Saturday 3 August 2013

Saturday - Pride and joy on the grachten in Amsterdam

Who said that there would be no more Queen's Days?!

Today dozens of colourful, glittery and very loud boats packed with handsome guys and sexy girls, partying on the Prinsengracht, will be joining thousands of people "partying back" in the streets along the canal and its surroundings: it's the Amsterdam Gay Pride.... and with weather like this, it's going to be a blast!

http://www.amsterdamgaypride.nl/



Today's bonus suggestion (thanks awesome L.!): Schollenpop, free beach music festival in Scheveningen, with loads of different genres and bands including, from what I read on the website, rappers, metal and the Belgian answer to One Direction!

http://www.schollenpop.nl/

Friday 2 August 2013

Friday - ABC Trade-In Day in The Hague

Today, from 11.00 till 17.00 at the American Book Center in Den Haag, you can bring English books you have already read and want to get rid of and get in exchange a voucher for the purchase of new books.

All kind of fiction accepted but no non-fiction or children books.

http://www.abc.nl/frontpage/events/index.php?show=details&place=abc&event=872

Second hand book shop in Edimburgh

Thursday 1 August 2013

Thursday - Cheese market in Gouda

Although I must admit that I am not a massive fan of Dutch cheese (apart from the zeer oud), I find the objects and traditions around it very intriguing.

For instance, before moving to Holland I didn't know that the object called kaasschaaf existed. Nor had I ever thought that millions of people could eat bread and cheese for lunch every single day.

So indeed, very fascinating.

There are therefore some must see places for Dutch cheese's aficionados and I think that the capital of the bright yellow stuff must definitely be Gouda. (although I personally associate Gouda mostly with a former colleague with a passion for fossils and body building, but I'm digressing...)

In summer, the best day to visit is Thursday morning, when the traditional cheese market takes place on the Markt. Cheeses are weighted and then traded with a ritual involving loads of hands moving and shaking.

Free samples and plenty of photo ops are offered to the visitors and there's a market selling traditional crafts too.

Gouda cheese market


Wednesday 31 July 2013

Wednesday - One drawing a day

Found this flyer around and was intrigued by the simple (yet intriguing) white and blue graphics. Plus, it follows the "daily" principle which I obviously like.

Astrid Moors is the artist behind this project which focuses on quotes, sayings and facts about water. All of them accompanied by a drawing.

One per day (and one per week in July and August).

http://www.wijswater.nl

Tuesday 30 July 2013

Tuesday - Topspots, a mouthwatering app

This new app, created by a Dutch photographer, allows you to get a glimpse of places where you I'd like to go for dinner, but would rather prefer to get a "feeling" of the place first (do I need a tie? are there any patrons over 25 y.o.? Or below 75? is the décor tacky? are the waiters fit? etc...)

Each entry is focussed on the pictures, with a short complementing text in English and the contact details.

Available at the moment are just Amsterdam and Rotterdam, but other Dutch (Den Haag, Utrecht) and international cities (Stockholm, Hong Kong) will be added soon as well.

Some features available on line, but it's actually conceived as an app for Ipad and Android.

http://www.topspotsamsterdam.com/

http://www.topspotsrotterdam.com/


Monday 29 July 2013

Monday - Amsterdam's 9 Straatjes

When you feel like doing a bit of shopping, have grown tired of all the usual chains populating the Dutch high streets and maybe are looking for something different, take a walk around the "9 straatjes" (= 9 little streets) in Amsterdam.

This cute-ish name defines an area comprising 9 blocks enclosed between the Singel and the Prinsengracht, dotted with small indipendent shops, cafes and vintage (too expensive to be called second-hand, that is) shops.

Even if you don't need (or want) to buy anything, a walk around and maybe a stop for a bite and a drink are still worthy, as the whole area has a nice village feeling to it and is away-from-the maddening-crowds that roam the Dam or the Red Light District.

http://www.de9straatjes.nl/uk/


As seen in a shop in one of the 9 straatjes.


Sunday 28 July 2013

Sunday - City of bikes: a book about a men who loves bikes

Quick post today as I am briefly away from my beloved laptop.

It's a book about someone who goes to Amsterdam to study the city's bike culture and ends up staying, writing a book about the bike culture in the process.

http://www.cityofbikes.com/