HET SCHEEPVAART MUSEUM

Last weekend we went to the Scheepvaart Museum (Maritiem Museum) as part of our new resolution to go out and see more of the sights our lovely city has to offer. Boy, have museums changed from when I was a child. These days everything is much more interactive.

 We found the museum itself pretty interesting and learned lots of new things about our seafaring history. And while you are there anyway, the museum restaurant Stalpaert is pretty good.

The above pictures were all taken with my new Samsung EX2F compact camera. I purchase it because I find my DSLR too heavy to carry around on little trips like this, but I still like to have a camera around that can give me pretty good image quality.

NEW YORK! NEW YORK! - PART II

I found it pretty hard to answer all my friends questions about what my favourite thing was in New York. There's not really one thing. It's not really just one sight.

Before we went to NY, I decided not to take a tourist guide with me. Instead I purchased New York City Notebook by Moleskine (It's if filled with handy maps and empty pages so you can write your own guide) and browsed the sites of some of my favourite bloggers for tips. The result was a great week where we experienced a NY we would have never experienced otherwise.

I used to cherish my lonely planets, but there is no better tour guide than people who love and know their city. So hurray for New Yorkers and Moleskine who made our NY trip all the more special.

Pictures were taken with my Nikon D700 & Nikkor 24mm 2.8 D

NEW YORK! NEW YORK! - PART I

My mother and I try to go for a city break together each year. Normally we stay close to home as living in Europe gives you pretty good access to many great cities. However we've been dreaming about that one city far away for years now. This year we decided it was time to go! And off to New York we went.

I consider myself a city girl, living in the capital of my country, but Amsterdam feels like a village compared to NYC. Nonetheless we had a great time, walked many miles and saw loads of cool things! Six days is nowhere near enough to see it all, so we'll be back NY!

Pictures were taken with my Nikon D700 & Nikkor 24mm 2.8 D

THIS WEEKEND

*I rode a motorcycle for the first time. It was amazing. I'm totally hooked. I hope to have my license later this year.
*We started packing for our short camping trip to Denmark later this week. We are looking forward to it and the weather is looking very good indeed!
*I gave away vegetable cuttings to anyone who wanted to have them (nobody told me not to plant all the seeds as they might actually all come out).
*I made the tasty Spicy Vegetable Soup with Peanut from New Covent Garden Soup Co.
*We watched Man of Steel, which I enjoyed more than I expected.
*We got our 'country' on and listened to oldies but goodies like Mark Knopfler and The Eagles.

Pictures taken with my iPhone & Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24mm 2.8 D. All pictures are edited with VSCO.

THE HAPPIEST 5K

I participated in the first dutch color run today. The weather might not have been that awesome, but it was dry and who really notices the cold when you're busy color bombing your neighbors!!!

http://thecolorrun.co.nl

HERE COMES THE KING

Yesterday was a special day for us. After 33 years our Queen made way for her son. For the first time since 123 years our country has a king again. For my generation this is the first abdication of a monarch we could witness. Naturally there were a lot of festivities in the city. 'Lucky' for us our neighbourhood was the stage of one of the official events. Friends & family came over, there was food and plenty of drinks, and the afternoon sun made it a good day to be outside. A recipe for a great 'last' Queensday.

Picture taken with my Nikon D700, Nikkor 24mm 2.8 D

I LOVE THIS CITY: DE LAATSTE KRUIMEL

I'm a sucker for city trips! However with limited time and information, it can get hard to find those cute local spots without a little help. Since Amsterdam is one of the most visited cities in Europe, there is an overkill of options. I liked to share some of my favorite spots with you. Because I love my city, and hope you will too when you visit.

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For those who are strolling through the old city center, De Laatste Kruimel in the langebrugsteeg is the perfect place to stop for a drink and a bite, or pick up some supplies for on the way. It's the kind of place where it's hard to walk by without taking a glance at all the delicious food they have in the storefront. It comes as no surpise that it can get a little busy during lunch hours.

They are open Monday to Sunday from 08.00 - 20.00.
http://www.delaatstekruimel.nl

Pictures taken with my Nikon D700, Nikkor 24mm 2.8 D & Nikkor 50mm 1.8 D

HAPPY SNAPPING

DSLR are heavy and don't quite fit in that cool clutch. So sometimes your only option is your phone. I find it fun to document the little things in life. For me this comes down to mostly food, cat, home and city pictures.

Follow me on instagram @meretteketet

EDINBURGH

Last weekend I visited the city of Edinburgh. The scottish capital is definately a must see if you are into pretty old buildings and narrow steep streets. We felt this is the perfect city for a short break as everything is in walking distance and easy to navigate. Of course the afternoon ale(s) also helped.

Pictures taken with my Nikon D700 & Nikkor 24mm 2.8 D