Remember me told ya that when we could go to zoos again me will totally go bananas and go EVERYWHERE me can? Remember? Well, we ARE going to a lot of places lately and it hard to keep up. BUT me really want to tell you about me visit to WILDLANDS again. WILDLANDS is a zoo in Emmen, the Netherlands, and it is very natural. Me love going there. 
Did you know us plushies go on Summer Camp every year? My sweet friend Hope has a camp site called Camp Hoop La Hoo Ray and we all go there have fun by the lake, eat delicious food, sing songs and tell stories by the camp fire, play sports and do Arts & Crafts. Me and lil Bamboo are the Arts & Crafts Camp Counselors and we do lots of fun projects. Me wanted to show you what we did at Camp this year. Maybe it fun for you to try some of these crafts too. 
O boy! Me totally forgot about these two museums me went to on me Summer vacation LAST YEAR. Me thought me was done after part 9 and then Berry said: ‘But we went to Kaap Skil with Frights and to the Juttersmuseum with Bamboo in the Summer!’ Also, she said it with a face palm, because she almost forgot about it too. Hihi. Silly huh that when it not a workthingy you can forget about these things so easily. Well… during our Summer vacation on the island of Texel we went to two museums and had a blast! So prepare for LOTS of fun pictures! (pictures by Berry de Nijs)
ZOOS ARE OPEN! So it ZOO TIME and me visited a lot of zoos lately. So on July 2nd me went to Blijdorp in Rotterdam. It was a nice warm day and we saw so many animals. It was also the first time Berry went to see the bigger sharks (and she no was scared) in an aquarium. Me posed with some sharks too. It was amazing. Wanna see the pictures? Then read along. 
Yippee! Last Sunday me and Bamboo went to the zoo (about that, we will tell you later next month in a Monday At the Zoo story) to meet our dear friends Aapie and Gary! They even brought Baby Yoda. It was sooo nice to explore the zoo with them. Just look at the pictures we took! (pictures by Berry de Nijs)
Me love going out to see some special art. At the beginning of the year Berry got invited for the opening of the International Light Art Festival in Zeist at a castle there called Slot Zeist. So… she grabbed me, her notebook and camera and we went to Zeist to check it out. It was AMAZING. Me love going out in the evening and the light art was soooo pretty! (pictures by Berry de Nijs)
Me went to Texel, me went to Texel! Tee hee! Me went on vacation in the beginning of June and me told you a lot about me vacation last Saturday, but me left out the bestest of best parts: me visited Ecomare! Yes me love to visit this educational and rescue centre, because you can learn so much about the Dutch North- and mostly Waddensea. And there are seals!!! Me just love seals. They look soooo adorable with there big eyes. Just like me, hihi. (pictures by Berry de Nijs)
Me went to Texel! Me went to Texel! Me went to TEXEL! Yes me did early June this year. Me just love to go to the largest Wadden island of the Netherlands. It no mind if it storming or raining… sunny and hot… the island is just beautiful. And this year was extra special because Berry brought her bike! Yay. So… me gonna share some vacation pictures today. Me also visited Ecomare, but me will tell you ALL about that this Monday. So… come back then for LOADS of pictures of cute seals. (pictures by Berry de Nijs)
Me think Vincent van Gogh is a beautiful artist. Me love the colours he used in his paintings and his own, dreamy style of painting. Did you know he was really good in making selfies? Yes me know we do it all the time with the camera on our phones. But when Vincent was alive, you only could make a selfie by painting yourself. Hihi. But artists also painted portraits of their artist friends. And that is exactly why Berry took me on a work thingy to the Van Gogh Museum last February. (pictures by Berry de Nijs)
After weeks of being closed the zoos started to open again thanks to lifted corona rules at the end of May. Me no could WAIT to go to a zoo again. It had been such a looooong time. Luckily the sun was shining and Berry and her dad and me made a timeslot reservation for Safaripark Beekse Bergen. And… we went! It was a BEAUTIFUL day and me was just soooo happy me no could stop smiling. (pictures by Berry de Nijs)
O me COOKNESS! Me still no believe me saw me elephant buddies again last week! Berry and me went by train to The Hague and there they were. We went for cake and coffee to a café and me just had to hold them. Maybe a bit too tight, but it been a while. Me last saw them on our Madurodam trip (remember). That a loooong time ago. So this was AMAZING. Me was so happy, me almost forgot to eat cake. Almost that is, hihi. (pictures by Berry de Nijs)
The second workthingy of the year brought Berry and me to the Mauritshuis in The Hague. It one of me fave museums. They have a great collection and the coolest exhibits! This one was all about George Stubbs. A very famous British artist who was really in to horsies. You could say he was obsessed by horsies. He even made a whole book with anatomical studies of horsies. And paintings. He was the guy to call if you wanted a painting of your prizewinning pony. The best part? To just sit with Berry and look at the huge painting of Whistlejacket… Because, sometimes you just need to sit with your bestie in silence, enjoying something beautiful. (pictures by Berry de Nijs)
You do know me visit DierenPark Amersfoort A LOT because we have a season pass, right? Well… me do. And this year me went to the zoo in February again. It was a little cheating, because Berry also works there, so we are there A LOT anyway hihi. So… after work hours we visited our animal friends on a cold and rainy February 27th afternoon. Just enjoy some of the pictures Berry made. (pictures by Berry de Nijs)
Corona hit the Netherlands in the spring time. Around March 14 the government took some measures to kick this epidemic in the behind. Day trips closed, so no zoos and no museums. Stores closed – but we are not really the shopping type anyhow. But what made me really sad is that the Keukenhof would not open… that is why me posted the blog about Keukenhof with some lovely memories in March. Me was really looking forward to see the spring flowers and play in the colours of nature… So… Berry and me went biking through our neighbourhood to find spring colours and even some animals. (pictures by Berry de Nijs)
In February Berry was asked to visit Caravaggio & Bernini at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam so she could write about it for a magazine. Guess who tagged along… hihi yes. Me, ofcourse. And wow it was amazing. Me love the Rijksmuseum, because it so big and they have real special exhibits. Like this one about two amazing Italian artists. They say without these two artists Rembrandt would never have been such a huge painter!Before the corona rule closed all the day trips – including zoos – me had a zoo adventure at DierenPark Amersfoort. On January 24 2020 we went for a stroll at the zoo. It was winter, but there was no snow. And somehow me totally forgot to take some selfies (silly me). But me sure have some lovely pictures to share of the animals who live at this zoo. 
If you follow me on Instagram than you know me LOVE the Efteling. Me have blogged about it over the years too. In short, Efteling is a Dutch themepark. The theme? FAIRYTALES. There is a fairytale forest where lil Red Riding Hood lives (me love her, she has cookies) and ofcourse the dragon and the wolf and a giant and many more. There are fun rides, roller coasters, dark rides and such. Lucky me got to visit the Efteling A LOT OF TIMES last year. And by a lot me mean 4 times. One time for a workthingy, two times as part of birthday celebrations and one time with Aapie (Fairytale adventures with Aapie in Efteling). So… come with me and enjoy me Efteling Adventures of 2019. Sit tight, it gonna be a magical ride! (pictures by Berry de Nijs)
Yay! Part 10 is the first part of the 2020 At the Museum trips. And it was not even a work thingy. Berry wanted to see the exhibit very much and her dad too. So we hopped on the bike, than the train and went to Assen. It was so much fun. It already started outside the train station of Assen with a HUGE statue of a dog called Mannes. And then we saw the statue of Bartje, a very famous book character in the Netherlands and especially for the province of Drenthe. That was already very cool. The museum was cool too! (pictures by Berry de Nijs)
O boy, the last zoo me want to talk about for the At the Zoo 2019 visits is WILDLANDS in Emmen. It a very large and very natural zoo. The enclosures have a real natural feel and the people of the zoo have used walls and water and such to keep the visitors out of the habitats (hihi). Me love it in Emmen, even when it is a colder day in November. There is just so much to see and to do! Maybe that is why it called an Adventure Zoo right? (pictures by Berry de Nijs)
Corona kept many of our humans apart. But sometimes you just need to see each other. So… with social distancing in mind, Berry and me went to see Aapie and Gary and their humans at the Veluwe. Yes, we went for a picknick. That was very nice. We sat in the sunshine and just cuddled – cuz us plushies could cuddle. Sometimes that is just enough you know. Sitting with each other, enjoying the sunshine and cuddle… (pictures by Berry de Nijs)
Museum Speelklok is a cute museum located in a church in the city of Utrecht. It is one of our favourite museums because it has all kinds of automated musical instruments. Like the pianola, that plays by itself. Or the windorgans from small to HUGE. And ofcourse clocks that play music and all kinds of musicboxes. Berry loved this place since she was little (she even has her own collection of musicboxes) and even did an internship at the educational department when she was in college. Last year we visited the museum for the sneak preview of a newly acquired musical clock that is fondly nicknamed as the Nightwatch under the clocks! (pictures by Berry de Nijs)
Me love Texel. Me think you know that already, right. Me love the island. The breeze. The food. The sheepies and the seals. The beach… Texel even got its own zoo! Last year me visited the seals at the rehab centre where sick and lost seals and birds are brought: Ecomare. Also Ecomare have exhibits and educates us about the life in and around the North Sea and the Waddensea. Texel ZOO has beautiful birds and butterflies. Me gonna tell you all about it today. (pictures by Berry de Nijs)
It feels like forever now that me saw me buddies Richie and Keith at Madurodam on March 12 2020. It was the last day trip me had before all zoos, museums and themeparks closed due to corona. When me write this (it is April), we are still staying home and staying safe and trying to make the best of a weird situation. Me is very happy though that we went out and had fun. Because the sun was shining and Madurodam is just a very very fun place to be. Even the little elephants are tall here hihi. (pictures by Berry de Nijs)
On August 27 2019 Berry had a very special workthingy in Leiden: the grand re-opening of Naturalis! Now, Naturalis is not an art museum, but it is a museum of natural history AND a science centre that show you all about life in the world. From fossils and dinosaurs to reproduction and more. It about history and about science. There even are scientists working at Naturalis every day. It very cool! Last year me only visited Ouwehands Dierenpark once. That was a great day, because it was also an instameet and you have read about that on a Saturday (if not, just check the menu on the left called ‘Cookie meets a friend’). But me also wanted to tell you more about this beautiful zoo full of fluffy friends! There is truly a lot to see. (pictures by Berry de Nijs)
Sometimes it is just perfect to cuddle up with friends and do absolutely nothing! On March 11 2020 Berry took me and nijntje and Bamboo to hang out with Aapie and Abu. Also Cappu Monkey was there and a new friend, named Gary. It was soooo nice. Just hanging out on the couch… watching a game on the television… while Berry and Aapie’s mom were talking and crocheting… And Bamboo helped out… and there were cookies and candies and icecream… It was great! (pictures by Berry de Nijs)
Also… Berry made Aapie a hat. He always wanted one that fit properly. He had a small one, but he wanted one that fitted perfectly and made him look like a popstar. Well… me think we succeeded right. Aapie was smiling the whole evening, so me think Berry did a good job. Also the colour is nice and flashy. Hihi.Did you know 2019 was the Year of Rembrandt? Well it was! And a lot of museums worked together to show the best of Rembrandt and different parts of his life. It was awesome. Berry and me tried to see as much as we could! And we did! Some of the exhibits me already talked about in previous At the Museum editions. But some museum we only visited once last year, so me decided to dedicate this At the Museum part to the one time visits we made for the Rembrandt Year. So… we went to Leeuwarden and Amsterdam for different exhibits, and me loved it! (pictures by Berry de Nijs)
Maybe it a little weird to talk about 4 different zoos in 1 article. But if you know that all these zoos are owned by the same company, than is not weird AT ALL. And last year we went to visit all of them. That was so much fun. Although owned by the same company, all four zoos are completely different. Okay there are similarities, but each zoo has its own unique thing. Like the safaris you can make at Beekse Bergen, the walk through habitats in ZooParc Overloon, the easy overview of Dierenrijk and the aquatic animals in AquaZoo Leeuwarden. It fun to see and experience it all. (pictures by Berry de Nijs)
One of me fave museums in the Netherlands is the Mauritshuis in The Hague. Me have been there many times for Berry her work thingies. But… mostly we go and see a new exhibit at the special exhibit wing of the museum. This time we went with me buddies Keith and Richie to ALSO see the regular exhibits on 19 December 2019. And it was amazing! Me saw the girl with the pearl earring for the very first time! Awesome huh. Of course first Richie, Keith, Honeydrop and me went to have cake and coffee and tea… (pictures by Berry de Nijs)
Museum MORE is a Modern Art Museum in Gorssel, the Netherlands. Berry learned about them during the Vakantiebeurs and then she got invited for a work thingy. And me got to tag along, ofcourse. It was great. The road to it was nice, because me got to see a little of the Hanze cities. The museum was different from what me is used too, because normally we see old art and not so much modern art. It was a new but very fun experience. (pictures by Berry de Nijs)
The reason to go to Burgers’ Zoo in Arnhem last year was a very very VERY special one. You must know Burgers’ Zoo is a zoo who has these beautiful walk-through habitats, made to look like a typical biotope. Like, there is Burgers’ Bush which is like a Rainforest, and there is the Ocean which is, well it in the name right, all about aquariums filled with tropical fish. Also there is the Desert and the Mangrove. In these themed enclosures live animals you could find in the wild in the same environment. Cool huh! Well… however me love to visit every part of Burgers’ Zoo, last year we mostly focused on the Mangrove because someone really special can be admired there! (pictures by Berry de Nijs)
On December 17 2019 me and Aapie went to DierenPark Amersfoort for some zoo fun. Me also brought Honeydrop, our little bear, and a Baby Yoda for Michelle (Aapie’s mom) to adopt. It was a surprise for them! A very good one too. Me was really excited to see Aapie again. He is a sweet naughty little monkey, and me just love him! Me showed him all around me favourite zoo. But first… you guessed it… it was NOMMIES time! Hihi. (pictures by Berry de Nijs)
In Amsterdam there is a museum dedicated to the Jewish History in the Netherlands. It is situated near City Hall at the Jewish Quarter. There is a temple, but also a kids museum with Dick Bruna art (you know him, he is nijntjes’ father) and… there are the stories about the Jewish community. Last year me visited the museum for work thingies of course, but it was also the first time. Berry heard of the museum thanks to the Rembrandt year – you will read more about that later in these series – and contacted them to get on the press relations list. And a few weeks later she got invited for the opening of an exhibit. So… we hopped on the train and enjoyed the first visit. We visited the museum twice and saw three different exhibits.
Because me is having fun thinking about all the adventures me had last year at the museum and with friends, me now gonna tell you more about all the visits me had at the zoo! Because me visited some zoos multiple times, me will bundle them in one episode. So for this week, you can prepare yourself for LOADS of pictures we took in DierenPark Amersfoort, because we visited that zoo 11 times in 2019. Okay, we have a zoo subscription here, so we go many times. Me especially love this zoo, because if it not for the glass, you can almost cuddle with the animals. Me would not do that though! So… enjoy loads of pictures taken last year! (pictures by Berry de Nijs)
HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Hihi. Yes me know me too early, but on November 1 2019 we had a great Halloweenie party at me house. Look… me made scary cookies that look at you… and me made a scary cake that look at you… and me dressed up as Cookie Potter! And Aapie was at the party too. This is a scary story about how we defeated an angry witch who no wanted to share her candies! (pictures by Berry de Nijs and Michelle de Vries)
One of me fave museums in The Hague is De Mesdag Collectie (the Mesdag Collection). This museum is situated in the old museum and home of Hendrik Willem and Sientje Mesdag. They were really famous in their time. They collected AND made art. They held art parties and organised art exhibits. Their collection can be seen at this beautiful little museum! Also the museum hosts exhibitions that are related to the Mesdags. Last year me went twice to De Mesdag Collectie, one time for a workthingy and the second time with friends (you will read all about that on a Saturday). (pictures by Berry de Nijs)
October 25 2019 was a very special day, because me, Bamboo, Keith and Richie, Aapie and Abu would surprise Aapie’s mom for her birthday! Birthday parties are the best. You can hang out with your friends and have cake. Also we went out to see some art! Yes, we went to the Mesdag Collectie together. Awesome huh. Come along, me made loads of pictures that day to show you all! (pictures by Berry de Nijs)
Two trips on the same day? TWO? Yes! Two workthingies on the SAME DAY! Me was so excited! Me finally got to go to the Museum Prinsenhof Delft (because last time me went to Delft Frights went to the museum and me went to the spa…). It was for the Mojo Concerts exhibit opening. So that was very exciting. AND at the end of the afternoon we hopped in the car to Garderen for the opening of ‘t Veluws Zandsculpturenfestijn. Me know… that tough to pronounce… it the annual Sandsculpture exhibit. Me love it soooo much. Me hope me will be carved in sand one day… Enjoy the awesome pictures! (pictures by Berry de Nijs)
Sometimes me sweet Berry meets up with her friend Tessa for tea. Just to talk and maybe do a little shopping later. They did so last year on September 18 2019. So… me KNOW Tessa will bring me besties Richie and Keith. So… when me did not see them, me listened at her bag to make sure they were there. And yes! THEY WERE. This time it not much of an adventure, but just a relaxed afternoon with tea… and hugs ofcourse. (pictures by Berry de Nijs)
One of the Dutch most famous painters worldwide is Vincent van Gogh. He was a really gifted genius with his own style. That is why he has his own museum in the Netherlands: the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. They have lots of paintings made by Vincent, but they also host exhibits featuring other artists that in one way or the other were inspired by Vincent. Me usually get to visit the popular museum on Berry her work thingy days when there is a new exhibit. Did you know visitors are not allowed to take photos at the Van Gogh Museum? That is why it is extra special that press people on work thingies are allowed to take pictures! It makes these visits even more special. (pictures by Berry de Nijs)
You all know me looooove Efteling right? It a fun magical themepark in the Netherlands. There are thrill rides (me no like those), fun rides (me looooove those) and a Fairytale Forest where the house of the witch from Hans and Gretl live. Me always want to take a bit out of that *drools* nommy *dreams away*… house… *sigh* So, me and me buddy Aapie went to the Efteling on June 27 2019 and boy did we have a blast! First we picked up Aapie and his sweet human up from the train station and then we had the bestest road trip to the Efteling where the fun started immediately. (pictures by Berry de Nijs)
Me love Berry her workthingies so much. This way she takes me places not many monsters get to see. Especially art museums. So… me starting a new Wednesday’s series in which me tell you more about the exhibits me saw in 2019 (me still have a lot of catching up to do) and hopefully 2020 soon. Me will show some art, tell you about the workthingies and more. Because me go to the same museums for these workthingies me is going to put them together per museum or art exhibit together. Fun huh. Well… me start with Mauritshuis in The Hague. It a lovely museum next to the Binnenhof, where our politicians meet. Mauritshuis is an historic building and used to be the house of this dude named Johan Maurits and was built in the 17th century. You can experience all kind of 17th century arts there. Like art from Rembrandt and Johannes Vermeer. (pictures made by Berry de Nijs)
It was a rainy day, June 12th 2019, when me met up with Alma and Dolly in Utrecht. We wanted to go to the nijntje Museum, but the weather was not that good. So… we decided to go for tea, coffee and some nommies at the café of the Oude Hortus. It can be found in Utrecht as part of the Universiteits Museum Utrecht at the Lange Nieuwstraat. It was the first time me and Dolly would meet Alma and we were sooooo excited to see her! (pictures by Berry de Nijs)
It had been Tessa her birthday and me and Berry went to celebrate it with her in Delft. Ofcourse the little elephants would be there. And a little surprise, just for Tessa. It was yet a sunny day this May 31 2019 as we hopped on the train to Delft to meet our friends there. First stop: a cute little cupcake shop, with loads of pinks and whites in the decorum. And of course LOTS OF NOMMY CAKES to choose from. (pictures by Berry de Nijs)
ROAD TRIP! On April 30th 2019 Berry and me and our new familymember Moo went to the trainstation to pick up our friends and their humans! It was a BLAST! Aapie had brought his brother Abu too. Destination: Ouwehands Zoo in Rhenen. We really wanted to see the panda bears (and me wanted to see them again hihi) and just have fun together. So we had a great road trip talking, laughing, snacking, singing, eating, drinking, cuddling until we got to the zoo. (pictures by Berry de Nijs)
Me made a new buddy on Instagram. His name is Luke and he is a Tiger. He asked us on March 15 if we plushies of Instagram wanted to join him with a #plushierainbowweek. Me love colours and me was already searching for ways to cheer humans up these days, so…YES me participate! And it was so much fun! Me think we made the most beautiful rainbow ever. O and because me wanted to also show Spring Flowers, me challenged meself to only post flower pictures. And – of course – me did. Because me had so much fun, today me will show the full rainbow me made, with the Instagram hashtags and posts. Me hope you like it too… (pictures by Berry de Nijs)
O boy o boy me hosted an instameet on April 7 2019 at one of me fave places of the Netherlands: Keukenhof. Something about the colourful flowers and us plushies just totally match. So... we hopped on a train, got to wait an hour to get on the bus and totally arrived late at the meeting ourselfs, but it was great! The Jumi was there and Tibby the travelling Teddy and the Grecocrochet family too! It was amazing! Me also brought nijntje, because a year before we had adopted her from Keukenhof and she just really wanted to go back again! (pictures by Berry de Nijs)
HELLO EVERYONE! Me is here with some flowers and Spring good times to cheer everybody up. Especially our humans. It a crazy world at the moment with a fast spreading flu virus. But me think our humans talk about it more than enough. Me just wanted to show some pretty things. Here in the Netherlands the spring flowers are starting to bloom. For the last couple of years (2017, 2018 and 2019) me have visited Keukenhof with Berry for workthingies, Instameets and recreational visits. We both loooooove tulips. We surely have tulipmania, hihi. So… because Keukenhof will not open right now because of this flu virus, me will bring Keukenhof to all of you with a LOT of pictures. Just click on ‘read more’ and enjoy! O and hang in there humans, this will pass and life will get to normal. Stay healthy and stay safe. (pictures by Berry de Nijs)
A very big while back, me went to Schiphol with Berry to go and admire some gorgeous elephant statues that together make up an outdoor exhibit called The Elephant Parade. The Elephant Parade shows two different types of baby elephants, that are decorated by all kind of artists for a good cause. The parade is an initiativ of two Dutch men who visited an elephant hospital in Thailand en where they met the cute little Mosha who had needed a prosthetic leg. ‘WHY would an elephant need that?’ me hear you ask and me will answer that with: ‘Because she stepped on a landmine.’ So for several years now, The Elephant Parade asks your attention for helping the elephants at the hospital. Ofcourse by getting more awereness and by buying cute merchandise. Berry and me went to Schiphol so she could write a story about it. And when we learned the Elephant Parade would march through a mall in Delft last year, me just HAD to go and see them again. Ofcourse this time we went with our sweet elephant friends Richie and Keith and their human Tessa on March 15 2019. (pictures by Berry de Nijs)
