Sunday 30 September 2012

Zaanse schans 2012

Last weekend the Kimono de Jack NL visited  de 'Zaanse Schans" : a popular Dutch open air museum in the middle of the Netherlands , not far from Amsterdam.
( click on each picture to view it's full-sized version in a separate window )
 


The  'Zaanse Schans" has  many historic buildings and windmills and is surrounded by fields and canals.



At the entrance everybody tried their hand at some of the traditional Dutch games, like throwing rope-rings.
From left to right  : Riga, Whaizan and Carolien.


Riga skipping rope with Whaizan spinning the rope.


 Riga and Carolien , skipping together .


Eva skipping rope.


Even Jody can't resist having a go.


Whaizan decides to hand over the rope and do some skipping himself.



Carolien showing us the proper way to walk around on stilts.


A quick musubi shot ^^ : on the left Eva in a red hitoe kimono made of woollen ikat fabric with yellow obi, on the right Carolien in a pink komon with a grey and purple obi.

Eva's musubi.

Carolien's musubi is tied with two differently coloured hanbabi obis.


After the "games", we went on a stroll through the 'village' with it's antique shops and houses.



Here we're posing in front of a shop that sells Miffy rabbits ( or 'Nijntje' in Dutch ). You can see one in the wheelbarrow on the right and behind the window.



Discussing where to go next ( and where to get lunch ).


KDJ NL delegation posing with one of our many, many foreign admirers...


Stephanie wore what has to be THE ultimate Dutch themed kimono outfit ever : 'Delfts blauw' blue and white tiles motif, with a red, white and blue flower hair ornament , orange obi and finally red, white and blue (Dutch flag) seams on the sleeves and obijime.


Riga in the little garden at the back of the restaurant.


In front of the restaurant from left to right : Jody , Carolien, Stephanie , Eva and Riga.
Jody wears a custom made blue cotton kimono and cotton hakama with a patterned white silk haori.


Musubi shot.


In front of the restaurant are several original Dutch houses , just across a moat, each with their own bridge in front.


Stephanie , on one of the bridges.

 Carolien.
Eva.
 Eva doing a 'hanging' pose ^^

 Riga.
 and Jody ( kimono-power ! )


After the village , we visited the windmills,


"where Jody, in a sudden outburst of Dutch patriotism , displays his love for his country's flag..."

 is what I would like to say , but actually he's just having a lot of fun..

At one of the windmills , this fellow popped out sporting clogs ,and an accordion.


Teaching the girls the 'pancake' dance. I strongly suspected him of making them up on the spot , just so he can dance with any young woman that gets near his windmill but these dances actually exist ^^




The windmill dance.

 "High up above "

 " the windmill blades are turning.."


That's one I've danced at Belgian weddings ! It's the..errrm. .. CARWASH !




Dutch wooden clogs have been popular in the Netherlands for more than 700 years and they're world-famous ( especially here in the Netherlands ^^).The Zaanse Schans has it's own clog museum and outside there are some super-sized ones..
 




Oh yeah !


Is it a small yellow boat ? No it's a giant yellow clog ! 
In this first group shot everybody is still acting sensibly , but very, very soon ...



total silliness starts taking over  (I blame it on breathing too much fresh air ).


Glamour shots on the clog.
 

"OOOOOH, your afro is sooo soft , Riga !"

 Hugging the clog ?


Ooh, look! I can sit inside it !



Are we all happy ? YES, WE ARE !

^^


2 comments:

Carolien said...

Great shots Walter! Very nice, and I enjoyed the "story" (*^v^*) I had soooo much fun! ^_^ See you soon!

godzilla_rabbit said...

Thanks Walter for uploading great pictures again.
Ray