Apr 8
Late March was unseasonably cold in the low countries – chilly temperatures, biting winds and cloudy days. The only redeeming thing about cold weather is lovely snow. We got a dusting overnight in Bruges which made the Medieval brick houses and empty cobbled streets really stand out. I gladly put on an extra sweater and enjoyed a peaceful morning stroll through town!
The end of March in Europe this year didn’t quite feel like Spring, even though all the flowers of the Netherlands were trying to bloom! On my way into the Hermitage Museum in Amsterdam to see the condensed and temporarily relocated highlights of the Van Gogh Museum (I’ll take what I can get), it started snowing. As I rushed inside, I noticed that the courtyard was filled with lovely purple crocuses. For their sake, the snow was luckily not sticking.
So in honor of this week’s #FriFotos theme “Blooms”, here are those early flowers doing their best to kick-off Spring!
As you probably noticed, I’ve been slacking on my weekly daydreaming. That’s because I picked up last minute, mileage tickets (read: free!) and had only 4 days to plan a whirlwind Spring Break! I didn’t end up having the city and museum break that I was thinking about, but I had an incredible time! Lots of new cities and new sights; I even wrapped up some unfinished business from this summer.
I have lots of art and history to share but first let me give you some clues about my trips via a new (well, actually very old) media.
The monthly ArtSmart Roundtable brings together some of the best art history-focused travel blogs with a post around a common theme. In honor of April Fool’s Day, April 1, were looking at funny, weird or optical illusions in art. You can find links below to all the group’s examples this month. Enjoy!
With zoos and photography, we all know what exotic animals look like and certainly take that for granted. But what if you lived 500 years ago? If the you are trying to tell a story that required an animal you’ve honestly never seen before, then what do you do? Well most artists just made it up! Whales, leopards, and eagles can all look way off.
Maybe its because I’m really ready for Spring, but I’ve been thinking a lot about summer in Cape Cod. After 3 years in New England, I only got to the Cape this past year, and even then for only a day. Like a lot of the coastal US, the communities along the Cape were filled with summer cottages, ice cream shops, fish fry stands and eclectic craft shops. Everything seemed to exude the relaxation and fun of a summer vacation destination. I enjoyed exploring the extensive windswept beaches, the sea-side trails and a chance to take in the crashing waves. Cape Cod has had a rough winter with damaging wind and high tides. Hopefully the erosion has been minimal and the beaches are still there waiting for Spring too.
Nauset Lighthouse Beach along the Eastern coast of Cape Cod:
Daydream Tourist 