Pentecost weekend camping and castle hunting
June 8, 2012 66 Comments
The Nijenhuis Castle
I take a bit of a break from my Tuscany series and bring back a bit of Dutch flavor to my post.
Two weekends ago, we had this long weekend due to the observance of Pentecost. The Dutch may not be that religious but there are a few Church holidays where an extra day of holiday is observed the following day such as Christmas (Second Christmas Day), Easter (Second Easter Day) and Pentecost (Second Pentecost Day).
The Pentecost weekend had the best weather we ever saw this year with summery temperature that hit beyond 30 degrees Celsius. After the wet, grey and chilly spring, we were just so glad to finally be able to get rid of our coats and wear light clothing and to be able to enjoy sunshine to our hearts’ content. We opted to go camping and put to test the new tent which we were pretty curious to check out. Our old tent suffered irreparable from the mistral last year when we camped in the South of France.
We camped in Heidepark, Lemelerveld which was about an hour’s drive from our place. No special reason to choosing this camping place except that it was a good distance away from home and that there was also a pool which the little girl was so excited about.
I love combining such an adventure with castle hunting and in this country, it is not impossible to find a castle that is within easy reach. The Nijenhuis Castle proved to be a good choice because it had a wonderful sculpture garden and amazing collection of contemporary Dutch art as well. The sculpture garden was a big hit with the little girl who found it a wonderful place to explore and simply perfect for hide-and-seek.
Father and daughter outside our tent
Improvised skipping rope game
Playground at the camping site
This rabbit from another tent charmed her straight away
The rabbit and the little girl
This little girl braved the chilly waters of this unheated pool
Father and daughter at the pool
Father and daughter at the pool
Cold…brrrr….
The Nijenhuis Castle
Another angle of the castle
The Nijenhuis Castle
The Nijenhuis Castle
The little girl enjoyed picking the little white daisies to make little bouquets
The little girl and the castle
The sculpture garden… the little girl and me were fascinated by the strange guy with the long moustache which was groomed in a very peculiar way
Father and daughter
Me behind the camera
Me and my little girl
Our family
Artwork at the sculpture garden turned plaything for the little girl
Perfect for climbing
The sculpture garden with the well-known piece of Queen Wilhelmina (grandmother of Queen Beatrix) in the distance
Our family
Our family
The little girl spent so much time coming up with leis made from flowers and twigs
Perfect place for running around and hide-and-seek
Rhododendrons in full bloom at the castle grounds
Pink rhododendron
Pink rhododendron
Pink rhododendrons
Inside the castle
Inside the castle
Inside the castle
Inside the castle
Inside the castle
Inside the castle
Inside the castle
Inside the castle
Lunch of tomato soup
and freshly baked breads
About Malou
Such marvelous photos, malou…thank you so for the lovely tour!
BTW, she grows so much more beautiful with every new post.
Thanks a lot. Time flies, each day she surprises us.
Thank you Malou for sharing I enjoyed your photos and the tour.
Glad to know that you enjoyed these pictures, Beatrix.
It looks like you took full advantage of the nice weather. What an impressive tent! Looks very sturdy
Thanks for sharing, Malou!
When the weather is warm, we have to take advantage of that. The tent was wonderful, lots of space for us. Our little girl can hardly wait for the real summer holidays to start where we will be camping for 3 weeks.
Fairy tale photos
So beautiful!
Thanks for sharing, Malou
Thanks a lot, Anne.
I loved the picture of little girl running down the dirt road! And, I had a pet rabbit when I was a kid and so did my daughter!
Thanks a lot, Kelli. My daughter would love to have a pet (cat, dog or rabbit) except that I’m allergic to them.
Beautiful photography of fabulous locations ~ as always! Always enjoy your website so much.
Thanks a lot, John.
I loved your post! Your pictures are amazing and you can see how much fun you all had. What a terrific experience. Thank you so very much for sharing!
Thanks a lot, Bees Knees. I love your blog too. Great tips on photography.
Looks like such a wonderful trip!
It was and we were not that far from home too.
Those can sometimes be the very best trips! You don’t always have to travel far to have a great time =)
loved this trip…..lovely pics….the castle ,so elegant .the flowers ,the garden….how refreshing and your little girl…..she tops the list.
Thanks a lot, Namita.
Wonderful pictures Malou, you visit the most colorful places!
Thanks a lot, avian101. We have plenty of nice places around here.
That first picture of the castle is absolutely stunning!
Thanks a lot, veggieburgerblogger.
Hi Malou. I love reading your blog and I am nominating you for the Versatile Blogger Award – though I would be surprised if you haven’t received it already – check out http://versatilebloggeraward.wordpress.com/ for info if not. Congrats!
Thanks a lot for the nomination, Sally. I appreciate that a lot.
Beautiful photos as always.
Thanks a lot. Glad to know that you like the pictures.
Beautiful castle and grounds. Love the visit inside the castle, nice collection.
Thanks a lot, Mike.
Sehr schön wieder!
Grüsse aus Berlin,
Michael
As always just enjoy your posts. That tent of yours really looks good.
Malou, your the best…I enjoy enjoy your adventures with your family…
Beautiful, beautiful photos of the castle, Malou! Love the photos showing your daughter sitting by the castle.
Great photos Malou. What brand of tent is that? It’s huge!
Wonderful photo – great weather, beautiful castle, gorgeous flowers and a nice little family – perfect days away. You take such fantastic photo, Malou – you have to come to Landskrona at visit our castle – and the sandy beaches only 5 min walk away. Thanks for sharing with me.
What a beautiful day! Lovely window into your world so far from here.
I love the journey you always give me every time I see a new post
And you’re daughter is too cute!! HAHA!
Reblogged this on Dutch Heritage Club.
Breathtaking!
Hi Malou,
Nice post; it reminded me so much of home. I grew up behind Castle Twickel and occasionally climbed the fence and snooped around in its park around the castle. Pentecost days were the time to go on a bicycle trip with my friends and we would bike to Rijssen or the pool in Boekelo and spend the day, all while still in our elementary school days. We had so much freedom then and parents were not as concerned or focused on us kids. We mostly entertained ourselves.
You have a beautiful daughter.
Johanna
What a wonderful place! Your daughter with the bunny is priceless.
A grand tour Malou! And your little girl is lovely, along with the camping trip and the gorgeous views of the castle.
Have your daughter in more castle and landscape photos. They are exceptional.
Utterly enchanting, Malou. Your little girl is adorable – love the picture of her with the bunny, and of the two of you. Beautiful!
I love your photos , wonderful tour. your daughter is beautiful.
What a great weekend! And yes… that bunny on a leash takes the cake!
What a superb castle to visit! Not only do I love the pictures of it but I loved seeing all the beautiful purple flowers (since purple is my favorite color)! They brightened my dreary weather day we are having here.
Ashley
Great pictures! The castle is amazing. Looks like a wonderful weekend.
What another lovely adventure.. that looks like the perfect tent to go camping in and the grounds around quite manicured as well. I love that you find castles everywhere and I really loved the red furniture playground.. it reminded me of something out of Alice in Wonderland! Beautiful photos of your family, Malou!
Such wonderful holiday pictures of flowers and castle, thank you.
Thank you for your beautiful images and words always! I have nominated you for the One Lovely Blog Award. Congratulations! http://bellableue.com/2012/06/11/gratitude-for-wonderful-bloggers-and-appreciation-for-awards/ Blessings, Erin
Beautiful photos and stories, your camp site is exquisite, like a 5 star outdoor hotel:) thanks again for sharing your lovely blog.
very beautiful pics, I love the way you captured the castle
Beautiful photo album..beautiful family !
Looks like a perfect place for a little princess to have lots of fun.
Malou, I always love reading your blog. It lets me be a world traveler from my deck! Your photos are fantastic. Because I do enjoy it so, I have nominated you for the Illuminating Blogger Award for informative, illuminating blog content. I know that not everyone participates in awards, but if it is for you the details can be found at :http://foodstoriesblog.com/illuminating-blogger-award/
You take breath-taking pictures. I would have loved growing up seeing castles and the other sites you have seen.
Hi Malou, I really enjoy reading your blog and the beautiful photography of your lovely family. I nominated you for a Beautiful Blogger Award. If you decide to participate, you can find out what to do here: http://nurturingandnature.com/2012/06/17/beautiful-blogger/
What a lovely post and blog! Thanks for sharing.
Hi, Malou! Your life is so refreshing to me. I feel like I have traveled the world.
Beautiful photos!! Thanks for sharing, Malou! I was so happy to see this post because I love camping and I miss my native Europe (I am from France). The climbing structure is amazing! I’ve never seen anything like it! I want one for my backyard! And thank you for liking my swiss meringue recipe!
such a nice family time. thanks for sharing.
Nice Bog u have,Full of image, Bali Villas Rental
You have such a beautiful family! I love your photos
Beautiful pictures as always, but I especially liked the camping set up… because it reminded me of camping I used to do when the children were little. I’ve been quite busy lately, and so put some posts aside to look at them later. Usually, when I do that, I don’t comment… but this was so enjoyable…
Beautiful photographs, beautiful family, beautiful country.