Dutch idiom, ‘zet de bloemetjes buiten’ literally translated means, put the flowers outside. Painting the town red is the best translation, but please let me know if you have other ideas as expressions are sometimes so hard to translate directly. … Continue reading
One of the things I love about Amsterdam is the city farms that are dotted around town. City farms are such a wonderful way to introduce town kids to animals. I grew up on a farm and know how much … Continue reading
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St David’s Day is traditionally celebrated on 1st March each year. On the nearest weekend to 1st March there is a St David’s Day concert in the English reformed church in het Begijnhof. The afternoon starred the wonderful Welsh soprano and … Continue reading
An appointment to meet at a certain time and place, especially one made secretly by lovers. She had to look up the word’s meaning in the tribe’s human dictionary. The anonymous note intrigued her, the words written in charcoal, smudging … Continue reading
Recently, a friend loaned me a book about Amsterdam gevelstenen (stone plaques) by Onno W. Boers. A system of house numbering was introduced in Amsterdam in 1795; all the plaques on the front of buildings before this date acted as … Continue reading
Yesterday I went shopping in Haarlem with my husband. What a turn up for the books! He was dashing in and out of the shops and bought an Ortlieb rucksack, frying pan and a new pair of van Lier shoes, … Continue reading
Originally posted on KimberlySullivan:
Well, perhaps in all honesty, I should entitle this post: Why this writer loves Downton Abbey. Still, I see it’s become something of a trend recently. The Writer this month features the British period miniseries Downton…
In the centre of Amsterdam, bordering on the Vondelpark, you will find one of the most beautiful riding schools in Europe. ‘De Hollandsche Manege’ is an elegant 18th century school which is one of Amsterdam’s better kept secrets. If you … Continue reading
In December 1961 de Jaap Eden IJsbaan (skating rink) opened its doors to the public. It was the third 400 metre rink in the world. It used an innovative ‘direct’ freezing system which means that ammonia evaporates from underground pipes … Continue reading
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