The Netherlands have succumbed to Eurovision Fever. Well, within reasonable limits, after all the Eurovision is no World Cup, nor even the Olympics. Nevertheless, this year for the first time in almost a decade, the Dutchies are sincerely excited by the fact that this year they actually stand a good shot at winning. And a lot of that excitement has to do with Anouk, the Netherlands' 2013 entry into the Eurovision Song Contest....
It has recently come to my attention that the Amsterdam Hermitage is an incredible museum. I don't know how or why I have until now missed out on this realization but I feel rather silly. I probably should warn you that I am a huge museum buff (is that even as a thing? if not, it should be), my favorite types of museums being those that focus on history and culture. The Hermitage falls precisely within this...
The other day, a tweet showed up on my Twitter feed. It was from an acquaintance of mine, a fellow American and expat in the Netherlands. The Tweet contained a quote - from whom, she didn't say. And it went a little something like this: "I thought only Amsterdam had canals." While this is far from true (the Netherlands is crawling with them), the Amsterdam canals are the best known outside of the...
Although I've already written at length about the Rijksmuseum in anticipation of the re-opening, now that I’ve actually personally been there, I realize that you can never say too much about the Rijksmuseum. Also, in case you haven't noticed, this week has been a pretty big one for the Netherlands and all things orange and Dutch in general, and nothing (that isn't a windmill) screams "Dutch" more than the Rijksmuseum. To get into the spirit of all...
Once upon a time, in a low-lying kingdom far away and yet not really so far at all, the long-reigning Queen, in the dusk of her years, decided to abdicate her throne. Having ruled the kingdom for many a year, the Queen, she of the glorious hats, had begun to desire some hard-earned leisure time free of ceremonial openings, ribbon cuttings, and public hand-waving. Once the musicians of the court found out that, for the...
So, Justin Bieber was in the Netherlands as part of his Believe world tour. He gave a concert at the GelreDome in Arnhem on April 13. In case you've been living under a rock, Justin Bieber is the nineteen-year-old Canadian pop star who has taken the teeny-bopper world by storm. His Dutch Beliebers had snatched up all the tickets within hours of them going on sale. But what really caught the country's attention...
Yes, I said "Twibbon." As in twitter + ribbon = twibbon. There seems to be a twibbon for every occasion and every cause: marriage equality, Canadians living with cancer, freedom for Hassan Mostafa, and, the recent edition of the vlaggen voor de koning (flags for the king). Why? Well, because the Netherlands will be getting it's first king in over 100 years on April 30 of this year. On January 28th, Queen Beatrix...
Although Amsterdam is undoubtedly the city of Heineken (have you SEEN the lines to get into the company's museum?) and other beers of the lowlands, there comes a day in everyone's life when a glass of wine in the warm sunshine is necessary. And as the sunlight gets ever hotter, and Amsterdam streets even busier (oh yes, they get EVEN busier than they are now) a table on the patio of a wine-bar just...
The Netherlands has a complex legacy when it comes to World War II. Unlike the Allied nations that were in a clear position to deem themselves WWII victors after Germany was divided up, as a territory occupied from the get go, the Dutch never had that privilege. The Netherlands was home to not only the Dutch Resistance, but also many, many other brave men and women assisting Allied troops in any clandestine way...
Italy is the birth place of Comedia dell'arte, New York is known for it's Broadway theater district, and London has The West End. There are numerous places to go during your travels where you can see some great theater. But no list is complete if Amsterdam's not on it. Seriously, this city is teeming with creatives performing on the street, in theaters, and during festivals. There are numerous theater groups, troupes, and organizations...
