Theme Day Farewell (Tot Ziens)!

Sorry for breaking the rules -- you've probably noticed that this is not a photo of a shop window.
Why, you ask? Well, this is the last post for our Wassenaar Daily Photo blog. After two years of living in The Netherlands and trying to see as much of Europe as possible, we are moving back to the U.S.

The collage you see represent the Theme Day photos published on this blog. You can see the original posts here.

We'd like to thank everyone who visited and commented on our photos. If you'd like to see more of The Netherlands, be sure to visit The Hague and Rotterdam daily photo blogs, or one of the many blogs not in the CDPB group like Dick in Texel, JoAnn in Naarden, or one of the other links to your left.

Feel free to leave a comment (even though we won't be able to return comments for a while). And if you want to get back to the CDPB Theme Days, Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Windmill Week

We don't have internet access this week, so we decided to review some of our previous Windmill photos. Kind of like repeat season on TV.

Be sure to visit tomorrow for a special post.

This photo was included in the IMAGES International Photo Club exhibition and originally posted here.

Windmill Week

We don't have internet access this week, so we decided to review some of our previous Windmill photos. Kind of like repeat season on TV.

Be sure to visit on 1 June for a special post.

Again our Wassenaar "Windlust," original post here.

Windmill Week

We don't have internet access this week, so we decided to review some of our previous Windmill photos. Kind of like repeat season on TV.

Be sure to visit on 1 June for a special post.

These are nearby Leiden/Leidschendam ... original post here.

Windmill Week

We don't have internet access this week, so we decided to review some of our previous Windmill photos. Kind of like repeat season on TV.

Be sure to visit on 1 June for a special post.

Again from Wassenaar, original post here.

Windmill Week

We don't have internet access this week, so we decided to review some of our previous Windmill photos. Kind of like repeat season on TV.

Be sure to visit on 1 June for a special post.

Again, the Wassenaar windmill "Windlust." Original post here.

Windmill Week

We don't have internet access this week, so we decided to review some of our previous Windmill photos. Kind of like repeat season on TV.

Be sure to visit on 1 June for a special post.

This is the Wassenaar windmill, "Windlust." Original post here.

Windmill Week

We don't have internet access this week, so we decided to review some of our previous Windmill photos. Kind of like repeat season on TV.

Be sure to visit on 1 June for a special post.

This is one of the windmills at the Kinderdijk (see this recent post from The Hague). We hadn't published this photo before, but we use it for our blogger profile pic.

Colorful Blooms

The rhododendrons are in bloom at the Clingendael. Eat your heart out, Augusta.

If it's a rooster, why do they call it crowing?

This rooster didn't care that it was the middle of the day, he was determined to show off his vocal skills anyway.

Calm but Crowded

See what we mean about the people at the Japanese Garden in the Clingendael (referencing Monday's post)? Even so, it's a pretty place.

Are we in India? Where?Wednesday

The dutch call this the "Indische Gans" (Indian Goose, known in english as the Bar-Headed Goose). They are native to India, but they do not migrate here. Some are kept in captivity, and there are some breeding escapees throughout Europe.


I don't know if this family is captive or not, but we spotted them right here in The Hague in the Clingendael.

Sleepy Kids

3 little goats just settling down for a nap at the Clingendael estate (just barely over the Wassenaar border in The Hague).

Not-so-secret garden

Every year, for just about one month, the Japanese Garden at the Clingendael estate opens to the public. I posted on it last year, and my neighbor in The Hague beat me to it this year.

For photographers, it's best to go during the week. On the weekends there are so many visitors that it's almost impossible to get a photo that doesn't include people (can you spot them in this photo?). But don't let that stop you ... even when it's crowded, it's a special place.

Joy Ride

We don't really know the story behind this team of horses and the carriage -- they passed by us when we were visiting one of Flander's war cemeteries. But the passenger seemed to be having a great time! Given that this is hop-growing country (see yesterday's post), perhaps they're draught horses returning from a tasting?

Growing Beer

Most beer drinkers have never seen the raw version of a key ingredient -- hops. In Belgium, a key hop-growing region is near Poperinge, the town where we stayed on our short trip.

These hops are just starting their climb ... they'll reach the top before they're harvested. Poperinge has a lively hop festival in September -- you can read about it here.

Age Fifteen

The Essex Farm Cemetery, just outside of Ieper/Ypres, is best known as the place where Canadian John McRae composed the poem, "In Flanders Fields." There is a commemorative plaque just outside of the cemetery gates near a group of bunkers.

We were drawn, however, to a grave that was receiving much attention from a tour group that was visiting the cemetery. This particular grave had, by far, the most decoration of any grave in the small cemetery. And then we saw why ... the soldier, V.J. Strudwick, was only 15 when he lost his life in the war.

Mourning Soldiers

The statue of mourning soldiers stands in the German War Cemetery (Deutsches Soldatenfriedhof) in Langemark, Belgium. Over 44,000 WWI soldiers are buried here. In stark contrast to the Commonwealth graves, there are 8-20 soldiers buried per marker. There is also a mass grave, and some of the graves surround a few bunkers.

Remembering WWI: "Where?Wednesday"

Our quick trip to Belgium was mainly to visit West Flanders (West-Vlaanderen) to see some of the WWI memorials. There are over 170 cemeteries and there are seemingly more memorials than you can count. The area around Ieper (Ypres) saw some of the most brutal fighting of the war. You can read more about the "Ypres Salient" here. Winston Churchill once said of the area, "A more sacred place for the British race does not exist in the world."

The largest of the cemeteries is Tyne Cot, named after a barn that was called "Tyne Cottage" by the British soldiers. In fact, this is the largest Commonwealth war cemetery in the world, with nearly 12,000 soldiers of the U.K. and commonwealth countries buried here. The number at the bottom of the war graves listing for Tyne Cot is a bit shocking: only 3,588 of the soldiers buried here are identified.

Gazing in Ghent

This week we're going to share some photos from our neighbor to the south, Belgium. Our first stop on a quick weekend trip was Ghent. Sunday was obviously a beautiful day... perfect to appreciate the architecture, maybe have a glass of beer or wine, or just relax along the canal.