Category Archives: London

The British Library

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I went to an amazing place last Sunday: the British Library, near St Pancras tube station. I wanted to see a temporary exhibition called ‘The Printed Face of the European Avant Garde 1900-1937’. It was nice but I guess I have seen most of the printed books, posters, record covers and brochures at exhibitions in the Lowlands already. One thing was quite funny: ‘de Stijl’ was one of the subjects of the exhibition as part of the Avant Garde. Each subject was linked to the city of origin. So the first thing I noticed when I walked in was my own place of birth ‘Leiden’ printed in huge block capitals followed by ‘Amsterdam’. I have to admit I had this funny feeling all of a sudden. It’s just weird to see such a familiar name in such an unfamiliar place.

The other section is a permanent exhibition where you can find books, manuscripts, maps, sound recordings, photographs and stamps. Examples are the Magna Carta, Alice’s Adventures Under Ground by Lewis Carroll, Shakespeare’s First Folio of works, the Gutenberg Bible and Mozart’s music scores along with some other scores of great composers. I was sneaking a few pictures when I was told off by the security guard so my camera ended up in my handbag. I think this part of the British Library was the most interesting part to be honest. I love to see all the old handwritten books, the thick paper, the beautiful bright colour illustrations in the bibles and manuscripts. It’s a shame that I wasn’t allowed to take pictures because these really are wonderful treasures.

Another part that caught my eye was the King’s Library: a glass tower of books at the heart of the British Library. The private collection of George III, King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1760 to 1820. The Tower is designed by Colin St John Wilson, architect of the St Pancras building. Possibly inspired by a similar tower at Yale University in the United States. It has six levels all linked by one internal staircase and two lifts. All book cases are on rollers so they can easily be pulled back to allow access. The books are kept in a controlled environment with a temperature of 16º C [61º F] and 50% relative humidity. The Tower houses the King’s Library and the private library of the politician Thomas Grenville, about 105000 volumes in total.

The King’s Library Collection compromises around 85000 volumes, mostly books and pamphlets with smaller numbers of periodicals, maps and atlases some of which are manuscript dated from the 1450s to the 1830s. Almost all printed in Europe or America. Much of the material is in English or Latin, but many other languages are well represented especially Greek, Dutch, French, German, Italian and Spanish.

The Entrance

The Reception

Mac Rules! ;)

The King’s Library

The King’s Library

Stamp and Envelope collection

The Restaurant

Saint Nicholas

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Today is Sinterklaas day in the Lowlands, a special day to look forward to when I was a kid since it is tradition in the Lowlands that all children will get presents today. Mind you, children that have been good all year, the bad ones will be taken back to Spain in a sack. But I guess I’ve always been a good girl because I can’t remember a Sinterklaas evening without getting any presents. I’ve always wondered though how the holy man could stash so many bad children in a jute sack and why he was wearing white trainers along with a red bishop’s dress and red mitre since he was an old and holy man, and old and holy men simply don’t wear white trainers, do they?

Anyway… to my surprise Sinterklaas didn’t forget about me this year, even after having moved to London he still knows how to find me somehow. And although I didn’t put a carrot in my shoe nor did I sing for him, Zwarte Piet managed to squeeze his way thru a hundred years old Victorian chimney without making any noise, to leave me some of the Dutch traditional seasonal goodies. Boy… am I spoiled or what? A one-kilo bag of kruidnoten [which have slightly the same ingredients as speculaas] covered in chocolate… Along with a sweet postcard and a new 2008 yearly contents for my Dutch ‘Mini Succes Agenda’ [which is my organiser]… I must have been a really good girl this year…

Dank U Sinterklaasje! :P

A kilo bag of ‘Kruidnootjes’

My leather organiser [Size: Mini 67x104mm]

Sinterklaas or Saint Nicholas: the patron saint of all children.

In the days leading up to December 5 (starting when Saint Nicholas has arrived in The Netherlands by steamboat), young children put their shoes in front of the chimneys and sing special ‘Sinterklaas-songs’. Often the shoe is filled with a carrot or some hay for the horse of St. Nicholas (called Amerigo). On the next morning they will find a small present in their shoe, ranging from a bag of chocolate coins to a bag of marbles or some other small toy. On the evening of December 5th, Sinterklaas brings presents to every child that has been good in the past year (in practice to all children).

This is often done by placing a sack with presents outside the house or living room, after which a neighbour or parent bangs the door or window, pretending to be Sinterklaas’ assistant. Another option is to hire or ask someone to dress up as Sinterklaas and deliver the presents personally. Sinterklaas wears a red bishop’s dress including a red mitre, rides a white horse over the rooftops and is assisted by many mischievous helpers with black faces and colourful Moorish dresses, dating back two centuries. These helpers are called ‘Zwarte Pieten’ (black Petes).