Happy Holidays!!

Andy wanted to show off our Christmas tree, which is much smaller than we're used to but is the typical size that we see here. About half of our ornament collection fit on the tree.

We'll be back on January 1 for Theme Day. In the meantime, best holiday wishes to all of our visitors. Prettige Feestdagen!

No Shopping Tonight

The Langstraat is a pedestrian street and Wassenaar's main shopping thoroughfare. The street begins at one end with this statue, and ends at the Dorpskerk.

Here you can find everything from small department stores to cheese, wine to electronics, clothes to cameras.

Although there are a few restaurants and pubs along the street, it is generally pretty quiet at night. Fridays are the exception, when some stores are open at night.

On this night a cold rain was falling, typical for this time of year.

Christmas in Cologne

Couldn't resist posting from the Cologne/Köln/Keulen market again.


Perhaps it's because this was the first gothic cathedral we ever saw on our first visit to Europe (many, many moons ago), but I still find the Kölner Dom (Cologne cathedral) to be one of the most awesome sights in Europe. Yes, I know there are churches that are bigger, or more delicate, or in a more picturesque location, but this one tops it for me.







Here are some more pics from the market, to make up for the fact that we won't publish this weekend. Hope to see you Monday.

Cologne on Ice: Where?Wednesday

Cologne (Köln/Keulen) has one of the most festive Christmas markets within easy reach of Wassenaar (about 3 hours drive).

More precisely, the city has about 6 separate markets. We visited the largest three outdoor markets. There's nothing like a little holiday cheer in the shadow of the magnificent cathedral (Dom).

My theory is that glühwein not only warms you up, but gives one the courage to navigate through the throngs of people mulling over the thousands of christmas wares on display. It may be crowded and commercial, but the combination of the scenery and the festivity of the season manage to prevail.

Trailing Tram

Christmas lights in The Hague, as seen through a passing tram.

Enlarging the photo reveals more details, including tram sparks and a hidden observer.