Two Awesome Museums

The Mauritshuis Museum

First nice surprise, I take the stairs to go towards the main entrance very modern and clear which is at the under ground (photo 2). The Mauritshuis is located in a beautiful building of the 17th century (photo 3), near the Binnenhof (first photo of the post) and Hofvijver. 

The “human scale” museum allows me to take my time to look at the permanent collections of the Golden Age of Dutch painting. Many famous masters, Rembrandt, Van Dyck and of course the hypnotic painting, Girl with a Pearl Earring by Vermeer (photo 1). I also really like the portrait of Elizabeth Bellinghausen by Bartholomäus Bruyn I (photo 4).

The Exhibition: Duch Self-Portraits

Selfies of the Golden Age (on the photo montage above, photo 3). Do not miss this exhibition, until January 3, 2016 at the Mauritshuis! This exciting exhibition will speak to all bloggers (yes!), Instagrammers and other followers of personal branding (photo 2, lol!). 

Here is a great example that reminds us that digital marketing has invented nothing really new : : photos 1 & 4, as the painter Samuel van Hoogstraten (1627-1678), 

“Various artists allowed their self-portraits to be transformed into prints, thereby increasing the number of copies available for sale or as gifts. These prints enhanced the artist’s reputation, particularly if they were were used as illustrations in successful books “(source: Mauritshuis museum).

The Escher in Het Paleis Museum

5 minutes walk from the Mauritshuis Museum, my darling museum Escher in Het Paleis Museum to be discovered (above photo montage)! M.C. Escher is a visionary artist with a prolific imagination that plays with perspective. 

We enter into a world of an extreme wealth and complexity! Fantastic! On the photo above montage: last picture, an artwork of Escher, Bonifacio (big up to Corsica!). 

On the photo montage below, a few other artworks of Escher which I liked very much (there are so many that this selection was hard): 1. Depth (1955), 2. Path of Life I (1958), 3. Fish and Scales (1959) and 4. Curl-up (1951).

Two Restaurants And A Snack

Little V

Lunch of Vietnamese cuisine in China Town, the Asian district of The Hague (photo 1 above). Located opposite the Nieuwe Kerk, the Little V restaurant has a relaxed atmosphere and nice service. 

The decoration is quite original (4) and the food is good: I chose vegetables with tofu (2), chicken with noodles (3) and a fresh orange juice. But I can’t finish the dishes, too hearty!

Catch by Simonis  

This famous restaurant is located on the harbour of Tweede Binnenhaven where I got lost for nearly half an hour before finding the restaurant (picture above 4)! I had an appointment with a writer friend who came by bike … and got lost too, no comment! 

Excellent dinner: for the first meal, we shared the Catch Combination (huge dish), composed of “Scottish salmon from our own smokehouse, Stellendam shrimp and Usselmeer eel fillet” (2). For the main course, I chose the Zeebaars: “Seabass pan-fried on the skin served with beetroot, potato mousseline and olives with a shallot sauce” (3). 

In the photo 1, a painting seen in the Mauritshuis: Still Life with Roemer and Timepiece (1629) by Willem Claesz Heda.

The Famous Herring 

Do you know this Dutch specialty? Yes, het haring (herring) caught in the North Sea, eaten raw by the tail, with on onions (for 2 euros on average!). 

Photo above 4: considered as one of the best places to eat this specialty, Haringkraam Buitenhof is located close to the Hofvijver (3) and the seat of the Dutch parliament (2). The address: Buitenhof 2513 AG The Hague.

Don’t forget to bring a lemon for the hands and breath ; )

Photo 1: very arty doors of a ministry near the Mauritshuis. Photos below: skyscrapers of the new part of The Hague.

Secret Gardens

Stroll, walk!

Like most European cities, you will discover The Hague by walking. By an open door, I see a beautiful courtyard, with a calm lush garden (photo above 1). 

By following a narrow street, I admire some cottages built in the 18th century (2). Elsewhere, a small red door leads us into a green space (4). Photo 5: brief stop by the Paleistuin (Palace Garden). Photo 3: on Lange Voorhout, the smallest building in The Hague (the one with vertical four windows).

Photos : © Mademoiselle Le K – Tous droits réservés

Informations   

Den Haag Marketing, Holland.com and Thalys (www.thalys.com/be/fr/)

To go to The Hague : take the Thalys to Rotterdam Central (1h10 from Brussels-Midi), then the Dutch metro RET to Den Haag Central (more and less 30 minutes).

Related posts to The Hague: DESTINATIONS & SHOP MY SELECTIONS

Many thanks for this beautiful invitation to Den Haag Marketing, Holland.com, Thalys and to the guide, Remco Dörr. As always these opinions are my own.