Category Archives: Amsterdam travel

An introduction to Dutch Jenever

An all-too-rare blogpost; a gift to my followers for the holidays- a story of alcohol! I am not much of a hard liquor drinker. I prefer my daily glass of wine (usually white these days) or a nice hoppy British … Continue reading

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old but helpful Dutch rail card news

The old paper tickets are obsolete on Dutch trains. Now you need a smart card, called the OV-chipkaart. Similar to NYC’s Metro card or the London Oyster and Travel cards, these can be bought as either single use or multi-use, … Continue reading

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Random news from the Netherlands – summer 2014

A bunch of items from Dutch News. Though some of the articles came out several weeks ago, the news is still valid as far as I can find. Mopeds, helmets and bike lanes. A surprising find during restoration of a … Continue reading

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Celebrating Queen’s/King’s Day/Night in the Netherlands

In 2013, the annual celebration of Queen Beatrix’s birthday at the end of April became a joint Queen’s/King’s Day all over the Netherlands. It was to be the last Queen’s Day (Koninginnedag) and the first of many King’s Days (Koningsdag), … Continue reading

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Dutch rail tickets and Heathrow’s runway plans

From Dutch News. Paper train tickets are being phased out this summer. Time to look into the alternatives. The chipkaart sounds similar to NYC’s Metro Cards and London’s Oyster card and should be easy to get. The tricky part may … Continue reading

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Dutch tidbits – spring 2014

From Dutch news. Bike parking to be expanded in Amsterdam. A canal house is being created using a 3D printer and is open to visitors. Problems with high-speed rail service continues, but slow trains are still in service between A’dam … Continue reading

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Miscellaneous art news around Europe 2014

From London Independent – Matisse at the Tate Modern thru early September 2014. More Matisse at the Musée d’Art Moderne in Paris and a Matisse trail in Collioure in French Languedoc (aka French Catalunya). This last one sounds intriguing – see info at … Continue reading

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Keukenhof 2014 is open for business

The best spring garden show in the world, Keukenhof, has just opened in Lisse, Netherlands and runs through mid-May. If you’ve never been and you love flowers and gardens and springtime, you’ll love this annual event. Keukenhof is turning into my … Continue reading

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Tidbits from Dutch news – Feb 2014

Here are a couple of stories from Dutch news from last month… The Hermitage’s Amsterdam location is now home to thirty Golden Age paintings by Rembrandt et al., similar to his masterpiece The Night Watch, which lives at the Rijksmuseum … Continue reading

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Souvenirs from King’s / Queen’s Day in Amsterdam 2013

King’s Day / Queen’s Day in Amsterdam in 2013 was a once-in-a-lifetime combination affair – the reigning queen stepped down and her son became king. Two for the price of one. Despite having no vested interest in the ceremonies, I … Continue reading

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Dutch railways removing yellow timetable boards

From Dutch News. The giant yellow timetable signboards have been a hallmark of Dutch rail stations for ages. Nowadays, with so many passengers checking the up-to-the-minute digital signs or using online apps for trip planning, the yellow timetables have been … Continue reading

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A good year predicted for Dutch wine – Dutch wine?

From DutchNews. 2013 looks to be a good year for Dutch winemakers. The Dutch make some great cheese. Who knew the Dutch made wine?? Great combination, though.

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Van Gogh’s lost masterpiece

From France 24. Sunset at Montmajour by Van Gogh has been found, authenticated and unveiled at the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam. You should go.

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Amsterdam’s canals are 400 years old in 2013

From Dutch News. A short video celebrating Amsterdam’s canals and the fun to be had on them. More than just sightseeing boats; my favorite clip? ice skating on the frozen canal!

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Dutch coffeeshops, “beer” and a speedtrap

From Dutch News. Although Dutch laws have been changed so that non-residents are no longer allowed to buy dope in coffeeshops, the implementation date has not been announced. Hurry up and get your tokes in now! On another consumer note, … Continue reading

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Some quick notes from Europe

Haaj. Hola. Hello! Coming to the end of the first week on vaca. Wi-fi has been spotty to say the least. The hotel in London only had access in the lobby, a real pain. The place I stayed in Alkmaar … Continue reading

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More April 2013 news from Europe

From France 24. The Gates of Hell have been dug up in Turkey (not a government building – it’s an archaeological site). From London Independent. This event was linked to in a previous blog post. Ruminations on the reopening of Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum … Continue reading

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Dutch and other European news March/April 2013

From Dutch News and BBC. Two big art museums in Amsterdam are sue to reopen after long closures. One is the Rijksmuseum, home of Rembrandt’s The Night Watch, among many other masterpieces. It will reopen on 13 April. Also, the … Continue reading

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train prices and schedules between Netherlands and Belgium

High speed rail services between A’dam and Brussels will boost prices by almost 30%. Yikes! From DutchNews.  US tourists would do well to double-check prices from RailEurope in case there are savings to be had there. Then there is the … Continue reading

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The Netherlands needs more free houses to provide better beer choices for customers – discuss

From DutchNews. A heads-up for beer lovers looking for more in Holland than Heineken and Grolsch (Grolsch now owned by SAB Miller). Pooey. Beer prices are rising and affecting many landlords because their pubs and cafes are essentially properties renting … Continue reading

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The Dutch think of everything!

Reblogged from work.failblog.org (odd name for a blog) et al – Dutch help for men

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Van Gogh Museum makes a new acquisition

Amsterdam’s Van Gogh museum has acquired another Van Gogh long held privately. From Dutch News.

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Keukenhof is open for 2012; the most beautiful spring garden in the world

Keukenhof is open for 2012! The latest listing of events for Keukenhof 2012, including a link for tickets

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do a good deed when you’re in Amsterdam

Here’s an idea for something you might do next time you’re in Amsterdam

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Spring splendor at Keukenhof Gardens; a photo album

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