Window Shopping in Europe....

A little tour that will probably take up the next month of blogs...

HAARLEM (The Netherlands)

How would I begin to describe Haarlem?

It was such an amazingly authentically old and culturally rich city. 

It enveloped me right from the start. From the expansive town square, (Grote Markt), with its steeples of Saint Bavo's  church and the town hall to the littlest shops and the oldest.

I was in love with a city...

so in love was I that I cried when I first strode round a corner and found myself in the square.

I thought I had gone back to a time I knew many many many years ago.

The spooky thing is that, The town square as seen in  the Painting of the square "The Grote Markt " painted in 1696 by Gerrit Berckheyde, looked no different then, than it does now. 

 Except a  few modern shop facades .

Is it any  wonder I cried with joy?.

The dutch do have a wonderful eye when it comes to savouring and saving historical architecture....

In a quaint amazing town called Haarlem, as I pedaled down the brick and cobbled streets, I happened upon a gorgeous little curiosity shop and the most curious thing about it was....... it was never open.

Nestled in amongst its neighbours, homes of domesticity and proud huisvrouwen, this little shop caught my longing and attention.

Open by appointment only ....

such a beautiful shop....

standing at the window looking longingly over at the little bell above the door, waiting to hear the ting a ling and a kindly voice say Hallo "How gaat het ermee"

and all the while the fragrance of spring flowers festoon the air.

Oh well it was not meant to be.

That little door remained shut and although I went back several times .I always found it closed.

I did buy some "drop" (dutch liquorice)  at this Apothecary shop

and one shop I didn't go to...

It did not sell sheet music and that's for sure...

* "Marijuana is taken by '.....musicians. And I'm not speaking about good musicians, but the jazz type...

o Harry J. Anslinger, Federal Bureau of Narcotics, 1948

There were some lovely florist shops in  Holland.

The dutch do know their bulbs and bloomen.

...and their Koek...Cake

...and doesn't this just say it all.....

and sure enough my next Post will have to be of an equally beautiful Florist shop I discovered when I returned home 

.. to my hometown.....

Till then....