First we walked around Parliament. This is where the senate holds session and where the queen occasionally stops in to check in with her homies. It’s a pretty cool area with a gorgeous courtyard…
We even almost got to see someone of importance. I say almost because all we saw were the paparazzi.
Then there’s the entrance into the courtyard. Apparently there’s something to do with ceremonies and important people walking through the middle and tiny people ducking through the sides. We just took it as an opportunity to showcase how tall Nina is and I am not...
Yes same door and yes I am on tiptoe.
Then we went to the Mauritzhuis. A museum with beautiful works of art mostly by Dutch artists including the haunting Girl with the Pearl Earring...
Too bad people were looking at it “from a distance” which just meant no one else could get close enough and risk being in their way. So I couldn’t study the earring like I wanted too. But it was still gorgeous. One of the few works that lived up to its hype. By hype I mean having read the book and a week after seeing the painting itself, watching the movie. By hype I am also talking about the think that the Mona Lisa did not.
I also really liked these uncovered paintings of a family consisting of a mom and dad, and all eight of their kids that all looked alike. I like to think of them as the original Jon and Kate plus 8…
But Nina and I were not in the stare-at-a-bunch-of-paintings-that-will-eventually-start-looking-the-same so instead we started recreating poses from the paintings. Usually when alone. Until I think two of the guards caught on and started following us. Also we can’t be sure that there weren’t cameras behind all the mirrors in the rooms. I’m sure there were security guards with tubs of popcorn enjoying the show.
Afterward we headed to the Escher museum. It was SO cool. I highly recommend it to anyone visiting the Netherlands. The museum is housed in what used to be the royal palace so it’s four stories of the abnormal. Plus some really cool chandeliers…
The bottom floor was how he made his paintings. The second and third were his works…
And the fourth was a really cool hands-on floor with experimentation in all the weird types of ways you can recreate what he did. And boy did we...
We ended our trip with the obligatory shot in front of the beautiful pond that reflects the Parliament building…
And then it was on to Antwerp. But Antwerp is a story for another day.
Word of the Day: illusie - illusion
Great photos! I'm jealous you got to see the girl with the pearl earring painting!
ReplyDeleteHow cool, that place looks awesome.
ReplyDeleteIn the almost two years I've been here, I've only been to the Hague twice. It's such a great city! Glad to hear you had a great time and thanks for sharing the photos! I'll have to go again sooner rather than later :)
ReplyDelete