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When you celebrate your 50th birthday in the Netherlands, the Dutch refer to this as ‘meeting Abraham’ if you are male, or ‘meeting Sarah’ if you are female. It is a tradition that honours a person gaining wisdom through experience. It is a major birthday that many look forward to and a cause for a great party.
Continue reading “Seeing Abraham & Sarah”
The Dutch kaassoufflé (cheese soufflé) served at snack bars has nothing to do with the light fluffy soufflé dish that is baked in the oven.
Continue reading “Dutch Snackbar: Kaassoufflé”
The IWCN has released an updated edition of its Welcome Guide to the North. A 167 page handbook full of useful information for the newly arrived internationals living in Groningen, Friesland and Drenthe.
Continue reading “IWCN: Welcome Guide to the North 2018 – 2019”
Commercials and store windows all over the place push us to buy chocolates, flowers, teddy bears and all kinds of merchandise with hearts printed on it. But is this really the way to express true love? And is romantic love the only one that deserves to be celebrated? How about loving your family and friends? How about self-love? Here are some ideas that we believe say “I love you” louder than a million heart-shaped chocolates with a teddy bear inside.
Continue reading “Love is in the air!”
What phenomenon happens -on average- only once every 7 years, has not happened in the last 17 years (it might happen this coming winter after all!) and drives Dutch people hysterical when there’s only a glimpse of hope that it could possibly occur?
Continue reading “Elfstedentocht”
It was a beautiful August day in Oslo. We were back after Hans and I spent two weeks hiking in the highlands where a highlight was walking past birch trees less than an inch tall to reach the toe of a glacier near Finse. We were then fit and ready for two full days in the city.
In the morning we went to Frogner Park. Amazingly popular, no trip to Oslo can be complete without a visit here, like it or hate it. I was mesmerized. There are hundreds of stories in the stone and brass sculptures all made by one man, Gustav Vigeland.
Continue reading “Oslo, Norway”
Depending on where you come from, your typical Dutch bathroom may seem quite familiar or might not.
You will have your toilet and sink, the shower (and maybe a bath) may occupy the same room or be separate, and then there are the few quirky Dutch elements too that you might not be quite so used to …
