Bosschen Bollen

Even though it was very overcast and drizzle had set in for the day, we headed to ‘s‑Hertogenbosch on Saturday for some exploring!

‘s-Hertogenbosch, the capital of the province North Brabant, means The Duke’s Forest and is affectionately known as Den Bosch. Saturday is market day and the Markt Square and many adjacent streets were lined with stalls selling all kinds of wares. There is a statue of the famous Dutch painter, Hieronymus Bosch, in the Markt Square and also a medieval well which was covered up due to it being market day. We also saw the Stadhuis, or town hall, and De Moriaan, the oldest building in Den Bosch. De Moriaan has a stepped gable and dates back to medieval times. There was a very lively and festive atmosphere in den Bosch on Saturday probably due to the market and a lot of people being outside on the streets.

We continued wondering around the city and found the Sint Jan or St. John’s Cathedral. The Cathedral was built between the late 14th to 16th Centuries and nothing of the original Romanesque style (round arches) church remains. The Cathedral is in the gothic style (pointed arches) and closely resembles but is also very distinctive from the Notre Dame. The impressive features of this cathedral are its size, the many beautiful stained glass windows and the original great organ with intricately carved wood dating from 1617. This truly is a beautiful church and definitely worth a visit. Regular services are still held here and a communion service was finishing as we arrived. The singing really made our visit so much more enjoyable, the acoustics in the church are wonderful!

After Sint Jan’s it was time for a hot drink! Justin’s sharp eyes spotted The Chocolate Company where we indulged in decadent hot chocolate! You choose your own flavour of chocolate square attached to a wooden spoon and stir it into a glass of hot frothy milk to dissolve the chocolate. Bron chose a dark chocolate and hazelnut with lime spoon while Justin stuck to a cappuccino which was at least 50% cream! They have 50 different kinds of chocolate spoons to choose from covering white, milk and dark choc plain and with different flavourings and some also come with a touch of liquor. I originally thought they used Belgian chocolate but upon investigation learnt it is called Valrhona and is of French origin. This shop was a great find and definitely worth a visit! There is one in Amsterdam too… (hint hint Shell!)

We were also told to try Bosschen Bollen or chocoladebollen from Jan de Groot Bakkerij. There was a long queue outside the bakery when we arrived, which we took as a good sign! Apparently they make the best chocoladebollen. A Bosschen bol is a giant hollow pastry ball filled with whipped cream and completely covered in dark chocolate. Very wicked and very moreish! Brenainn you would really like them!! We bought two to bring home; they got a bit squashed but were still yummy! Google ‘Bossche Bollen’ for some pics =)

We were really keen to visit the Noordbrabants museum, with works by Brueghel and Van Gogh amongst others, but we were disappointed to discover that the museum closed at the end of May for restoration work until the end of 2012! Fail.

The rest of the afternoon was spent walking around the city and enjoying the atmosphere. We really enjoyed our day out and will be back to Den Bosch again! Hopefully on a sunnier day next time…

Sunday saw a home cricket game and as the weather was predicted to be pleasant, Bron spent most of the afternoon soaking up some rays, occasionally watching the cricket but mostly reading her book! Justin’s first 6 overs went for 17/1 and the last two 17/0. His batting was looking good but he was the last batsman in and there were few overs remaining. The team lost the game and Justin finished on 13 not out. The national Holland team has a one day series on at the moment with some English clubs and will be playing at Justin’s club (VOC) on the 17th and 18th July. We are quite keen to watch the Sunday game on 17 July. Won’t be quite the same as watching cricket at Newlands but will be nice to see the national side in action!

No plans this week except Justin is going to Nijmegen (on the German border about two hours away) for work tomorrow and this weekend we are going to Bruges! Yay! Can’t wait! The weather is forecast to be sunny but not too warm, yay! =) Looking forward =)

Hope you are having a good week!

x 

Jan de Groot Bakkerij, the Bosschen Bollen shop!

The Stadhuis

De Moriaan 

Scene in the Markt Square

Sint Jan Cathedral

View of the altar inside the Cathedral. Notice the statues of Saints on the pillars.

The great organ

Chocolate spoons at the Chocolate Company! 

Looking contemplative on the cricket field

Justin bowling

Watch that ball closely!! =)