Dinner at Chef's Table, Amsterdam Noord

We're very fortunate to have some friends who are just as much food-lovers as we are. We joined two of them for a meal at restaurant Chef's Table in Amsterdam.

Creamy Velouté

We had a great evening and really enjoyed our (what many have marked as excellent) food.
For my review, click on:ME-ME-LINKFOOD

Impressive Delta Works of Holland

On the way back from Domburg we stopped at 'Neeltje Jans Delta Park' to visit the Delta Works of Holland, where one can actually go into the belly of one of the huge pylons of this Dam. If I were to even try writing about this amazing construction, I would not do it justice. Instead, all I want to say is that I was very, very impressed by this feat of Dutch Engineering, built after the devastating floods of 1953 which cost almost 2000 lives. It's the Oosterschelde Dam, which impresses me most of all because, after loud protests of many 'nature-lovin' Dutchies and despite huge extra costs, the dam was built in such a way that a balance was found between nature and mankind. Salt water was still able to come in and go out with the tides. Nature was kept intact and the fishing-, mussels- and oyster industry flourished.
If anyone of you ever pass (anywhere near) this place, pleeeeeeaaaaaaassssseeee VISIT!
To get an idea, click on the following site:DELTA WORKS.
Left: the bottom red line marks the level of water, when 'doors' will close. The top line shows the level water reached, during the floods of 1953.

Tour boat with spare pylon in backround

On our way to belly of working pylon

Dazzling Domburg

Above, Badpaviljoen Domburg which houses a fantastic restaurant and exquisite apartments.

Tuna and soft shell crab

Bouillabaisse

This weekend we treated ourselves to a weekend in Domburg, Zeeland. Because I spent most of my life abroad, I really missed out on getting to know this country properly. I so enjoy our 'recces' of Holland and never realised how beautiful it really is.
I was surprised by the evidence of great wealth (huge villas and castles with beautiful gardens) in and around Domburg (an area I expected to be rather barren and surviving on ever diminishing fishing industry) but discovered that this dates back to around the year 1535, when a canal was dug to Middelburg. There, huge warehouses were built for storing all the goods that would be brought in by ships of the VOC ( the Dutch East India Company). The many people who'd become very rich from this trade would then have their 'pied à terre' and summer homes built in Domburg. For Wikipedia information on this era, click on:HISTORY.
Different times now, but Domburg still has a lot to offer, incl. some great restaurants and shops, and many of the Dutch elite still have their 2nd homes there. Definitely worth a visit!

Although it was a grey day, we really enjoyed our walk on the beach where fishermen were 'line-catching' some Plaice and we ended up having some Bockbier (seasonal, dark, malty beer) at bar/restaurant 'Oase' on the beach, with its very own webcam, click on OASE.

My Favorite picture 

Art Ceramics Studio Gillian Smith

I've mentioned my ceramics/porcelain class before and how much we all enjoy it, so I've decided to take some pictures of the studio. We're an international bunch of women and yes, also men. Because the evenings are getting darker and colder, I've changed from an evening course to a day course and am now trying to make some porcelain jewellery. No finished products yet, but that'll come.
To have a look at Gillian's website, click on:ART CERAMICS STUDIO

Above a picture of Gillian making coffee and tea for us. In the backround one can see a HUGE kiln.

FALL.

It's that time of year. Cold and windy outside but, thankfully, warm and cosy inside. It's also time for....oliebollen, sprinkled (or thickly coated) with icing sugar. Yummmmmmmmmm.

For info./recipe on oliebollen click on:OLIEBOLLEN