Embassy Festival

The Hague, Netherlands

Where can you watch a traditional Thai dance, eat Pakistani chicken and rice with mango sauce for lunch, and then learn about Tango over a cup of Argentinian tea, all within a day? The Hague's Embassy Festival is a chance to do all of this and more! Last weekend was the second annual festival, showcasing the different countries who are represented in the International City of Peace and Justice.

The festival was crowded with curious visitors.

A large crowd turned out, with many of the tents packed with people tasting wine, collecting travel brochures, and buying handcrafted souvenirs. This was a chance for countries to show off their cuisine with aromas of fried coconut balls, shish kebab roasting over coals, and tortillas on the grill beckoning visitors every which way.

Slovakian majolica pottery.

Performers entertained throughout the day. I walked from one tent with dancers from Thailand to another featuring a French flutist. Along the way I picked up some Filipino recipes, tried a lightly seasoned fried bread ball at the Haiti tent, and perused Russian nesting dolls.

Thai dance. Their colorful dresses really brightened up the overcast day!

Despite being right next to the U.S. embassy along the beautiful Lange Voorhout promenade, the Americans didn't make an appearance.

In a city full of embassies located in beautiful, historic
buildings, this has to be the most foreboding one I've seen...