Sinterklaas Countdown

After purchasing my groceries and the last ingredients for Sinterklaas party on the 5th December I decided to take some pics of our local banket bakkerij. Actually the owners are our friends and I had already asked permission to photograph the shop from outside and their handmade delicacies.

It is difficult to take pics with all the glass reflections. Anyway, I try to give you readers an impression of elements used in the decoration of a Dutch bakery in a village somewhere in North Holland...

I greeted sweet I. (the baker's wife) from outside and she invited me to photograph also the interior - photo above. Her father-in-law came immeditely from inside the shop and told her "Hey I., somebody is making pics of our shop ! Why ?" She informed him that it was okay and it was just me: A.
Then I was invited by R. to make some pics from inside. He was just finishing some chocoladeletters. That's a Dutch tradition: chocolate made initials that can be given/exchanged as a little present as sign of affection. How lovely is that ?

R. in action: ambachtelijk werk, handmade precious work. Generally the letters found in supermarkets and department stores are just chocolate (white, milk chocolate or dark). By small businesses you can find more refined products, the letters are then decorated with different types of nuts, caramel and other ingredients.

Work in progress...

Wonderful work R. ! And thanks for inviting me in.

While walking back home my little girl mentioned: "I have just seen lots of Zwarte Pieten, mom !". I asked her where. She said: "inside the building we have just passed by". I went back to have a look inside the gym hall, maybe there were lots of dolls of zwarte Pieten on the ground or something like that. Or maybe it was just her imagination. For my surprise there were indeed some kids dressed up. I started to make some photos and suddenly some moms showed up, concerned about me. I asked my little girl to wave the moms goodbye and we went away. Some meters further I heard: "Mevrouw, mevrouw !" (madam, madam !) and a kid came to us holding a little bag with peppernoten (see photo below).

I thanked him and made also pics of him with my little girl. I also asked whether I could make more pics of the other "Peters". He promptly agreed. Check below:

Thanks kids !