Happy Halloween from Holland - 2007!

Because I see so many hits on this blog from people wondering if Halloween is celebrated in the Netherlands, I thought I'd show you what a Happy Halloween in Holland looks like. :-)

Pumpkins & ornamental gourds grown in Holland.

While Halloween is most definitely not a Dutch tradition, it certainly is catching on in Holland .... maybe due to all those Americans & English marrying the willing Dutch ... heh heh *wink*

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Here are some images from the Dutch Pumpkin Man's farm in Vleuten. Each year, "mom" & dad" go there to buy their pumpkins and decorations for Halloween. Every year the assortment of pumpkins he grows keeps getting more interesting and he is the coolest Pumpkin Man in all of the Netherlands! ("mom & dad" think so)

Even our neighbors went all out this year. This is a pic of our house and theirs ready for Halloween.

Boo on the wall!

And of course, no Halloween at our house would be complete without "mom's" Halloween dinner treats.

Merlin's Eyes

Green Bat soup with Big Ugly Grubs ... ewwww!

Hairy Spiders and Pumpkins, mini-cupcakes - 2007. Yum!

And me relaxing with my pumpkins. :-)

Here's wishing you a very

Happy Halloween!

Boo!

Tot ziens!

Sacha

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Autumn Colors - Herfstkleuren

I love this time of year... Autumn (Herfst), with all the colors (kleuren) !
We want to show you some images of the autumn colors (herfstkleuren) we've (well, mom really) have snapped around Holland (Nederland) .

Mom's black (zwart) shoes and the little yellow & brown (geel & bruin) fallen leaves ... her feet are almost as small as mine. ;-)


In Gorinchem & Ameide:
A butcher (slager) shop sign against a bright blue (blauw) autumn sky in Ameide.


Red (rood) leaves on museum in Gorinchem.


The falling leaves on a Peugeot - in Gorinchem.


Closer to home... in Utrecht:
A view of the Oudegracht (old canal) that runs through the center of Utrecht. Dressed in fall colors.


The herb garden (kruidentuin) of the Utrecht Music Conservatory.

The Conservatory is located in a building that used to be a nuns' cloister in the Middle Ages. Growing in the herb garden, are tradtional herbs & flowers used for medicine, cooking and coloring/dying. This garden is maintained, throughout the year, by volunteers who live in and around Utrecht - the garden is free and open to the public. In fact, it's a popular shortcut from one street to another. :-)
Another image of the Utrecht Music Conservatory and herb garden.


The last of the orange (oranje) flowers in the Cloister Garden of Utrecht's Domkerk (cathedral). The Dom also has the highest church/cathedral tower in all of the Netherlands.

Back in our neighbourhood (buurt) :

Just around the corner from our house, a view over a small canal (sloot) with lovely late afternoon Autumn sunlight.

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Our Japanese Maple is always pretty at this time of year.

More tree tops near our house.

And me! Playing in the back garden....as always. The grass is still green (groen) and still has the little white (wit) daisies in it ... but it won't be this way for long.

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That's all!

doei,

Sacha