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. I went to Tulbagh in late August. Here are some photos of buildings I saw there with notes about them & a few other things. The VOC authorities did not want the Cape to develop into anything more than a small station to replenish the food & water supplies of their trading ships. Their requirement for meat resulted in expansion of the settlement; the local cattle & sheep herders (khoisan) were reluctant to trade breeding stock. In 1658 a party was sent out from the fort to try and barter for cattle, one of that party got to see the Tulbagh valley (initially known as Roodezand) but it appeared to be uninhabited to him. Forty years later (1699) the next traveller to see the valley was Governor Willem Adriaan van der Stel. It created a very good impression upon him and he arranged for settlers to be sent there in 1700. This was the beginning of white settlement in the valley. In 1743 a church was built. A parsonage (pastorie) and house for the sexton were also built but there were no other residents around the church – it served the local farmers who had had to travel to Paarl previously for church. Fifty years later in 1794 the church was too small for the local farming community of about 40 families so the church had to be enlarged. To fund this they got a surveyor in who laid out a row of erven along the track from the pastorie to the church. These were offered for sale & the money raised used to pay for the additions to the church. (This became a common practice for church towns thereafter.) In 1803 there were 12 houses on this road. In this picture you see the church on the right and the parsonage (pastorie) on the left with Kerkstraat joining the two. The plan is for about 1852; the town had expanded into another street (Achterstraat) by then. The two houses on the right are not aligned to the street. The twelve houses facing Kerkstraat had gardens running right down to the river – in those days you had to provide your own food & that included the predikant who had quite a decent sized piece of land at the pastorie. So those houses date from about 1800 and were built of local materials. The authorities built a Drostdy (magistrates Court) in 1804; this was the second one outside Cape Town (Stellenbosch was the first). The British took over control at the Cape in 1806 and one of their Governors founded a new settlement at Worcester in 1818 and built a Drostdy there – but it was a sub-Drostdy to the main one in Tulbagh. In 1822 the Drostdy in Tulbagh was damaged in a violent storm & the Governor used that as a pretext to close it & make Worcester the only Drostdy in the area. This had a stultifying effect on the development of Tulbagh so little happened there and the town was preserved much as it had been. In 1969 there was quite a severe earthquake that badly damaged many of the buildings in the area. Because of its history the layout of the town was very much as it had been though the buildings had been altered over the years. Architect & architect historian Gawie Fagan & Hans Fransen were very aware of the preserved nature of the town & they rushed out there the next day to see what had happened. They quickly realised that with the financial support of Anton Rupert and a specially formed Restoration Committee there was a real possibility of rebuilding Kerkstraat to be a faithful representation of what the buildings had looked like before. I was very fortunate to have gone there last Saturday with the VERNACS (Vernacular Architecture Society of South Africa = Volksboukundige Vereeniging van Zuid Afrika) and both Hans & Gawie were there. I want to show what the buildings look like now 40 years later. I will show photos of each building and add a little note about them. I am going to go through the buildings by street number, starting from the church end at the south. It will be a bit like a stroll down the street with me saying something about each building. We were there in the morning so the sun was behind the gables I assumed that all that would really show in the pictures was the outline of a dark shaded building against the bright sunlit sky behind. In fact modern digital photography is able to show both the bright sky and a surprising amount of the detail in the shaded part of the building we are looking at. I had expected to have to simply write about the shape of the gables but now i need to do quite a bit more than that. We (Antonia & I) have ’Church Street in the Land of Waveren’ by Gawie & Gwen Fagan so I can tell you what the buildings looked like before they restored them. #4. This house was built in the Victorian style shortly before 1800. It is a good example of the style earlier buildings in the street were changed to when their thatch roofs were replaced with corrugated iron and ogee (s shaped) corrugated iron roofs added to the stoep. What you see here looks just like the original building. This building is now the museum with photographs of the history of the town & area. The old church opposite is also part of the museum with interesting things in it. I will discuss it & some of the contents later in this thread. Here is a very simple gable. Gawie Fagan restored the buildings faithfully according to this photo in the museum: That top photo was taken in 1861. #6 is just about on the picture at the right. Below it you can see photos of the rebuilding of some of the houses; notice that they remove all the plaster so they can see where the original windows and doors were and their true size from the brickwork. There were seven houses with this plainest of gables in Tulbagh. It was an utterly characterless corrugated iron roofed house without even the loft windows like a shed before the earthquake. #8 Demolished #10 Very similar to #4 in how it has been restored. This building survived quite well structurally. It had an awful stoep with ‘60s steel welded handrails and those concertina aluminium sun blinds over each of the windows. In this case there are gables on the ends sticking above the corrugated iron roof level. Now it has a nice ogee corrugated iron stoep roof with elegant thin columns. #8 had thick round concrete pillars, a flat stoep roof and a brick wall along the street. This style is much lighter and friendlier than that the old one used to be. The houses down this end of Kerkstraat were the last to be built. No 10 was built in about 1880 with a corrugated iron roof and sliding sash windows just as you see it here. #12 = Readers This was the first house built on Kerk Straat and does not line up properly with the street in front. This means it is probably there before the street was laid out; a useful clue for spotting old buildings in our dorps. It had been completely Victorianised but Gawie could get a very good idea of how it originally looked from the photo. Structurally it was in quite good condition. It has been restored to what it looked like before it was Victorianised. Again it has a fairly simple gable over the front door but notice that the straight sides of the gable go above the eaves level of the thatch roof. #14 This house was the last to be built on the upper (east) side of Kerk Straat. See the date 1892 above the windows. Queen Victoria ruled from 1837 till 1901 (longest reign of any British monarch) so this building was built well in the Victorian era. In restoring it all they did was replace the thin posts for the stoep roof (they had been bricked in). Lovely plaster decoration around the windows & doors and between the loft windows. This is the fashion that was used when the older buildings were modernised. Please notice the colours that have been used. There is a Pierneef watercolour picture of this house & it served as the basis for what you see here. The tyranny of white on all old buildings is a false practice. #16 You can’t see this house because of the trees. Originally it was a wagon shed then became two joined rental houses. It has been restored to the simple house as it was after the original conversion. It has two front doors and no gables. It is now white but they round yellow ochre as the original colour under the whitewash when they did the restoration so it was painted that colour but has since been changed. #17 An odd street number so it is on the west (river) side of Kerkstraat. Built in 1852 in the then current very steeply pitched thatch roof style. It had been converted to a corrugated iron roofed characterless house. Gawie chose to restore it to look just like the original building. I really like this unusually tall narrow gable. Probably because it is unusual and so simple is what attracts me to it. Notice the nice fanlight over the front door. #18 Not much was done here during restoration. The original house is thought to have been built about 1891. It was the blacksmiths workshop for 40 years up until 1970 (most of the ironwork used in the restoration of Kerkstraat was forged right here). The brick pillars were replaced with Victorian cast iron with broekies lace only at the top of the pillars. The steel windows were replaced with wooden sliding sash ones. #20 was demolished & the old stable was converted into public toilets. The local council has sold the land and toilets to a developer! #21 Odd number so on the ‘other’ side of the street. Another simple gable, but look at it. It has straight sides going up past the thatch eaves. The date on the gable is 1853. The book says the gable was enlarged three times – presumably based on the brickwork under the plaster when they removed it. This information is a caption to a photo of the stripped gable, but they don’t say any more. These two diagrams from ’Cape Dutch Houses and Farms’ by C. De Bosdari shows the development from beginnings such as this. The Classical style was that developed by the Greeks as used in their temples. Wiki entry This building has that reduced to its simplest form. I think it is handsome. Later on these neo-classical gables developed into extremely elaborate examples. Here is a picture of a building in the neo-classical style; Jameson Hall at UCT (built 1929?) Notice the triangular pediment and columns; just like a Greek temple. #22 The absolute classic gable shape in my opinion. This style of gable is called the Holbol . We now have reached the buildings on the first erven to be sold, in 1796, to fund the extension of the church. These buildings have the older style gables which are, to me, the more attractive ones. The builder/plasterer has made his own variation on the theme here because the little vertical bit between the hol & bol slopes outwards a little and the hols are bigger than the bols. This house had not been Victorianised. It was repaired and the roof over the stoep was removed #23 This is way down alongside the river. It is now the Paddagang restaurant. (Lovely name.) De Bosdari (he was British) calls this simple style ‘Leg of Mutton’. Hans Fransen in ’The Old Buildings of the Cape’ calls it a dormer gable. He explaines that the gables came into being in Cape Town where the plots were wide in comparison to in the Netherlands so the houses were built with the long edge facing the street (whereas in the Netherlands the short edge faces the street & you have a deep narrow house). To get light into the attic a dormer window was required because the end gables were right up against the neighbours end gable so no light would come in there. This is the simplest dormer gable with a window to give some light into the attic but soon it was made into an architectural feature and became the face and focus of the house. When the colony expanded away from the town this feature was retained and a local architectural characteristic had become established. I have also read that a full height gable (ie it goes above the thatch) makes the rain water not run down over the front door. Note that Paddagang has casement (hinged) windows – not sliding sashes. You will see that several of the houses in Kerkstraat have casement windows. That was the usual type of window originally. #24 A Neo-Classical gable but more developed and of nicer proportions (it is wider than it is high) than at #21. This broad Neo-Classical gable style was a variation used in the Breede River valley & Ceres area only. Casement windows again. Double sized windows to give more light into the loft. This is a rather grand house with another wing behind it and another piece added to the side so it has two doors onto Kerkstraat. In plan view it is H shaped, the only one in Tulbagh (excluding modern buildings). One of the long sides of the H faces the street and the cross bar of the H links the front wing to the rear wing. This house was given a complete corrugated iron roof which also covered the courtyards between the front and rear wings so they became additional rooms. The gable over the front door was clipped so that a piece of corrugated iron roof could be fitted over it, thus the window was retained to give light in the attic. Gawie Fagan restored it to how it had originally been built. Pillasters are the plaster mouldings on the face of the house which have the shape of (usually square) pillars but are just a decorative moulding about a hands depth out from the wall giving the appearance of a pillar. This house does not have them yet it has what looks like the top of pillars each side of the gable. If pilasters had been applied to this gable running down from what looks like the top of them each side of the gable they would have run right next to the windows each side of the front door behind the shutters. I mention this here because we will meet them again on some of the following houses. #25 This house was built in 1814 but it set a new pattern. Most houses are built single rooms deep in letter of the alphabet patterns of U, T, H or L. That is set by the limited length of the poles that could be got to span the walls (tie beams) and make the roof because the thatch needed to be at about 45 degrees so that water ran off it reliably. Also the wider the room the higher the roof needed to be. The letters of the alphabet describe the arrangement of the rooms (shape of the roof in bird’s eye view). #25 was two rooms deep under a single roof so it had a simple square shaped roof in bird’s eye view. The roof was thus higher than usual but it set a fashion and other similar houses were built in Tulbagh after this. #4 & #10 and some of the other houses at the start of this report were followers of this new fashion – much easier once corrugated iron was available. The Restoration Committee decided to preserve this house as it was after it had been updated with a corrugated iron roof, iron roof over the stoep and sash windows (originally casement) and the attractive plaster decoration on the front wall. Architects refer to the layering of a building – there are layers of embellishment that are applied to a building as it serves different people with different needs and different materials and fittings become available and fashions change. A building is not a static thing, nor is a village or town. So, when restoring a building, they have to decide to what period of its existence it is to be restored to and that is not always the oldest or original state. Here is a nice example of a building which has been restored to as it was after the owner had put a lot of effort and money into upgrading it. This Victorianisation was done by Mr C.C.Koch & he had his initials moulded into the plaster as he was so proud of what he had done. Unfortunately the trees have grown up so I could not get a good photo of the house. #26 This house had a very low pitched corrugated iron roof and verandah. The Fagan book does not say anything about this gable and it seems that the building had already lost it at the time of the 1861 photo. This is another of the local variations of the Neo-Classical gable (like #24). A more developed neo-classical shape with the straight sides further above the bottom of the thatch and only the slightest of curves to the sloping sides. Nice flower motif at the apex and at the top of the sides. The sides are starting to take on the shape of pillars. Again the tops of pilasters are shown but without actual pilasters underneath them. #28 This building had a hipped corrugated iron roof fitted in the early 1900s. A hipped roof is one without gables at the ends so it has the usual sloping front and back but the two ends are also sloping. *source* The house was restored to its original form with a thatch roof but the gable over the front door is unusual because it is much higher than the top of the roof so it has this tall triangular shape. It is very similar to #17 but does not have the nice semicircular top. You can also see the family resemblance to #21 but here the side pilasters have not grown as tall and anyway the windows each side of the front door would have been right in their way. The diamond pattern above the window of #21 is there. The end gables of this house are half-hipped; that is there are no proper gables there but it starts as a hipped roof but ends up like the gable over the front door of Paddagang. #30 Now this is my favourite sort of gable. It is a development from the early holbol[/] gables but the mason has embellished it by extending the moulding of the bol onto the face of the gable and also making the pediment more decorative. This one is not done justice by having the sun behind it; can you see the three pineapples? Here is an earlier version of this style where the apex (pediment) has not been made so elaborate. Here it has been taken further and is quite similar to #30. This is Morgenster in Somerset West and is one of my favourites – not least because it was built by the forefather of all the Malans here in South Africa, Jacques Malan & I am one of his descendants so I am somewhat biased. *Morgenster* This the holbol or curvilinear style of Cape Gables is, in my humble opinion, much prettier than the angular & more formal later Neo-Classical style. I want you to appreciate that each gable is slightly different and they went through fashions and the man who was actually doing the plastering expressed himself in his interpretation of the design. There is, to me, a beautiful richness in this style; something like a voluptuous woman. Those skinny undernourished neo-classical models just don’t have what these have in my opinion. Notice the three pineapples as decorations on this gable. The top of this gable is very similar, but simpler, to the Morgenster gable. The shell motif at the top there is to be found on many gables. Closer to Cape Town this form of gable went out of fashion in 1791 but to the east of the mountains they continued to be built for several years after that. This one was built in 1796. #32 Here is a more transitional gable. It has the curvilinear holbol sides but the apex is a straight edged triangle as favoured in the neo-classical. Before the earthquake it was a very simple house with a low pitched corrugated iron roof going over the end walls and a corrugated iron veranda with cast iron pillars and a nice Victorian cast iron and plastered brick fence at the street. Luckily the tree had no leaves when I took this photo. There is a tree in the 1861 photo which obscures the gable so Gawie Fagan chose to give it this gable as it fits the date of 1801. #34 You can’t see it from this photograph, because of the trees, but this gable is quite similar to #30. The curves of the bol moulding don’t come as far across the face and are much tighter. This illustrates how it was most probably the same mason who did both & here he gave a slightly different interpretation of the same tune, you can see the similarity but also the variation on the theme. That is very much part of the beauty and charm of the Cape Dutch gables – their individual character but family connection. In fact Gawie Fagan could only vaguely see the gable in the 1861 photo so he did a variation of the gable on the church. I will discuss that building after we get to the end of Kerkstraat. This was a U shaped house originally. It had all its gables clipped off and a very simple corrugated iron roof fitted with the simplest windows into the loft. A corrugated verandah and brick plastered wall along the street with factory made little concrete pillars – the forerunners of ‘Vibracrete’. #36 When I took the photos of the gables my idea was to simply write about the different gable styles. So I did not take a photo of #36 because there is no gable on it. When I came to do this write up I thought it much better to be inclusive so I have linked this photo from the internet at http://www.tulbagh.net/index.htm It was built about 1812 pretty much as it now stands. In 1949 it was restored which included removal of a corrugated roof on the veranda. It was bought on auction in 1964 and the new owner named it ’Monbijou’ (My Jewel). Although this is the only double storey house in the street houses like this were being built in Cape Town at that time eg Koopmans de Wet house in Strand Street. Fashions change and this house represents what was current when it was built and adds variety to the record that is this street. Note that it has sliding sash windows. I remember the controversy when the new owner painted the house pink with the pilasters and mouldings in white. Many said that it was not authentic but the Fagan book points out that the colours are ‘not out of keeping with similar houses of the period.’ In Strand Street in Cape Town there are three exceptional buildings on the right just before Buitengraght street. The Gold of Africa Museum (#96), the Lutheran Church & the Netherlands Consulate General. First the Gold Museum was painted a pumpkin colour which was a huge surprise – it has since been painted a less surprising shade of yellow. In the last few months the Netherlands Consulate has been painted the same colour but a few shades lighter and now the Lutheran Church is being painted pink & white just like Monbijou. Here is the church in van Wyksdorp photographed by TR in the same colour scheme. It compliments the plasterwork so it is better appreciated. It is not a new fashion as Gawie Fagan noted. #38 This house was partly demolished by the owner after the earthquake before the Restoration Committee bought it. It has been restored to what it was like when built. A humble house without a gable which adds to the variety represented in this street. #40 This house had been given a corrugated iron roof and veranda with cast iron pillars. It has been restored to how it looked when built in 1796. The gable can be seen in the 1861 photo indicating it was similar to the one on Leeuwfontein nearby so that was used as a guide for this gable (not a direct copy). Another gable that is much wider than it is high allowing a double sized loft window as well as making space for elegant curved extension of the bol moulding. Pineapples on the face again; I don’t know why that fruit was used but Antonia may know so I will ask her. The pergola over the stoep is authentic. When the house was Victorianised it had sliding sash windows fitted but hinged casement windows have been restored to it. The house is H shaped but the back wing is not full length. #42 The house was built in 1796 or soon thereafter. There was a good sketch of this house done by Burchell in 1811. It shows the left hand end (north) gable with the front gable in very oblique view but clearly very similar and the pergola over the stoep. It can also be vaguely seen in the 1861 photo. The house had been Victorianised with a corrugated iron roof, very raised walls and quite big windows upstairs (it was now double storied) as it was used as a boarding house for the school over the street. When the plaster was stripped off all the walls during restoration the position and size of the original windows and doors could be seen & it was found that this house originally had sliding sash windows. On early sash windows the upper panel is fixed and only the lower sash slides; that is how the building has been restored. The gable is very similar to #24 & #26. You still have the hol curves but the bols have gone. This is well on the way to a full neo-classical gable and Gawie Fagan chose to give it festoons such as above the date at Nectar. This is a page from the de Bosdari book showing neo-classical gables. I am pleased that there is such variety in the gables but the geometric formality of the Nectar gable just does not please me as much as the flowing voluptuous Morgenster gable. We are fortunate to have this rich variety and are free to have our personal preferences. I have no trouble with those who prefer Nectar to Morgenster. Taste and preference is a personal thing, not a judgement. Kudos to Gawie Fagan for including this in Kerkstraat. #43 Ballotina This building does not actually front onto Kerkstraat so I did not photograph it. Now that I come to write this up I find it was, at one time, the school served by #42. This photo is from the internet at http://www.artefacts.co.za/main/Buildings/bldgframes.php?bldgid=11&source=0 You can see that the side gable facing Kerkstraat is a simple holbol whereas the front gable is a variation on that same theme but the top is reminiscent of Groot Constantia. It got a corrugated iron roof but the gables were not removed. It also got the ubiquitous corrugated stoep roof which was removed during the restoration. This house was bought by Dr Mary Cook in 1945 and remained hers until her death almost 40 years later. That we have so many Cape Dutch gabled buildings today is to a huge extent thanks to her and Hans Fransen. She was born in Yorkshire, England in 1902, trained as a medical doctor and married a priest. They moved to the Transvaal in 1926. Quote: During the family holidays in the Western Cape, Mary was fascinated by Cape architecture, and she studied the topic thoroughly, taking also notes in the archives. She started campaigning for the preservation of Cape architecture and, from 1947, she wrote regularly on the subject in journals and newspapers. The family moved to the Strand and later to Kalk Bay, Cape Province. After the early death of her husband in 1957, she devoted her energies to the preservation of antiques. In 1958 she accepted a post as historical researcher at the SA Museum in Cape Town, which put her in charge of the cultural history section. The Koopmans de Wet House became subsequently the South African cultural History Museum. In 1965, Mary Cook accepted the position of curator of the Swellendam Drostdy Museum, which she remained until her retirement in 1974. A year later she moved to Tulbagh, where she had bought, in 1945, the beautiful old house Ballotina in Church Street. Her attempt to restore this house remained incomplete. Mary Cook died on 2 August 1981 while on visit to her daughter's house in Somerset West. *source* Together with Hans Fransen (our guide for this trip) she wrote The Old Houses of the Cape published in 1965. They entirely revised and much expanded on that book , published in 1981 as The Old Buildings of the Cape. We have a copy of that book; here is what is written on the inside flyleaf: Quote: The appearance in 1965 of THE OLD HOUSES OF THE CAPE by two well-known Cape museum curators, Hans Fransen and Dr Mary Cook, was an epoch-making event. For the first time, an attempt had been made to compile a full survey of the old architecture of the Cape, with architectural as well as historical descriptions and authoritative introductions on the Cape gable and groundplan. The book went out of print within a few years and today is valuable Africans. Ever since its appearance, the authors set revising their work, and Hans Fransen was responsible for expanding its terms of reference and including hundreds of new gable diagrams, groundplans and halftone illustrations. The second edition of their book, now entitled THE OLD BUILDINGS OF THE CAPE to reflect its new scope, now covers most significant buildings from the period up to the end of the 19th Century, and thus includes not only Cape Dutch but also Georgian, Regency and Victorian architecture. The area covered is still that bordered by Calvinia in the North and Colesberg and Uitenhage in the East. Well over two thousand old buildings in this area are listed, most of these with architectural descriptions, and many also with historical notes. Illustrations include over 400 photographs, 154 site and house plans, 32 town plans and 10 area maps. The introductory chapter on the Cape gable now has 112 diagrams of gables. Even more so than its predecessor, THE OLD BUILDINGS OF THE CAPE is the definitive survey of the extant buildings in this area, and an indespensible field guide to all serious students of the subject. They did for old Cape buildings what Roberts did for our birds & Platter for our wine. Years before the earthquake Dr Mary Cook saved some old sash windows which she found as part of an old hen house on a farm nearby. When the house was restored they fitted exactly into the original window reveals. Let us now walk back down to the church at the other end of Kerkstraat. I did not take a photograph of the parsonage (pastorie) which is right at the focus of Kerrkstraat on the far side of the t-junction. It too is a handsome holbol gabled building. Look at this picture of #12 with #10 next to it. It shows a house representing those that were originally built with a gable over the front door and thatch roof. Next to it is a Victorian house with corrugated iron roof and ogee corrugated iron roof over the veranda (stoep). The floor level of #10 is much higher than #12 but you can still clearly see how much taller the walls of the Victorian building are compared to the thatch roofed predecessor. With the passage of time buildings get renovated & remodelled according to the current fashion. What started as a thatch roofed house with gables changed, when the roof needed replacing, because the owners took the opportunity to convert to a modern corrugated iron roof. A thatch roof has to be steep to prevent the water from seeping through. A corrugated iron roof can be much flatter; this also reduces the length of the sheets needed so saves money. The side gables get cut down so the corrugated iron goes over the top of the end walls thus protecting the unfired mud bricks from the rain. At the same time the walls are raised along the long front & back sides and the gable over the front door is cut right off. Now a simple cheap corrugated iron roof can be fitted and the loft (attic) is much bigger because it now has the short wall above the floor of the loft with the windows you see in the photo (the thatch roofs sloped right down to the floor of the attic = brandsolder). The Victorian house has the ogee curved corrugated iron roof over the stoep. The original thatch roofed house has a roof that comes down to the level of the brandsolder. The extension of the wall with the windows above it is the new extra height that has been added. You can also see how much flatter the corrugated iron roof is than the old thatch roof. We have an interesting comparison of architectural styles in this street and Bain Street in Wellington. Bain Street has been preserved with the Victorian corrugated iron style whereas Kerkstraat has been restored to the previous thatch roofed and gabled style. Bain street was originally similar to Kerkstraat but after a fire in 1875 almost all the houses were burnt down. They were rebuilt in the Victorian style and remain like that today. In this post I show some of the Bain Street buildings. Here in Kerkstraat those Victorian renovations have been undone to restore the previous buildings. This is the original church which is now a museum. It is the oldest church building in the cape that is more or less as it was when built. Selling the erven along Kerkstraat raised money for enlarging this church; the part you see here is that addition so a lot of the money was spent on this gable. A wonderful holbol with a shell in the apex and festoons below. I particularly want to draw your attention to the curve of the extension of the bols into the face as I will show a different version of this at the end of this thread. The festoons each side of the door are roses. The date on the gable is 1795 which is when the church was enlarged (only 3m longer). Before the earthquake the date was 1743 (when the church was originally built) but Gawie Fagan took the opportunity to correct the date when doing the restoration. There is a drawing and a photograph (by Arthur Elliot) of the gable where it was 1795 and that was changed some time after it was built using grey cement for the last two digits whereas the original bits are in pale plaster. (I will talk about gable dates at the end of this thread.) The style of this gable is interesting because it has the old holbol shape but it also has the neo-classical decorations (the urn and festoons). A somewhat confused transitionary gable but exceedingly fine I think. ,

It wasn't until I tried some authentic Dutch Hachee stew that I really started to appreciate the Netherlands and its cuisine. Let me explain why the Dutch Hachee stew recipe is so great.

A light hand has been used to restore this early 20th-century Cape Dutch-style house into a picturesque but very useable family home in the country

Amsterdam, The Netherlands photo via elle

Image 6 of 9 from gallery of Dutch Embassy in Amman / rudy uytenhaak + partners architecten. Photograph by Pieter Kers

261 p., ill., plans, 28 cm, trade catalog, 5th ed.

Acoustic listening devices developed for the Dutch army as part of air defense systems research between WWI and WWII. via butdoesitfloat.com

I modified a traditional Dutch baby recipe given to me by a friend and came up with this version that my family thinks is terrific. You'll be surprised at how easy it is to make. —Mary Thompson, La Crosse, Wisconsin

A library in the shape of a giant eye with a glowing pupil at its centre has been completed by Dutch firm MVRDV as part of a new cultural centre in China.

Poffertjes make an easy breakfast, perfect for a holiday or weekend treat.

Embedded in the landscape

Dutch firm Molenaar & Bol & van Dillen Architects has breathed new life into a 19th-century church by converting the space into a vibrant library and community center. The result is a multi-functional space that includes a library, exhibition halls, meeting spaces, and a restaurant.

The association 'Bienvenue en France' was created to welcome diplomats and their families on postings to Paris. With unparalleled access to the grand embassies and diplomatic residences in the city, they have partnered with Flammarion to present a guide to these elegant, and rarely-seen houses.

Explore AMermaidsTale's 453 photos on Flickr!

For his own family space, an idiosyncratic canal home in Amsterdam, Thomas Geerlings of Dutch design studio Framework leans into the bowerbird nature of treasures and memories collected on travels. Photographed by Kasia Gatkowska

A reimagining of the Cape Dutch architectural style gave a Perth couple a stunning home with a landmark look of its own.

Spacious like whoa

After writing lots of Rotterdam posts, I now realise that a Rotterdam Bucket List is a fun way to explore the city, checking off the things you have seen! Rotterdam has a vast amount of things to do and see, so depending on the time you have to visit, you need to pick the most

Towns and villages give you a good, big picture of the soul of a country. Europe boasts breathtakingly beautiful towns and villages, each offering examples of regional architecture. Many towns and villages in Europe are located in a wonderful natural environment and are popular tourist destinations. Below we feature some of the most beautiful towns and villages you can find when you travel around Europe. 1. Reine, Norway Reine on the Lofoten islands photo source Population: 342 inhabitants Location: Google Map Reine is the administrative centre of Moskenes municipality, located on the northern coast of Norway, above the Arctic Circle, about 140 miles (225 km) south of Tromsø. As of 2005, its population is of 342 inhabitants. Reine has been a commercial centre since 1743. Today tourism is important, and despite of its remote location, thousands of people visit this neighborhood annually. The largest weekly magazine in Norway (Allers) selected Reine as the most beautiful village in Norway in the late 1970s. A photograph over Reine from the mountain Reinebringen has been used for the front page of several tourist brochures and books. [link] 2. Geiranger, Norway Geiranger village and Geirangerfjord photo source Population: 250 inhabitants Location: Google Map Geiranger is a small tourist village in the western part of Norway. It lies at the head of the Geirangerfjord. The nearest city is Ålesund. Geiranger is home to some of the most spectacular scenery in the world, and has been named the best travel destination in Scandinavia by Lonely Planet. Since 2005, the Geirangerfjord has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This third biggest cruise ship port receives 140 to 180 ships during the four-month tourist season. Several hundred thousand people pass through every summer, and tourism is the main business for the 250 people who live there permanently. [link] 3. Smögen, Sweden photo source Population: 1,329 inhabitants Location: Google Map Smögen is a village situated in southwest part of Sweden with 1,329 inhabitants in 2010. It is one of the liveliest "summer towns" of the Swedish West Coast. The community actually straddled several islands that lay so close together that the space in between has since been filled, and is now considered as a single island. Smögen is well known for its long, wooden pier (around 600 m or 1,970 ft), filled with shops in old fishing huts, which are frequented by a multitude of tourists during the summer. [link] 4. Ísafjörður, Iceland photo source Population: 2,600 inhabitants Location: Google Map Ísafjörður is a town in the north west of Iceland, seat of Ísafjarðarbær municipality. With a population of about 2,600 Ísafjörður is the largest town in the peninsula of Vestfirðir (Westfjords). It is located on a spit of sand in the Skutulsfjörður fjord. Fishing has been the main industry in Ísafjörður, and the town has one of the largest fisheries in Iceland. A severe decline in the fishing industry, for a variety of reasons such as political fishing restrictions in the early 80s and a decline in the fish population, has led the inhabitants to seek work elsewhere, leading to a decline in the town's population. [link] 5. Siglufjörður, Iceland photo source Population: 1,206 inhabitants Location: Google Map Siglufjörður is a small fishing town in a narrow fjord with the same name on the northern coast of Iceland. Population in January 2011 was 1,206 but the town has been shrinking in size since the 1950s when the town reached its peak with 3,000 inhabitants. Today the town remains dependent on fishing industries although the herring are gone. The government of Iceland is attempting to reverse the population shrinking in the area by improving land transportation. [link] 6. Castle Combe, UK photo source Population: 350 inhabitants Location: Google Map Castle Combe is a small village in Wiltshire, England, with a population of about 350. Situated in a conservation area on the southernmost edge of the Cotswolds and just twelve miles from Bath, this hidden gem has been welcoming visitors for at least a century. It is renowned for its attractiveness and tranquillity, and for fine buildings including the medieval church. Castle Combe is often called 'the prettiest village in England'. [link] 7. Burnsall, UK photo source Population: 112 inhabitants Location: Google Map Burnsall is a village in district of North Yorkshire, England, and a popular destination for weekend tourists enjoying a sunny afternoon by the river. The delightful bridge which spans the river Wharfe is one of the most photographed of all bridges within the Dales National Park. Burnsall is surrounded by some lovely walks and for those with a little more energy, a walk up onto the fells offers a wonderful view of the surrounding area. A short walk along the river Wharfe takes you to the Hebden suspension bridge from where you can divert in several directions, making Burnsall an ideal location from which to explore the Yorkshire Dales. [link] 8. Giethoorn, Netherland photo source Population: 2,620 inhabitants Location: Google Map Giethoorn is a village in the Dutch province of Overijssel. This village is called the Venice of the Netherlands for about 7.5 km (4.5 mi) of canals run through the little village. It was founded around 1230 when fugitives coming from the Mediterranian regions settled there. All traffic has to go over the water, and it is done in so-called "punters", they are 'whisper-boats' for they are driven by an electric motor, so they practically do not disturb the peace and quiet in this scenic little village. Many houses have been built on islands and they can only be reached by the wooden bridges. Some 50 little wooden bridges span the canals, which are only 1 meter (3 ft) deep. [link] 9. Naarden, Netherland photo source Population: 17,174 inhabitants Location: Google Map Naarden is a town in the Gooi region in the province of North Holland in the Netherlands. Naarden is an example of a star fort, complete with fortified walls and a moat. The walls and the moat have been restored and are in a very good state. Also, this town is the home of the Netherlands Fortress Museum. [link] 10. Dinant, Belgium photo source Population: 13,317 inhabitants Location: Google Map Dinant is a Walloon town located on the River Meuse in the Belgian province of Namur. Squeezed between the River Meuse and the high rocks that overlook it, Dinant is a little town indeed. Its main features are the river, the imposing citadel high above the town and the church with its characteristic pear shaped bell tower. [link] 11. Cochem, Germany photo source Population: 4,929 inhabitants Location: Google Map In the most beautiful part of the Moselle Valley (South West Germany), where the river curves between Eifel and Hunsrück - lies the old town of Cochem. The Reichsburg Castle, situated on a precipitous rock high above the town, dominates the landscape. The many delicate pointed towers, battlements and oriels give the impression of a typical fairy tale castle, particularly as it is one of the few castles in Germany, which was rebuilt in its original style after its complete destruction. As impressive as the castle itself is the view of the Moselle Valley with its beautiful forests, meadows, fields and vineyards, as well as the old part of the town. The town of Cochem itself is a sight worth seeing, not only because of its narrow streets and twisty alleys, the lovingly restored half timbered houses with the typical slate roofs, but also because of its medieval town gates, churches and walls. [link] 12. Lindau, Germany photo source Population: 24,772 inhabitants Location: Google Map Lindau is a Bavarian town and an island on the eastern side of Lake Constance, the Bodensee. It is the capital of the Landkreis or rural district of Lindau. The historic city of Lindau is located on an 0.68-square-kilometre (0.26 sq mi) island which is connected with the mainland by a road bridge and the causeway of the railway to Lindau station. The unique location of the city in one of the most attractive European cultural landscapes; the historic old part of the city on the island with its magnificent variety of protected historical buildings, which long ago progressed to the most photographed subjects around Lake Constance; the world-famous harbour scenery with its lighthouse and the Bavarian Lions – all this is representative of famous and highly-esteemed Lindau. [link] 13. Dinkelsbühl, Germany photo source Population: 11,482 inhabitants Location: Google Map Dinkelsbühl is a historic city in Bavaria, Germany. This town is simply enchanting! Every day of every year, guests from all over the world are overwhelmed by the charms of one of Germany’s most beautiful medieval towns. Wherever they look, visitors encounter living history rather than the raucous attractions of a fun park. But Dinkelsbühl is more than just a fairy-tale town bearing witness to the Middle Ages, and it’s more than an important magnet for tourists situated in the heart of the Romantic Road. Dinkelsbühl is an attractive location for business, it has good educational facilities, and it is a popular residential area. [link] 14. Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany photo source Population: 11,025 inhabitants Location: Google Map Rothenburg ob der Tauber is a town in the Franconia region of Bavaria, Germany, well known for its well-preserved medieval old town, a destination for tourists from around the world. This town has preserved the most beautiful medieval facade in Germany. The name "Rothenburg ob der Tauber" means, in German, "Red fortress above the Tauber". This is so because the town is located on a plateau overlooking the Tauber River. In the Middle Ages, it was an Imperial Free City. [link] 15. Èze, France photo source Population: 2,960 inhabitants Location: Google Map Èze is a village in the Alpes-Maritimes département in southeastern France, not far from the city of Nice. This settlement is a medieval village perched like an eagles nest on a narrow rocky peak overlooking the Mediterranean sea. The ancient fortified village is still crowned with the ruins of its 12th-century fortified castle (torn down in 1706), sitting on a narrow rocky peak. The castle grounds host the well-known Jardin Exotique (botanical garden), and from the top (429 m or 1,400 ft) you'll have an good view of the coast (it will cost you, though). [link] 16. La Roque-Gageac, France photo source Population: 412 inhabitants Location: Google Map La Roque-Gageac is arguably one the most beautiful places in Périgord Noir, or at least one of the most photographed in south-western France. Listed as one of France’s most beautiful villages, the riverside town is built along the right bank of the Dordogne River against a towering limestone cliff. This unique setting of narrow, peaceful streets and cliff-dwellings also enjoys a subtropical microclimate. [link] 17. La Bastide-Clairence, France photo source Population: 1,017 inhabitants Location: Google Map In the heart of the Pays Basque (South West France) lies the village of La Bastide Clairence, founded in the 14C by the King of Navarre. During its 700-year history, the village has preserved its original street plan typical of the “bastide” (fortified) construction. Today, classed " the most beautiful villages of France", La Bastide Clairence is an ideal base for holidaying in the French Pays Basque: it offers quality accommodation, lively local life with the village festival and various other animations throughout the summer, not forgetting the numerous artisans and their workshop boutiques. [link] 18. Beynac-et-Cazenac, France photo source Population: 514 inhabitants Location: Google Map Beynac-et-Cazenac is a little village located south west of France. This town is located in the department of Dordogne of the french region Aquitaine. The medieval Château de Beynac is located in this village, and it is one of the best-preserved and best known in the region. Beynac-et-Cazenac is classified as one of Les plus beaux villages de France (most beautiful villages of France). [link] 19. Najac, France photo source Population: 752 inhabitants Location: Google Map Najac is a picturesque village set along a ridge above a bend in the Aveyron River. In the earlier part of the last century the village had around 2000 people but it suffered marked population decline as workers migrated to towns and cities. The village economy is based largely on tourism and agriculture. Most land in the commune is still used for farming and there are a significant number of long-term inhabitants. During the summer, the population increases significantly due to second home owners and holiday-makers. Most holiday home owners are British, Canadian, Dutch or from the north of France. [link] 20. Český Krumlov, Czech Republic photo source Population: 14,056 inhabitants Location: Google Map Český Krumlov is a town in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic, best known for the fine architecture and art of the historic old town and Český Krumlov Castle. Old Český Krumlov is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was given this status along with the historic Prague castle district. The town is named Český Krumlov ("Bohemian Krumlov") to differentiate it from Moravský Krumlov ("Moravian Krumlov") in the southeast of the country. [link] 21. Čičmany, Slovakia photo source Population: 204 inhabitants Location: Google Map Čičmany is a village and municipality in the Žilina Region of northern Slovakia. It is known as the first folk architecture reserve in the world (founded in 1977). Timbered houses with ridge roofs, galleries and pointed or linear wall decorations have been preserved in Čičmany. Of particular interest are the very specific white patterns which are painted on the exterior walls of the houses to decorate them. The local folk music, special folk costumes and folk dances of the village have been preserved as well. [link] 22. Wengen, Switzerland photo source Population: 1,300 inhabitants Location: Google Map Wengen is a village in the canton of Bern, located in central Switzerland at an elevation of 1274 m (4180 ft) above sea level. This town has approximately 1,300 year-round residents. This number swells to 5,000 during summer and to 10,000 in the winter tourist season. Wengen is one of the centres for alpine skiing and hub of ski racing as a sport. [link] 23. Mürren, Switzerland photo source Population: 450 inhabitants Location: Google Map Mürren is a traditional mountain village in Switzerland, at an elevation of 1,650 m (5,413 ft.) above sea level and unreachable by public road. The village is perched on the edge of a steep cliff and the only available option you have to get there is via cable car. Tourism is popular through the summer and winter; the village features a view of the three towering mountains: Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau. Mürren has a population of just 450, but has 2,000 hotel beds. [link] 24. Hallstatt, Austria photo source Population: 815 inhabitants Location: Google Map Tucked away in the mountains of Austria you’ll find the tiny town of Hallstatt. Hallstatt and its population of less than 1000 residents rest on the southwestern shore of the Hallstätter See (a lake). In addition to the picturesque view of the town on the lake, tourists can see the world’s first salt mine, enjoy nearby skiing, take a trip to the World Heritage Museum, and visit the Dachstein ice cave. Though this village is very small, there are a few different hotels and restaurants to choose from. [link] 25. Gmunden, Austria photo source Population: 13,073 inhabitants Location: Google Map Gmunden is a small town with 13,000 inhabitants and probably one of the most beautiful places in Austria. This town is situated next to the lake Traunsee on the Traun River and is surrounded by high mountains. It is much frequented as a health and summer resort. It is also an important centre of the salt industry in Salzkammergut. Things you will find only in Gmunden are, among others: lake Traunsee shipping cruises, Gmundner ceramics and ceramic manufacturies, land and lake castle Ort, renaissance city hall with ceramic chime, Grünberg cable car (ski mountain Grünberg), tram of Gmunden and "Traunsee-railways". [link] 26. Piran, Slovenia photo source Population: 4,143 inhabitants Location: Google Map Piran is a town in the eponymous municipality in southwestern Slovenia on the Gulf of Piran on the Adriatic Sea. It is one of the three major towns of Slovenian Istria. The town resembles a large open-air museum, with medieval architecture and a rich cultural heritage. Narrow streets and compact houses give the town its special charm. Piran is the administrative centre of the local area and one of Slovenia's major tourist attractions. [link] 27. Rovinj, Croatia photo source Population: 13,562 inhabitants Location: Google Map Rovinj is a town in Croatia situated on the north Adriatic Sea with a population of 13,562. It is located on the western coast of the Istrian peninsula and is a popular tourist resort and an active fishing port. The most numerous visitors to the town of Rovinj are Italians, Germans, Austrians, Dutch and British. [link] 28. Kladovo, Serbia photo source Population: 8,913 inhabitants Location: Google Map Kladovo is a nice little town located in the Bor District of South-East Serbia. It is situated on the right side of the river Danube, surrounded by beautiful hills. Moderate continental climate and a large number of sunny days are characteristic for the region. There are two natural spring lakes in the very centre of Kladovo. A special attraction is a 1km (0.6 mi) long city beach on the river Danube. In this area, the river is very populated with various fish species. [link] 29. Manarola, Italy photo source Population: 450 inhabitants Location: Google Map Manarola is a small town in northern Italy. It is the second smallest of the famous Cinque Terre towns frequented by tourists. Manarola is charming, rugged and quiet, with the beauty of a modest fishing village - these are some of the associations of this small village. Colourful fasades stacked high upon one another on a rugged cliff, to the right and left of a hardly noticeable creek, resembling an almost cubist painting. Not all local trains stop here, which makes the peak tourist season less busy. [link] 30. Alberobello, Italy photo source Population: 11,040 inhabitants Location: Google Map Alberobello is a small town and comune in the province of Bari, in Puglia, Italy. It has about 11,000 inhabitants and is famous for its unique Trulli constructions. The Trulli of Alberobello are part of the UNESCO World Heritage sites list since 1996. A trullo (plural, trulli) is a traditional Apulian stone dwelling with a conical roof. They traditionally have whitewashed bases, conical rock-slab roofs, and an ornamental crown. The style of construction is specific to Itria Valley, in the Murge area of the Italian region of Apulia. Trulli were generally constructed as dwellings or storehouses. Traditionally they were built without any cement or mortar, thus avoiding taxation. The first trullo was built at least nine centuries ago. [link] 31. Cudillero, Spain photo source Population: 5,855 inhabitants Location: Google Map Cudillero is a small village in the Principality of Asturias, Spain. Today, Cudillero's main economic activities are related to tourism, but it is also known for its fishing ships. A legend says that it was founded by the Vikings. People from Cudillero speak Spanish and a dialect called Pixueto. [link] 32. Piódão, Portugal photo source Population: 178 inhabitants Location: Google Map The historical village of Piódão is located in the slope of Serra do Açor (a mountain in central Portugal). The houses are built in the local materials: slate walls, roofs covered with stone slabs and wooden doors and windows, painted blue. The inhabitants work mainly on agriculture (corn, potatoes, beans, vines), raising livestock (sheep and goats) and in some cases on beekeeping. It was considered Portugal’s most typical village in the decade of 1980. [link] 33. Kardamyli, Greece photo source Population: 6,000 inhabitants Location: Google Map Kardamyli is a impressive village next to the sea located in the region of Mani, southern Greece. The area near Kardamyli is defined in the tourist guides as the new Côte d'Azur. The scenery is impressively theatrical, full of contractions with crystal blue waters, large cypresses, wild olive tree fields and far distant mountains covered with snow, makes Kardamyli one of the most beautiful villages with view to the calm sea and to the wonderful sunsets of the Messinian gulf. Kardamyli is one of the most well guarded secrets of south Mediterranean. One exclusive, small, untouchable shelter, pride for his villas, the charming stone maisonetts, bloomed gardens and fantastic beaches. [link]

Advocaat is a festive Dutch drink similar to eggnog made from a rich blend of egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla and spiked with brandy.

A reimagining of the Cape Dutch architectural style gave a Perth couple a stunning home with a landmark look of its own.

These S-shaped super flaky butter pastries filled with almond paste and topped with crunchy sugar are popular in both Iowa and Holland during the Christmas season. Here's a recipe that will let you make and enjoy them all year round. —Shirley De Lange, Byron Center, Michigan

On April 30th, a Dutch couple took possession of the first Dutch 3D-printed concrete house. The Eindhoven house is a single-story dwelling

According to Dutch interior stylist Theo-Bert Pot, houses should be decorated with color. Therefore, in his own The Hague apartment, you won't find a single

Here's a look at what's been trending on the Contemporist Pinterest boards in architecture, interior design and product design this week.