Sweet Amsterdam

I found the last post about Amsterdam lurking in my blog post list and realised I had not uploaded all my pictures to picasa so I uploaded them last night and will document our trip as best I can after all this time!!! lol
The large outer canal and bridge you can walk along on the way to the Hermitage.

As I said yesterday....I would not bother going in the Hermitage unless the exhibition really, really grabs you! But this little cafe/bar nearby was a really nice find. :)

We loved all the little cafe/bars we found....although the ones we did not go in were the sort you could smell a mile off.....if you get my drift!!! ROFL

It goes without saying we had to sample cake whilst we were there!!! ROFL

We were prepared for it being cold...after all Amsterdam is famous for their canals freezing!

However it turned out to be very mild....bit of a theme through the year really! It was also not windy like it was back in England at the time....we missed that luckily! :)

xoxo Sioux

Were there tulips?

This was going to be posted up ages ago...like in February!!!
Hey...give me a break....wedding stuff/honeymoons/life you know! ROFL

We had just returned from a very nice break to....? Well have a guess ;)

Yes....you got it Amsterdam!

The first picture is of a group of statues in the Rembrandt Platz depicting the same scene as "The Night Watch" painting does.

...Mr B on a mission...spotted the museum and strode off...

...to the Rijkmuseum to see the original painting (amongst other fabulous things) and I was very surprised to see that you could take pictures of the exhibits....quite frankly I was shocked....I've rarely been in any other top notch museum that allows it!!!

So it was a thrill to see the massive Night Watch but it somehow did not grab me....nor Mr B for that matter! In fact I liked the 3d sculpture in the Rembrandt Platz in the first picture more!!!

Whilst this smaller (although still quite large) painting by Rembrandt was gorgeous...

...I got really close to this as most people were crowded around the Night Watch instead...

...it allowed me to really see some of the detail such as the metal trigger section that really comes to life just because of some white paint smeared over the black/grey...

...and the gold lace effect and the material was just amazing!

The Vermeer's were what I really wanted to see and you can get so close to the paintings it's incredible...(it surprised me that the Vermeer's were painted on such a small scale...they are no more than perhaps 40 cm square...such detail..he must have used very small brushes!)

...Mr B swore someone would come up to me and ask me to back off!!

But honestly I was not overstepping the cord that marked the boundary.....O.K. I admit I was leaning over it quite a bit but my eyesight 'aint what it used to be (that's my excuse and I am sticking to it!) ROFL

The self portrait by Rembrandt is quite mesmerising...Mr B's favourite :)

P.S. We also went to the Hermitage, they opened a branch there a few years ago.....it was the most disappointing exhibition I have ever been to....for the size of the building there is a big lack of artwork inside..and no Russian treasures on display at all...which is something we were looking forward to and expecting to see!!!

Same price as the Rijkmuseum......so I know which one I will pay a return visit to ;)
Thanks for looking
xoxo Sioux

Printed on my heart!

A weekend away for us ;)

A drive up to Stow-on-the-Wold for a one night stay at The Old Stocks Hotel...

...we had some lovely food there.

Pretty Cotswold village...

...but worryingly the shops don't display any prices on things!!! LOL

Next morning Mr B drove us to

as I have had a vision in my brain of a place I went to when I was about 5....we used to live around the area and I've always wondered quite where this vision was! lol

It turns out it was Bourton on the Water!

How fab....we had coffee and cake to celebrate...as you do :)

Then off to stay at......

the Premier Inn on the NEC!

Talk about contrasts ;)

The reason?

To see these four at the LG Arena.....

Enjoy?.......we certainly did! :)

The following morning it was off home but on the way a stop in Bristol to meet up for a super lunch with Mr B's son and his girlfriend in Clifton........never been before but full of lovely old buildings, cafes, bars, shops....especially antique type ones....and wow!!

Just look at the bargain I found...when you consider a paper based configerations box 29cm by 40 cm is around £14

 This genuine wooden printers tray :) sized about 80 cm by 40 cm...cost £28...

The "B" I bought in Bourton-on-the-Water fits perfectly too...
...the term died and gone to heaven springs to mind!!! ROFL

Thanks for looking.

xoxo Sioux

Harvest Barn

The other Sunday we went to a harvest celebration in a barn.

A super afternoon in an atmospheric place and beautifully decorated...

...with the addition of hot chocolate and cake too!!!

Thanks for looking

xoxo Sioux

Autumnal decoration

It feels like an Autumnal fireplace decoration is in order ;)

Thanks for looking.

xoxo Sioux

Want to see more?

It's time for a few of those pictures that did not find their way for one reason or another into the posts these past few days ;)

We wore matching red one evening....I wore the dress I wore on the evening of our wedding...

...and Mr B wore his wedding waistcoat.

He borrowed one of my Austrian collar decorations to wear......all say aaah! ;)

You also get a Brucie bonus.....I'm posting some of the best bits from last years trip to Zell am See that got mislaid :)

A statue outside the theatre in Salzburg

The Tirolerhof hotel in Zell......it's just so perfect in every way ;)

(even if most rooms do not have a great view of the lake)

Kitzbuel

Mr B tried this combo on as it was what I had in mind for the wedding.

Some of the fabulous food at the Tirolerhof

That's all folks!!!

Thanks for looking

xoxo Sioux