Day 13: Amsterdam and Der Haag

Day 13:  Amsterdam and Der Haag

QOTD:  I’m looking for James Turrell’s Celestial  Vault, do you know where it is?

Weather: Finally, a great weather day: sunny and breeze, glorious at the beach, not too bad in town, dinner on the deck!

Note color of sky

THB is feeling the effects of a lot of wine and food this morning. Toast and espresso coffee helps a wee bit. We decided last night, and amazingly remember, that taking a long train ride is a good idea when in recovery mode. We’re off to Der Haag, The Hague, to see another installation piece by James Turrell. Some of you may remember, even if THB cannot remember shit this morning, that THB and DB slept in a Turrell house in Japan a few years back, and have seen many of his stand-alone light installations.

On the way to Centraal Station we stop to buy two scones: raisin and chocolate chip (think Arizmendi chocolate thing), for the train. Of course, we have to line up to buy day-of tickets. The receipt implies that along with 22E ($29) round trip cost there is a 1E charge for buying a real ticket instead of using our Chipkaart. Looks like the Dutch are using the punishment method to make converters of everyone. True? THB wouldn’t know, especially this morning.  Tap in….

 

The CS counter we have come to know so well

A short wait, up and on the train, our snacks, a found suduko,  and one hour later, we’re in Der Haag (tap out) and, while THB visits the WC, 

Der Haag on approach

WC art, hopefully pic is blurry because the bird is behind a screen

WC construction in process

DB finds the route to the bus: leave train station and immediately head up stairs to catch the 24 bus (Chipkaarts are universal for The Netherlands, so we can at least use those here in Der Haag). Here comes the 24 and we struggle to get on….struggle because the 24 is letting people off and NOT letting them on. The bus makes a short loop around the station and arrives back in another slot where a group of about 20 are waiting to board. So do we….sheepishly.

24 in exit slot

Gosh, this is a long tail, why is it so sad? 25 minutes or so of the bus wandering through Der Haag 

and we’ve found the spot the Celestial Vault web-site said to get off at: it is a large intersection and no signage. Another bus comes and we get on again and get off at the beach, well actually we get off because it is the end of the line!! Ask if they know  the CVault….no, sorry. How about the restaurant that is a key (actually the only) marker? Yes, vaguely, go to the right.

 

Not our marker, and blogspot is telling THB so!

Walk about 300 of the 500 meters we have to go, ask again. YES! This bike-rider knows it (so we’re at least in the neighborhood). Head off and ask again: YES! Go to the main street ahead, turn right and go up the stairs. A few more meters on, there are the stairs and we start climbing our way to heaven (sorry!)…up for about 5 minutes and we have arrived to a glorious view of the ocean, it’s sunny with a strong breeze, and right below us: the restaurant we’ve been looking for (it’s a lot easier to see from up here).

 

The stairway to hell? Heaven?

The restaurant

A selfie (THB saw someone taking selfies by taping her i-phone to a golf club)

The vault

From the rim of the crater

At the top of the hill, there are actually other people here!!

Doing the same things we're doing!

Note the blue sky and the ocean

Mid-morning snack, excellent cheese stick, 1E

Reverse our course: bus to train station to Centraal Station in Amsterdam (THB does close his eyes for a few minutes on the return while reading Old Filth). Decide to have herring sandwiches at same place from our food tour. Two with onions for THB, one with onions and sweet pickles for DB, diet coke and a water, $17, sit on the bench out front to refule and watch as the food tour group arrives, with our same leader, Chris. Happy reunion!!

 

Herring sandwiches

With pickles

On way to H70 to rest up, DB does some recreational shopping at Oska…THB sits outside and reads. Well, more like just sits outside.

After our rest up, albeit brief, we tram up for another pre-arranged gallery visit,: about 15 abstract pieces by Xavier Toubes (E&J own a piece of his). 

An easy stroll through the De Pijp district (old Heinecken brewery, so it’s possible THB and DB were here 45 years ago)  to visit a jewelry artist, Peter Hoogeboom, who works out of his apartment.

He and his intern, Melanie (she’s from Berlin, remembers the fall of the wall), greet us with ice tea and a Japanese pancake Peter has prepared: okonomiyaki, rarely seen outside Japan. What a treat! In Japan, all visits include tea and snacks. This is a first for us in Amsterdam. Sometimes even a glass of water is offered.

DB is taken with a necklace; it is a real statement piece and she’s concerned she won’t have that many occasions to wear it. After several hours, and many stories, it’s time to say goodbye to Peter and Melanie.

Tram back to CS and pick up Surinamese take-away at the stop from the food tour (no tour group this time): the last broodje left (chicken mash sandwich), and noodles with veggies and chicken, $14, and dinner on the roof-deck. 

Shots around town and the beginning of a sunset: