Dick Bruna Pilgrimage for my 50th Birthday - Jane Foster in Utrecht

Utrecht

The illustrator Dick Bruna has been a huge influence to me and my work for many years so it felt right that I celebrated my 50th Birthday in Utrecht. I was born in 1970 and grew up with his Miffy books. I’ve always been a Miffy fan and have always loved bold, primary colours. Dick Bruna died two years ago (ironically on my Birthday) and I was very sad that I didn’t ever get to meet him in real life as I’d wanted to for many years.

I decided to take my partner and daughter to three days in Utrecht and to indulge in all things Dick Bruna and Miffy!

I had previously done some research to find out the exact cafe that Dick Bruna used to pop into each morning on his bike whilst on route to his studio. It was a beautiful old cafe called the Cafe Orlaff, just opposite the canal. I went inside and sat at the table he used to sit at and drew a little sketch of his chair. It felt so utterly amazing to be sitting where he used to sit and seeing the view of the cafe/bar that he’d have seen each morning. (Photos below - taken ny the very kind woman behind the bar!)

We visited the Central Museum as they’ve recreated Dick Bruna’s attic studio in the museum studio on the top floor. This was incredible as not only have they recreated his studio in as much accurate detail as possible, I got to see Dick Bruna’s bike, his drawing pens, original sketches and hundreds of his books. I also watched a little film of Dick Bruna hand painting his characters onto paper with such precision. It was also great to see some of his early art and to see how it changed over time.

Our last treat was popping over to the new Miffy Museum, which is directly opposite the Central Museum. It’s usually a place you’d take a toddler (and not an eleven year old!) but I didn’t feel left out as there were a few other grown up Miffy fans there too! I didn’t take many photos as there were lots of children darting all over the place - if you’d like to see more, visit the link to the museum here. Below are the photos I managed to take in between all the excitable children! *The lockers were adorable as were the toilets!

All in all it was a wonderful trip. We also enjoyed the museum cafe where my daughter ate a Miffy pancake. (or course!) Below are some other photos I took around Utrecht in case you’re tempted by a visit. It’s a beautiful city where everyone cycles, the people are friendly, the cafes and shops are wonderful and it’s perfect if you love walking along the cobbled streets watching the world go by.