One of the biggest pleasures that you can have when moving to a foreign country is to look with fresh eyes into the secrets of the cities, secrets that perhaps the locals know but have never visited because they're simply there, "and you can always visit". But now, in time of coronavirus, I keep looking to all these photos and although I haven't been a good blogger (yes, I had the time but sometimes sitting down to write it's difficult, especially when you've lost the habit), I'm gonna try to make it up to y'all.
So last summer I was really willing to visit the Kattenkabinet, a place full of curiosities, and I was lucky enough to count with my beloved friend Cassie to come with me (remember her from this previous post? She's such a lovely person, believe me!).
How are you coping with all the coronavirus situation these days? By the time you read this, the Dutch government would have made new announcements let's see what they say this time...
But while we wait on that, let me take you with me to one of the most fascinating places I've visited so far here in The Netherlands.
I wanted to write about Ons' Lieve Heer op Solder for a long time now since is my favourite museum in Amsterdam and a must if you come by and want to see something different.
How are you doing? I hope you're safe at home, taking care of yourself and the ones you love. Seems that we are gonna be stuck together for a while, and although I don't wanna spend my days in front of the laptop, I'm gonna try to update this a little bit more frequently with nice places I've been discovering around The Netherlands, so you have something to read and look forward when all the quarantines end.
A couple of weeks ago, before all the madness started in Europe, I met my beloved Cassie for a treat to ourselves having some delicious brunch and a nice walk around Amsterdam.
Some weeks ago we had a super nice meet at the Duke of Tokyo, a Japanese-style karaoke in the heart of Amsterdam. The lovely Rossella (@girlfromtherosegarden) took the time to organized it and gurl, what a great idea she had! I cannot thank her enough for this fun experience with the rest of the comm!
I saw corpses cut in pieces and inside bottles, corpses from other time, another century, that showed how Nature can also be wrong when experimenting. That made me think that we are just one of her errors, maybe the more lethal she's ever made; that's why she's rebelling against us (Against us? Maybe she's only trying to save what's left of her broken heart).
Most of the time I believe that we're a plague, the real plague that's destroying Earth. And that makes me feel sad because I've always dreamt about what's behind the stars. I always thought we will discover what's outside our Galaxy, or through a Black Hole. But nowadays, instead of dreaming with great achievements, I dream with the ghosts of the past. What we've done, what we're still doing.
And while thinking about the past my mind does also with those ghosts that scare us in the middle of the forest at night, what they're trying to say to us. I guess that is something like 'It is not too late, turn around. You can still save yourselves, save us all'. But we never listen. We never care.
I guess that if anyone's ghost should shout to me, that's the Ghost of You.
Last week I could visit the Vrolik Museum, a little space at the Academisch Medisch Centrum in Amsterdam, paradise for those who love Anatomy and diseases related with the human body and its development. It's not aloud to take photos in there, but worth it to visit!
During October, the amazing Agnes was doing an internship here in Holland, and I had the amazing opportunity of meeting her in Amsterdam a couple of times. I must say that I've been following Agnes since long time ago when she was still called Pandasoppa and was wearing not only Lolita but Panda Poppare fashion and I even didn't relate her in those different styles (you can read about Panda Poppare here, here and here)!
The first day we met was when I was going with Thijs and Alberto to a Crystal Castles' concert, and we had a lot of fun looking for Halloween make up. Then our second time was the day she was leaving Holland; we had coffee together in one of my favourite places around Amsterdam, the Sluyswatch Cafe, walked around the city and visited some vintage stores like Retro & Chic, and later had again more coffee and a bite at lovely Bagels & Beans.
Retro & Chic vintage shop
Me with a little DERP face
Yummy <3
I must say that I'm really looking forward to meeting more Lolitas in here; for the moment I've been busy and couldn't meet only Agnes and Lula Pyu, a Spanish Lolita from the south of the country, like me!
On Sunday I'm going back to Spain for a week, so I can visit my family and spend there my birthday, but when I'm back I really should try to meet them all :)
PS: I've changed the banner and some little details here on the blog, you like it?
Dress - ETC
Shirt - Pimkie (old)
Bag - Shirley Temple
Translation: Tuve la enorme suerte de conocer hace poco a una de mis Loli-idols, Agnes. Es super divertida y genial <3 ¡Espero conocer pronto a más Lolitas holandesas!
During our third day in Amsterdam, we visited the Hermitage Museum (as the Van Gogh Museum was closed that day). I must say that it was an amazing idea, as the museum shows you Amsterdam from the point of view of different centuries.
Durante nuestro tercer día en Amsterdam visitamos el Hermitage Museum (ya que el museo Van Gogh estaba cerrado). He de decir que fue una idea estupenda, ya que este museo te muestra la ciudad de Amsterdam desde el punto de vista de diferentes siglos.
After visiting the museum, we took the metro and walked a little bit around the city. As it was raining a little bit, we visited the Café Papeneiland, situated at the corner of the Prinsengracht nr1 and the Brouwersgracht. This bruin cafe (brown cafe, the name this type of places receive because of the dark cosy wooden interiors and the nicotine-stained walls and ceilings) is famous because of their amazing apple pie; so famous that Bill Clinton bought a whole apple pie here once!
Tras visitar el museo, viajamos en metro hasta el centro de la ciudad, donde estuvimos paseando. Debido a la lluvia, decidimos refugiarnos en elCafé Papeneiland, en la esquina de Prinsengracht con Brouwersgracht. Este bruine café (café marrón, ya que el nombre de este tipo de lugares se debe a sus interiores acogedores de madera oscura y el color marrón de sus paredes debido a la nicotina de cuando se permitía fumar en ellos) es famoso debido a su tarta de manzana... ¡Tan famoso que en una ocasión Bill Clinton compró una entera!
Finally, at the end of the evening, the sun came out again and we could walk a little bit more around the city, saying good-bye until the next time we're back!
Al final de la tarde el sol volvió a brillar y pudimos pasear un poco más, despidiéndonos de la ciudad hasta nuestra próxima visita.
Our second day in Amsterdam was this cloudy, but it didn't matter so much because we were spending almost all the day at Rijksmuseum, the main art museum of the city.
Nuestro segundo día en Amsterdam amaneció así de nublado, pero no nos importó mucho ya que pasamos la mayor parte del mismo en el Rijksmuseum, el principal museo de arte de la ciudad.
La Corniche near Monaco by Claude Monet
Summer Luxuriance by Jac van Looij
For me, it was very special visiting the Rijksmuseum. Some of the beautiful paintings we saw there were on my history and art books, and the feeling of seeing them live, is simply amazing.
Personalmente para mí fue muy especial visitar el Rijksmuseum. Algunos de los preciosos cuadros que pudimos ver allí han aparecido innumerables veces en mis libros de historia o arte, y el poder verlos en directo conseguían en ocasiones emocionarme.
Self-portrait by Vincent van Gogh
Floral Still Life by Hans Bollongier
William II, Prince of Orange, and his Bride, Mary Stuart
by Anthony van Dyck
Rembrandt's The Night Watch, the main jewel of the crown. Standingbeforethis wondermakes you think about the pastof art andhumanity, abouthow just a fewcenturiesago we livedin atotally differentway from today. Mostthings have changed. Others, likethe prideand follyof our politicians, no.
La Guardia de la Noche, de Rembrandt. Estar de pie ante esta maravilla te hace recapacitar sobre el pasado del arte y de la humanidad, sobre cómo apenas unos siglos vivíamos de una forma totalmente diferente a la de hoy en día. La mayoría de las cosas han cambiado. Otras, como el orgullo e insensatez de nuestros políticos, no.
Selfie with Rembrandt's selfie. I needed this photo :P
The Milkmaid by Johannes Veermer
After Rijksmuseum, we walked along the city, had some lunch and visited a couple of vintage and cute shops. It was raining a little bit, but at the end of the day we could see a wonderful rainbow over the city. Magic.
Tras la visita al Rijksmuseum caminamos un rato por la ciudad, visitando algunas tiendas de ropa vintage y con cosas curiosas. Llovía un poco, pero para el final del día pudimos ver un precioso arco iris sobre la ciudad. Mágico.
