This morning we visited the Top 2000 cafe at the Media Park in Hilversum. Since 1999 every year during one week in November the listeners can submit their favorite songs. This year the list of best 2000 songs was voted together by a record 3.2 million votes (by 240 thousand people). The broadcast was from Christmas at noon until New Year’s Eve. The café is a temporary studio, since 2010 specially build in the museum for Sound & Vision. For more information: http://top2012.radio2.nl.
Sa 08-Dec-2012: Sinterklaas evening
Sa 08-Dec-2012: We celebrated the traditional Dutch “Sinterklaas Evening” tonight. After a lovely dinner by Yvonne we all gathered together. After reading the Sinterklaas rhyhms we all had to unwrap our presents. Danique was dressed to the occasions as “Zwarte Piet”.
For more information, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinterklaas.
Su 02-Dec-2012: Visiting Sinterklaas in Muiderslot residency
Su 02-Dec-2012. Today Danique, Sjoukje and Ton visited Sinterklaas in his national residency in Muiderslot (Muiden, NL). This 400 year old castle is where Sinterklaas stays this year with his Black Piets and all the presents he took with him on his steamboat from Spain. The castle was the stage of this years Sinterklaas movie.
We took the ferry from Ijburg (Amsterdam) to Muiden. When we arrived at the Muiderslot castle we met Sinterklaas and his black Piets and we got a half hour tour. The ferry then sailed us back to Ijburg. Of course today Danique was dressed for the occasion in a Piet suite.
- Danique at the entrance of Muiderslot
- Sinterklaas bedroom in Muiderslot
- Danique made a special drawing for Sinterklaas under supervision of a black Piet
- Danique made a special drawing for Sinterklaas
- Meet and greet with Sinterklaas
- Sinterklaas warehouse
- Inside one of the Muiderslot towers
- Inside Muiderslot
- Danique with the black Piets
- Muiderslot castle in Muiden
Fr 30-Nov-2012: André Rieu in Ziggo Dome (Amsterdam)
Fr 30-Nov-2012: Tonight we went to the André Rieu concert in the Ziggo Dome (Amsterdam) with Henk and Yvonne. Our parents were also invited as the concert tickets were our gift for their 55th anniversary in June of this 2012. Unfortunately mom was not feeling well enough to join us, so she stayed home with dad. We had sold their tickets online on the day of the concert but we all have decided to go to the concert anyways.
P.S. Danique slept over at Femke’s house for the first time.
- Andre Rieu concert in Ziggo Dome Amsterdam
- Andre Rieu concert in Ziggo Dome Amsterdam
New bed
22-Sep-2012: Today we ordered our new bed. It’s a Norwegian Karlsson Silkeborg Modern base with an M Line Slow Motion 4 mattress. This combination should be the guarantee for years of sleeping comfort. We purchased with a 19% state tax. From October 1, 2012 this tax will increase to 21%.
- Karlsson-MLine Boxspring bed
- MLine-Wave-Pillow2