(photograph © Kiwidutch)
Last year I saw an article in one of the ex-pat newspapers that caught my eye.
A new gift shop opened in 2010 in the Fahrenheitstraat in The Hague (just a little more than a block away from our favourite cheese shop)
Called ” Living la buena vida” (Living the good life), it’s a very international gift shop, with the additional bonus that you can also get a very good cup of tea or coffee on the premises if you fancy.
I only read of their existence some months after they opened and “meant” to get there for several weeks, but ”Life” got in the way in the form of a zillion other things needing doing … urgently, and then my infamous ”encounter with a staircase” happened and put paid to going out in most forms, for many many months.
Recently though, Himself had driven me to hospital appointment and then I had a physiotherapy appointment a short time later. The problem was that we had about 40 minutes to kill, too little time for me to favourably consider getting back up and down our double staircases on crutches, and too long a time to sit waiting in a waiting room.
Himself needed to pick up few things and by co-insidence we found ourselves parking almost directly outside ”Living la Buena Vida”, so why not make use of the opportunity to sit with a cup of tea or coffee whilst we waited?
We went inside and I mentioned to the owner Ginny Mees that I had seen the article written about them and that I was a blogger who would be happy to write about their new establishment.
They had a limited food menu (there’s a greater range on Thursday’s, Friday’s and Saturdays when muffins and other delectables are delivered to the shop by some apparently wonderful bakers) but we were there earlier in the week, and missed out of these delicious treats.
We hadn’t had lunch and so I ordered a camomile tea with a pain au chocolate and Himself a coffee with two croissants, and I managed a few photos before my camera battery died. At home I basically drink only rooibos, mint or camomile teas and nothing else so I think I might know a good brew from an inferior one.
The specialist selection of teas here were not run-of-the-mill supermarket brands and clearly more expensive so I was prepared to judge it strictly to see if these were ”quality” or ”hype”. I needn’t have worried, my camomile was definiately a high quality tea and my taste buds were very happy indeed.
I’m vowing that as soon as I am properly mobile again that I will be going back so that I can take more photos of the wonderful interior of the shop and the fabulous glassware etc on offer. I love the fact that many of the objects have been sourced from small artisan producers, are made from recycled or green materials and are quality, practical objects.
One day I will do a ”proper” interview session with Ginny and find out more background information on her, the shop and the items she sells in it.
In the meantime if you are a Den Haag (The Hague) Local Soul, I can recommend a visit in person and/or a look at their website: http://www.livinglabuenavida.com/lang/en/about/
(photograph © Kiwidutch)
(photograph © Kiwidutch)
(photograph © Kiwidutch)
(photograph © Kiwidutch)
(photograph © Kiwidutch)
(photograph © Kiwidutch)
(photograph © Kiwidutch)
