Photos of trip to Market
Here's the first in what I hope will be regular photo essays of life here in the Netherlands.
So every Saturday, we walk to the market. There's a large plaza in the center of the shopping area that transforms from huge emptiness to a packed market area. There we buy a lot of our groceries for the week. Market also happens on Tuesdays, but it seems to be a smaller, more deflated version.
We took pictures several weeks ago of our foray, but I've been lax in posting them because I wanted to note a lot of details. So finally, here ya go.
Getting ready leave with Kiddo. I did not dress her in a bright yellow shirt with pink striped pants. From the big silver pipe to the red car is the Dutch Boi's parents' house where we currently reside on the upper floor. That's it. As you can see...no front yard. The 'back yard' is a medium-ish patio area. There are about 12 houses stuck together like this for our 'block'. The door on the other side of the silver pipe belongs to (one of the many, many) Aunt and Uncle pairs.
Setting off down the block next to the red brick street. The row of houses you see right in front of it...you'll see the other side of those later. This neighborhood is very new, the previous having been levelled after the nearby fireworks factory exploded. The Boi's parents escaped with their lives, but lost everything. You can see a video of the disaster here (opens in new window).
One of the largest intersections in town. The red lanes are bike lanes. Since these are major streets, they're paved.
Kiddo pressing the crosswalk button of the same intersection. You can see the two sets of lights next to each other. The left set with the usual circles is for cars. The right set is for the bikes. It's hard to see, but it's actually a little picture of a bike. They alternate...all the bikes go, then all the cars. "Let Op" means "Watch Out", reminding cars to look for bicycles, who always have the right of way.
The other side of the houses I mentioned. Just another view of how a block of houses looks.
Kiddo seriously likes having her picture taken. Just another view farther down the street. The buildings are businesses and houses mixed. Usage zoning can be of any size, so you often see single businesses in the middle of neighborhoods full of houses or a house in the middle of a block of stores.
Another view of the same, just shifted right so you can see the Timmerman bicycle shop. Bike shops here are like McDonald's in the US...everywhere. And poetically, there are only a few McDonald's here, only one of which has a drive-thru. The big arrow pointing to the drive thru entrance says "McDrive", I kid you not.
Leaving the street area into the town center. Both sides are lined with shops. Cars are only rarely allowed in. That big metal post with the red light? There's a buzzer and you have to be on the guest list that the person on the other end checks to be let in. Shop keepers have a passcard. The middle post lowers electronically to let you in. (The Boi pointed out that this one is technically exit-only, but it looks just like the other ones where you can enter). The line running down the middle of the street? That's the gutter. A note about businesses: Unless you are something like a restaurant, you close at 6pm and are closed on Sunday. People spend their evenings with family and friends instead of working til 10 or 11.
Mmmm. Bakery. We always stop here on the way to the market for breakfast. I just always love their front window so much, we had to take a pic of it.
The church in town center. Apparently it is totally common in Europe to have a church in the center of town, then a plaza around it, then, naturally, a ring of bars, with some cafes/restaurants.
A head-on shot of one of those bars across from the church. I don't drink beer, but Grolsch is a big name in Europe and is produced here. It's like Coke and Pepsi. Bars only serve Heineken or Grolsch, never both. There was actually a old Grolsch factory right behind our house that's in the process of being torn down.
Molly Malone's Irish Pub where we meet the Boi's rugby friends on Wednesday nights for Trivia night. This area always reminds me I'm in Europe because there are people sitting outside these bars/cafes/restaurants all day like some iconic image of Europe.
The VVV, the equivalent of Tourist Info. And they always speak English. If you are ever lost in Europe just look confused and ask "VVV?" of the nearest local.
Entering the market area. The big spire is 'art'. There are stalls that sell clothes and such, but a large majority are for food. People here don't hit big grocery stores and just get everything. You go to market, to the individual cheese seller, fish seller or whatnot to get your groceries for the week. Also, in this town, Saturday market business is around 70% German folk - the border is only 5 minutes away. So if you appear to not understand Dutch, the sellers will bust out in German next.
View down another aisle. There are also lots of vendors selling the America equivalent of 'fair food' - spring rolls, burgers, fries, and so on.
Vegetable vendors on the right, crowded aisles.
Me pushing Kiddo and heading to my favorite vendor, the snack vendor ;) Dried fruits, nuts, candied fruits, chocolate covered stuff. They always give Kiddo free raisins. Most vendors have a little treat ready for kids.
On the right is the vendor Tim's family has been buying cheese from for years and years. On the left is the stall where we always get sausages.
The fish market area. Quite smelly. Besides all the raw stuff, there are several stalls selling fresh fried fish.
Nothing but eggs!
Nothing but Cigarettes!
Another side of our cheese vendor, next to the greek food vendor.
Lastly, the whole market. We were trying to get a picture that showed just how enormous this whole thing is and got this. It doesn't do it justice by any means.
So every Saturday, we walk to the market. There's a large plaza in the center of the shopping area that transforms from huge emptiness to a packed market area. There we buy a lot of our groceries for the week. Market also happens on Tuesdays, but it seems to be a smaller, more deflated version.
We took pictures several weeks ago of our foray, but I've been lax in posting them because I wanted to note a lot of details. So finally, here ya go.
Getting ready leave with Kiddo. I did not dress her in a bright yellow shirt with pink striped pants. From the big silver pipe to the red car is the Dutch Boi's parents' house where we currently reside on the upper floor. That's it. As you can see...no front yard. The 'back yard' is a medium-ish patio area. There are about 12 houses stuck together like this for our 'block'. The door on the other side of the silver pipe belongs to (one of the many, many) Aunt and Uncle pairs.
Setting off down the block next to the red brick street. The row of houses you see right in front of it...you'll see the other side of those later. This neighborhood is very new, the previous having been levelled after the nearby fireworks factory exploded. The Boi's parents escaped with their lives, but lost everything. You can see a video of the disaster here (opens in new window).
One of the largest intersections in town. The red lanes are bike lanes. Since these are major streets, they're paved.
Kiddo pressing the crosswalk button of the same intersection. You can see the two sets of lights next to each other. The left set with the usual circles is for cars. The right set is for the bikes. It's hard to see, but it's actually a little picture of a bike. They alternate...all the bikes go, then all the cars. "Let Op" means "Watch Out", reminding cars to look for bicycles, who always have the right of way.
The other side of the houses I mentioned. Just another view of how a block of houses looks.
Kiddo seriously likes having her picture taken. Just another view farther down the street. The buildings are businesses and houses mixed. Usage zoning can be of any size, so you often see single businesses in the middle of neighborhoods full of houses or a house in the middle of a block of stores.
Another view of the same, just shifted right so you can see the Timmerman bicycle shop. Bike shops here are like McDonald's in the US...everywhere. And poetically, there are only a few McDonald's here, only one of which has a drive-thru. The big arrow pointing to the drive thru entrance says "McDrive", I kid you not.
Leaving the street area into the town center. Both sides are lined with shops. Cars are only rarely allowed in. That big metal post with the red light? There's a buzzer and you have to be on the guest list that the person on the other end checks to be let in. Shop keepers have a passcard. The middle post lowers electronically to let you in. (The Boi pointed out that this one is technically exit-only, but it looks just like the other ones where you can enter). The line running down the middle of the street? That's the gutter. A note about businesses: Unless you are something like a restaurant, you close at 6pm and are closed on Sunday. People spend their evenings with family and friends instead of working til 10 or 11.
Mmmm. Bakery. We always stop here on the way to the market for breakfast. I just always love their front window so much, we had to take a pic of it.
The church in town center. Apparently it is totally common in Europe to have a church in the center of town, then a plaza around it, then, naturally, a ring of bars, with some cafes/restaurants.
A head-on shot of one of those bars across from the church. I don't drink beer, but Grolsch is a big name in Europe and is produced here. It's like Coke and Pepsi. Bars only serve Heineken or Grolsch, never both. There was actually a old Grolsch factory right behind our house that's in the process of being torn down.
Molly Malone's Irish Pub where we meet the Boi's rugby friends on Wednesday nights for Trivia night. This area always reminds me I'm in Europe because there are people sitting outside these bars/cafes/restaurants all day like some iconic image of Europe.
The VVV, the equivalent of Tourist Info. And they always speak English. If you are ever lost in Europe just look confused and ask "VVV?" of the nearest local.
Entering the market area. The big spire is 'art'. There are stalls that sell clothes and such, but a large majority are for food. People here don't hit big grocery stores and just get everything. You go to market, to the individual cheese seller, fish seller or whatnot to get your groceries for the week. Also, in this town, Saturday market business is around 70% German folk - the border is only 5 minutes away. So if you appear to not understand Dutch, the sellers will bust out in German next.
View down another aisle. There are also lots of vendors selling the America equivalent of 'fair food' - spring rolls, burgers, fries, and so on.
Vegetable vendors on the right, crowded aisles.
Me pushing Kiddo and heading to my favorite vendor, the snack vendor ;) Dried fruits, nuts, candied fruits, chocolate covered stuff. They always give Kiddo free raisins. Most vendors have a little treat ready for kids.
On the right is the vendor Tim's family has been buying cheese from for years and years. On the left is the stall where we always get sausages.
The fish market area. Quite smelly. Besides all the raw stuff, there are several stalls selling fresh fried fish.
Nothing but eggs!
Nothing but Cigarettes!
Another side of our cheese vendor, next to the greek food vendor.
Lastly, the whole market. We were trying to get a picture that showed just how enormous this whole thing is and got this. It doesn't do it justice by any means.