dutch mother once in a while, at some stage in weekends, to have dinner with us at domestic. When she is around I might generally whip up a 3-path menu. It is the ideal danger for me to experiment in the kitchen. We had a few pasta for this evening as our 2d path.

These candle holders I bought in Cebu, the Philippines many moons ago.

Dutchman and I love to walk and when we aren't in the woodland flexing our leg muscle tissues, we'd make time to exit for a stroll in the close by neighbourhoods. Here we went out for a stroll to our newly below production house and we took the course via Papendorp, that's a commercial enterprise district in Utrecht.

Papendorp was a large area with very little improvement. 15 years ago I motorbike right here from Utrecht to Nieuwegein Skipiste for my snowboarding instructions. The vicinity turned into so bald, there have been only some homes standing. Now it's a real enterprise park.

Crossing the Prins Clausbrug (Prince Claus Bridge) connecting Papendorp and Kanaleneiland neighbourhoods.

Here at Papendorp, a short stop to take pics.

Passing the A2 highway which I force on at some point of the weekdays.

And seeing some sheep in among as well.

This is any other dinner meal at domestic. Noodles with vegetables are the bomb. I love them with lots of cabbage. I additionally like it while the noodles are al dente.

Noodles are my favourite consolation food, whether dry or in soup version.

Towards the quit of August, I went to London to go to a customer. This particular consumer has an workplace in one of the prime workplace towers in the City.

Well, I had a extreme journey blooper. I forgot to % my black high heels! Luckily, I realised this mistake even as I was still in Amsterdam Schiphol Airport and fast went in look for something. I located H&M selling black pumps for just EUR 19.99! *whew*

I turned into additionally so satisfied I introduced an umbrella with me as it rained cats and puppies on the day of my meeting. Uh well, what is new in London? But severely, I forgot my heels but now not the umbrella, haha.

I stayed on this funky lodge which was only a few mins stroll to my meeting.

H&M in Schiphol Airport promoting those very cushty (that turned into a marvel) velvety black pumps for simply EUR 19.99! What a existence saver, haha.

While in London, I managed to go to the Sky Garden in the City during lunch. You want to ebook earlier to get get entry to and a travelling slot. It is free although.

Back home inside the Netherlands, Dutchman and I have been invited to a summer nighttime dinner on the sister in law. It's heat so we devour outdoor in the garden. Isn't this inexperienced comfortable nook just adorable?

Oh, I can't wait for us to have our personal garden quickly too within the new residence!

Dinner al fresco with the own family.

SEPTEMBER 2019

The days of September went speedy for us. Weekends are nonetheless spent doing the rounds at the house boulevards and checking out hardware and garden stores. We have been no longer shopping for something, we have been simply canvassing and getting notion.

I am eyeing a comparable mini-daybed for my stroll-in closet. Not certain but with the colour.

This Poffertjes (similar to blinis) stand is a regular within the weekend on the Home Boulevard in Utrecht.

We went to IKEA and afterward, we had a few early dinner here.

Fish and Chips for moi even as Dutchman settled for the necessary Swedish meatballs with cranberry compote and gravy sauce. Not horrific. Yup, a date in IKEA.

IKEA Utrecht is the biggest IKEA within the Netherlands. On top of the store and the big parking garage, is a football discipline. It also has a huge eating place.

We saw this somewhere near Leerdam. We to begin with thought -- What the heck is Bruce Springsteen doing on this village of nowhere? So we stopped the auto to have a very good study of the poster. "The Boss" isn't coming to town, it is a nearby tribute concert.

Mornings at some stage in the weekends are complete breakfasts for Dutchman and moi. We commonly have pancakes on a Saturday, so whilst Sunday comes round, I make some thing else like eggs. Sometimes I make the sunny side up model with bacon and cheese just like the Dutch "Uitsmijter".

Burrata with avocado and Roma tomatoes and a 1/2 omelet. Fruits for breakfast are a staple.

Did I say earlier that Dutchman and I like to hike? Hiking facilitates clean the stress in our heads. It additionally maintains us healthy. When you become older, you want to transport regularly.

For a change of surroundings, we went to Rhenen within the japanese a part of Utrecht province. We hiked thru plantation fields, the rugged terrain forest, and passing by the Grebbeberg Military War Cemetery, the War Memorial and the Grebbeberg Museum. We didn't count on the latter but very satisfied we found it.

Moi main the way =)

We exceeded via the Grebbeberg Military War Cemetery, the Memorial and the Museum approximately the Second World War. We stopped here for a piece.

The War Museum at the Grebbeberg in Rhenen.

When I actually have the time within the weekend, I cook dinner and bake quickie items along with those puff pastry with apple bits in it.

When we pass into the new residence, I will for certain be cooking and baking extra. My new kitchen island is greater than three meters lengthy! Three.20 meters lengthy by 1.30 meters deep to be genuine. It is big and could be the stellar of the residence. I cannot wait to apply it. #iamexcited

Having afternoon tea at home with my homemade puff apple pastry.

This is one in every of our weekend city walks wherein we took the Oog in Al - Lombok path. Ah, it turned into first-class with a view to get out and snatch a few fresh air. During the stroll, we encountered this ginger cat.

The Munt Museum (Money Museum) in Utrecht. This is in which the Dutch Guilder was printed within the beyond (earlier than the Euro).

Ooops, excuse me. Dutchman at the paparazzi mode right here, haha.

I can not bear in mind why I became snoozing on the sofa inside the living room. I assume I woke up very early and determined to go returned to sleep, however in place of going returned to the bedroom, I ended up taking the sofa. You have the ones days now and again.

Sleeping soundly inside the dwelling room.

Then I made breakfast. One of my many variations of an Uitsmijter.

Dutchman and I checked out this seaside in Leidse Rijn called the Haarijnseplas. I were intrigued via this piece of water due to the fact its big. There is a resident cafe restaurant known as Key West. I am certain it will be very busy here in the summer.

The beach on Haarijnseplas in Leidse Rijn, Utrecht. Unfortunately, September isn't always a beach weather month. At our new house, we even have a seaside (a lake virtually) one hundred meters away.

So we just had tea instead at Key West.

In September, I went on enterprise tour once more. I flew to Dublin, Ireland for a meeting with a consumer. It's my 2d time in the metropolis so I understand my manner round. I would love to come back back to Ireland for delight and do a rustic road experience. That could be top notch.

Moi taking walks alongside the River Liffey in Dublin.

The usually lively in the nighttime, the Temple Bar District. I controlled to go in here to capture a number of the singing and merrymaking.

Ireland is a country with a burdened beyond with clashes and uprising, be it in politics, country jurisdiction or religion.

There is always time for tea lower back at home in Utrecht, the Netherlands. This one I agree with is collectively with the Dutch mom-in-regulation who turned into traveling us for afternoon tea and dinner.

This porcelain set is the Royal Doulton, the Pacific collection.

I baked those scrumptious bacon strips wrapped across the puff pastry, at the same time as the Dutch mom introduced the ones cheesy crackers.

The 2nd-route dinner is a pork burger and a few potatoes. There was a heap of greens that went with this that isn't always on the photograph via the manner.

Dutchman became within the mood for buying. He stated he needed new garments and I can only say, "Yeah, approximately time!". So it's new polo shirts, new pullovers, new socks, and new pants. So I went shopping with him. To be clear here, I did no longer store for myself, as an alternative, I changed into an insignificant enterprise... And well, a fashion adviser, haha.

I do no longer have much staying power with buying unless I am on excursion, or I am on a challenge and badly needed something.

The Utrecht tram that plies Utrecht to Nieuwegein and IJsselstein.

This is the brand new square called Plein (whilst translated to English means Square) outdoor the Utrecht Centraal Station and Hoog Catharijne Shopping Mall. Beautiful cover layout.

After buying, Dutchman and I went to Graaf Floris Cafe Restaurant for tea and appelbol (Apple Ball). Highly propose this location in particular their apple balls! So delicious.

The Graaf Floris cafe eating place.

One evening the Dutchman had some paintings occasion and failed to eat dinner at home. It become an possibility, or shall I say, the risk, to devour a number of my comfort meals.

My comfort food is usually noodles, seafood, and veggies. I did not have noodles and seafood inside the kitchen however I have plenty of vegetables and some rice paper! Oh, stinky smooth old cheese is another comfort food. Yum.

I was digging a few tofu and masses of vegetables. Those are lettuce, carrots, spring onions and fried tofu wrapped in rice paper. I had a few grilled sausage (in slices), Danish Blue cheese, and seedless grapes.

Another one of the dinner food at domestic. We love ingesting veggies.

OCTOBER 2019

October guarantees a number of circle of relatives gatherings within the Netherlands, with more than one individuals within the circle of relatives celebrating their birthdays. But within the interim, I nevertheless have my tofu obsession...

Tofu snack, this one with uncooked white radish and spring onions. Delicious to devour with balsamic white vinegar, some chili, and Vietnamese spiced salt.

I went to Enschede, in the German border of the Netherlands for a enterprise assembly, and then I went to the town middle to fast snatch a few lunch. It turned into my first time in Enschede and I would have desired to live a chunk longer.

The Oude Markt (Old Market Square) in Enschede.

The Enschede Town Hall's design is stated to be inspired through the City Hall in Stockholm, Sweden.

Dinner at home was a clean and mild meal along with pumpkin soup (not in picture), some bread, and this inexperienced salad (of Little Gem) with sauteed red meat shawarma, onions, and garlic, after which topped with pomegranate seeds.

Fresh and mild but filling.

The Dutch mother-in-regulation celebrated any other yr with us. She invited the family to have pancakes along with her at our favorite pancake house, the Theehuijs Rhijnauwen Pannenkoekenhuis in Bunnik, Utrecht. Last 12 months, we had been right here for her birthday as well.

We were going to this pancake residence for years already. It's emerge as a local and family tradition. Pancakes are normally Dutch.

The birthday female =)

My pancake of preference for the nighttime with plenty of almonds and cinnamon.

I couldn't end this pancake all by myself.

The weekend thereafter I turned into craving for seafood, that's what takes place whilst you watch all of the seafood boil Mukbangs on Youtube, haha. Yup, I am a fan and I severely watch it.

So I went to Utrecht and had a King Crab leg on the Seafood Bar. Expensive but really worth it! I may additionally want to pop in right here on occasion while my seafood craving receives wild. I love fresh oysters, crab, lobster, prawns, squid, and all the shellfishes.

Moi here at the Seafood Bar in Utrecht. That crab leg by myself charges EUR 32!

The steps on the Utrecht Centraal Station and City Hall (white building).

I typically walk from home to Utrecht metropolis middle.

Ah, it is weekend afternoon tea time once more at domestic with the Dutchman.

I have additionally started performing some sketches and ground plans for the residence. I nonetheless have loads to do. I want with the intention to have a few affect consistent with room. Some of our furnitures will live and more than a few will pass. We aren't rushing to supply the house though, and we choose to do it separately. I cross for great stuff that will final a long time and I hate litter, so less is greater. That's part of the idea.

This is croissant dough that I stretched to shape like like baguettes with sharp edges. We ate this with butter, fig jam and powdered sugar. Very simple however scrumptious.

The lawn ground plan sketch I made for the residence. It's a minimalist garden with a play at the tiles and stones. There might be 2 components, a front room, and an consuming place. I will probably have four bushes at the lower back to function a privacy screen. The garden walls could be made from partly stone (gabions).

We had fantastic heat weather in October so Dutchman and I went to test out the seaside at Katwijk aan Zee for a stroll. It turned into pretty busy there!

I changed into gambling Pokemon right here. Yup, I play it now and again. Lots of Pokemon monsters on this beach!

An orange sea of goodness. Sunset at Katwijk aan Zee.

Back at domestic on a Sunday morning.... Er brunch I suggest.

I devour one (1) egg whilst the Dutchman eats (2).

We had a boating tour in Amsterdam!

The idea got here from the brother and sister-in-law. The Dutch sister became celebrating her birthday and desires some thing specific this time. She would like to spend it outdoors and with the splendid weather to date, the boating in Amsterdam turned into the pleasant idea. And we had been invited =)

The birthday lady on the boat.

Amsterdam homes, bridges and canals.

We enjoyed this boat tour very an awful lot.

And some other weekend with the Dutch mother having afternoon tea with us at domestic. I made this apple pastry myself and this become quite yummy. The silver teapot I bought in Marrakesh, Morocco many years ago.

This is any other China set I actually have, Maxwell & Williams. I specifically use this for dinner and I might also want to shop for more when we flow to the brand new house.

I just like the crunchy appeal of this apple pastry.

When Dutchman and I aren't on foot, we take the motorcycle and test out the neighbourhoods in Utrecht. We have not been to the brand new Leidse Rijn centrum, so we hooked up our bikes and pedaled to this new vicinity. We want to attempt something one of a kind and new. Isn't it high-quality while you could just go along with your motorcycle everywhere in the city?

The idea of the Utrecht municipality is to create Leidse Rijn as the second one biggest metropolis after Utrecht inside the Utrecht province.

The new Jumbo Foodmarkt is a new grocery store + food market concept of Jumbo that I honestly like.

At the primary shopping rectangular of Leidse Rijn.

This is one of the many dinners we've at domestic with the Dutch mom-in-regulation as our visitor.

I made a few beef stew Bourguignon fashion here for our main with fried potatoes as a facet and a few salad component. The beef stew took me greater than 2 hours to put together because the beef has to become smooth and flaky.

A well-balanced food plan includes plenty of veggies. I am just lucky that I adore veggies. It's my move-to meals.

We are again on the hiking trail!

The circle of relatives went on a forest stroll which have become a long-winded one. We parked our motors in Soest and took the teach to Amersfoort where we started out the hike. We got lost someway but managed to be on the right track. While all this occurred, I was gambling Pokemon and become able to trap a variety of Pokemon monsters within the wooded area, hehe.

Regrouping to test out the map. We got misplaced.

A wasteland within the Utrechtseheuvelrug in Utrecht, the Netherlands.

Meanwhile, I am nonetheless enthusiastic about tofu.

This is clean natural tofu and I cooked (fry) this myself. Those chillies are particularly warm! Delicious to consume with sparkling uncooked radish. Sprinkle some vinegar and soy sauce and perhaps upload a piece of onion. A superb in-between mild snack!

The tofu is natural.

I visit Brussels, Belgium on a ordinary foundation for commercial enterprise conferences and this became one of the drives lower back to the Netherlands, and in reality, I changed into already inside the Netherlands when this traffic state of affairs occurred. There become an twist of fate involved. When its turtle transferring site visitors, what do you do? Nah, no selfie for me, however I took this photo of the road warning signal.

Nonetheless, I were given domestic very overdue.

The visitors become because of an coincidence.

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That's it for August, September, and October folks!

Don't Miss it!: San Marino Cesta And Montale Towers And Chilling At Bar Piadeneria La Capanna

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Happy Travels! Enjoy Life =)