More of that lettering

Another sample of really fun lettering.

Some really fun lettering near the university

I liked the lettering at the top of the building and above the door.

Leiden Sign

Their signs are a lot different than ours!

Impressive Lettering

Double-click to enlarge this.

Impressive lettering-I think it's carved into slate--above a doorway on a Leiden building. Note the gold caps.

Leiden Stathuis

The Leiden Stathuis. Several Rembrand portraits and self-portraits are displayed around the city--it's his birthplace.

Heart of Leiden

Another photo of downtown Leiden. My little digital sometimes makes things look a lot darker than they are.

Leiden Arch

Wonderful architectural details throughout the city. This is in near to the Stathuis (city hall).

Jan 8 - Pretty window

We stayed at the Golden Tulip in downtown Leiden, this time, so we got to see more of the city during the daylight when we arrived. Normally, we only see it at night, when we take a bus or taxi into town for dinner.

I photographed this street specifically because of the "Dennis" sign. I thought Dennis would appreciate that they had a street named after him.

Leiden Gables and Signage

The typical Dutch gables, along with some signage on this wonderful warehouse. Not all that many of the buildings are at water-level like this one.

Lettered verse on Leiden building

We got into Amsterdam at about 6AM on Monday, Jan 8. (I got up at 3am on Sunday to make the trip, after having only 2 hours sleep the night before.) We walked around Leiden to try to wake up before having lunch.

In addition to wonderful old buildings and canals, there is lettering all over Leiden. I'll have to have a Dutch coworker interpret this for me when I get back there.

A new favorite quote

I found this quote and really liked it:

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the places and moments that take our breath away."

--Anonymous

Amsterdam Xmas Stands

I should have taken photos at the Antwerp Christmas market, but the square was filled with little decorated sheds like you see in the center of this photo. Each shed featured a vendor of crafts, food, or other products. In Antwerp, I bought assorted Belgium chocolates for Dennis.

Amsterdam House number

Some of the houses along the Amsterdam canals have hand-painted numbers. I'd better start practicing my numbers--my Copperplate 6s have a long way to go to be as pretty as

these.

Dec 11, 2006 Amsterdam mall - Christmas Tree

I should have noted the name of this mall in Amsterdam, in a very old building. The stores were a little too upscale for us. The tree reached 3 stories high.

Another view of the same building

A building along Antwerp's Grote Markt

I liked the lettering on this building in Antwerp, Belgium.

Nov 2006 - Bridge raised

On our way back from our lunchtime walk, we had to wait. The bridge was up to allow a small ship to pass. Everyone had to wait--cars, bicycles, pedestrians. I don't think it was up more than five minutes, though.

Swans seen during our lunch break

Enlarge this so you can get a better view of the swans. This was taken during our lunchtime walk. Immediately after I snapped this, all the swans got out of the water and began preening themselves.

Kasteel Duivenvoorde

During a walk along Voorschoten's main road, I came across a sign for Kasteel Duivenvoorde. The gatepost is labelled like a gated community and there are several mansions and caretaker-type buildings on the grounds. When you enter the grounds via a tree-lined drive, along a canal, it is a park. Further along, you can pay 4 euros to continue walking along the grounds. People live in the castle, so the building itself was not available to tour.

This is the canal behind Avery's Leiden office. There are walkway/bike paths along both sides.

Enlarge for a better look.

Can you imagine having a place like this to walk at lunchtime or when you need an afternoon break?

One of our favorite lunchtime walks. This tree-lined path takes us to a branch off the larger canal and along a farm.

View from a Leiden Canal

Nov 13, 2006 - Leiden castle

I believe this is the Burcht, a 12th century castle, which Bob Waligora pointed out when he gave me a tour of Leiden.

Nov 13, 2006 - Leiden Lettering

Interesting Lettering on this book store

Nov 12, 2006 - Strolling in Voorschoten

On Saturday morning, I was on my own and took a walk down the main road in Voorschoten. The houses were all duplexes. The natives leave their curtains open and they look so cozy reading the newspaper on such a crisp, chilly morning.

Nov 6, 2006 - Monday in Voorschoten

On our first day in Voorschoten, where our hotel was located, we had breakfast, then walked down to the town. We were quite surprised to find that most of the stores did not open until noon or 1pm on Mondays. So we went to the post office, window shopped, had lunch until the stores opened. I bought a scarf. Heidi noticed only one other Chinese person.

6-Nov-2006. Goeddag!

The Dutch word, Goeddag, means Good Day.

Our introduction to Holland (Heidi who is my coworker, and me). I was enthralled with the "toilet" doors at the Schipol Airport (Amsterdam). Much more interesting than ours in the U.S. Notice how the doors stretch floor-to-ceiling--very private.