Season's greetings

This blog goes on holidays and wishes you all a wonderful time during this festive season.

We will be back mid-january with a new format and plenty of new ideas on ... Things to do in Holland.

Tot ziens!

Monday - Winter table parade

You know the Parades in summer, those sort of high brow fun fairs with theatre acts, music and dance performances taking place in circus-like settings?

This is the winter version, only that the artists will performing on the top of a 120-meter long table at which you will be sitting and enjoying a drink.

www.tafelvanidee.nl

Sunday - Fairytales in Den Haar's castle

Den Haag castle is a wonderful fairytale like castle just outside Utrecht.

During the Christmas holidays, it comes alive with its ancient inhabitants and their fabolous fantasy lives.

Sprookjes van Den Haag is open till the 5 January, including  on Christmas and Boxing days: the perfect treat for kids who have it all!

www.kasteeldenhaar.nl

Saturday - Natural beauty in Groningen

Natural beauty is not just the topic of the popular BBC show "Snog, Marry or Avoid".

It's also the main theme of an ongoing exhibition in the Groninger Museum, showcasing the never seen before collection of a German art enthusiast.

Mr Rau managed to collect more than 800 pieces covering 500 years of Western art history: Sisley, Monet and Morandi among the others.

Possibly to be combined with some Christmas shopping in Groningen...

http://www.groningermuseum.nl/en/exhibition/natural-beauty-%E2%80%93-fra-angelico-monet

Friday - On Titanic and other stories

Last chance to see Ashley Ramsden performing "Titanic" and the "Man who planted seeds" today, at the Paradijs in the Koninklijke Schouwburg.

We have been on Wednesday and as always loved the atmosphere and the performance of this amazing story-teller and are very grateful to the STET who keeps bringing him here year in and year out.

http://www.ashleyramsden.com/

http://www.theenglishtheatre.nl/

Thursday - Christmas ballets

In case you were looking for a traditional Christmas ballet, the Dutch National Ballet is currently performing Sleeping Beauty at the Muziektheater in Amsterdam while the DDDD at the Lucent Dance Theater will make the Nutcracker come alive in Den Haag.

http://www.het-muziektheater.nl/en/program/2013-2014/sleeping-beauty/

http://www.ddddd.nu/en/productie.php?page=31

Wednesday - On cute cats and other animals, in Enschede

An interactive touchy feely exhibition for kids between 4 and 12, "Ah, wat lief" at the Concordia in Enschede, explores the psychological motives that make people exclaim "Oooo, it's so cute!" when they see a pet.

What would Grumpy Cat say? No, probably.

http://www.concordia.nl/detail/4034/ah-wat-lief-concordia

Tuesday - Theo Jansen's marvellous beach walking machines

Theo Jansen is a Dutch artist who, in his own words, creates nothing less than "new forms of life".

Intelligent, self thinking machines made of PVC tubes, ropes and plastic bottles which once a year he lets loose on a Dutch beach.

Watch him here explaining his creations during a TED talk, it's pretty amazing:

http://www.ted.com/talks/theo_jansen_creates_new_creatures.html

They use the power of the wind to walk and are able, through a mechanism that's explained in the video, to detect the water and stop when they reach it. He even was able to develop a system to allow the machine to fix itself to the ground when it gets stormy.

It's A.I. made of rubbish and it's wonderful to watch.

You can visit his lab/studio in Ypenburg by following the (very sweet and low key) directions provided on his website:

http://www.strandbeest.com/events.php

The location of the next straandbeest walk will be announced on his website in January 2014.

Copyrighted

Monday - Den Bosch

Frequently overlooked by mainstream tourists, possibly because they would never be able to pronounce its name when trying to buy a train ticket, 'S-Hertogenbosch, or as us in known call it, Den Bosch, should instead be featured more prominently among the Dutch cities known by visitors.

And, as the poster below seen along track 5 at Schiphol mentions, it has been awarded the title " most guest friendly city of the NL".

It has a splendid gothic cathedral, it was the hometown of the awesomely freaky painter Jeronimus Bosch and, being in Noord Barabant, is known for its food and cakes.

Furthermore, there's an ongoing "Winter Paradise Festival" perfect for 'tis season.

http://www.boschwinterparadijs.nl/

http://www.vvvdenbosch.nl/go/home

Sunday - Amsterdam Sunday Market

Another day, another market, this time in Amsterdam.

Browse around for your sustainable Christmas presents, taste organic food, copy crafty ideas and remake them yourself at home, enjoy the artworks and keep the kids entertained.

http://www.sundaymarket.nl/

Saturday - Utrecht street market

Lovely monthly market in Utrecht, this time in a Christmas version and lasting till Sunday instead than just the customary Saturday.

http://destreekmarkt.nl/

Friday - Candle-lit Christmassy Gouda

Together with the Christmas Carol show, this has to be my favorite Christmassy thing to do in Holland.

The whole city shines in the warmth of flickering fairy lights and at between 19.00 and 20.00, the lights on the Markt are turned off and in each window on the square, including in the gothic city hall, a candle is lit.

It's truly magical and I warmly recommend it. It also includes many of side events.

http://eng.goudabijkaarslicht.nl/

Thursday - Our Dear Lord in the Attic

After a thread of churches becoming something else, this post kind of goes in the opposite direction, since it's part of a house (the upper floors) that hides a church.

Our Lord in the Attic is definitely the coolest museum in Amsterdam.

A facade of a XVII century canal house hides a church "carved" during the Reformation, when catholics where forbidden to practice their religion, at least in public.

http://www.opsolder.nl/eng/home.php

Copyright I Amsterdam

Wednesday - Amsterdam's hidden trasures

One comment I hear a lot from first time visitors to Amsterdam, is that they didn't like it a lot and found it tacky, messy and cheap looking.

The problem is, all first time visitors limit themselves to the Damrak, the Dam, the Red Light District and the occasional visit to Leidseplein, without even ever knowing about the existence of the Joordan or the Pijp, for instance.

A little, cute and hand-drawn map tries to put remedy to this by featuring the city's lesser known attractions: 9 Straatjes, small cafes, indipendent shops and smaller museums.

http://city-treasure-map.com

Tuesday - The (bike) hitchhiker's guide of The Netherlands

We all have seen couples, friends and family members biking this way, however an artist based in Utrecht, Mapije de Wit, went a step further: she installed Bike Hitchhiking signs in several spots in Utrecht, so if you have a free spot on the back of your bike and are going in the same direction, you can give someone a
bike-lift.

The Municipality of Utrecht is actually thinking about officially adopting the scheme.

http://mapije.com/v3/projecten/fiets-lift-plaats/

Copyright Mapije.com

Monday - Things to do in Rotterdam

A very late post but as we get closer to Christmas, days seems to be getting shorter and more hectic.

So today I will only be able to share a link I have found on the Independent with suggestions and tips on things to do in Rotterdam.

http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/48-hours-in/48-hours-in-rotterdam-8198260.html

Sunday - Laurenskerk in Rotterdam

A church that is still a church and hasn't been converted into anything fancy, is the Laurenskerk in Rotterdam, one of the few architectural survivors of the war's bombing.

For those who are interested, there are several services every Sunday. For all the others, it's still worth visiting, since they have a varied program of concerts and cultural events.

www.laurenskerkrotterdam.nl

Saturday - Amsterdam Light Festival

Another festival to cheer us up during this dark time of the year: Amsterdam Light Festival.

It started yesterday and will last till January, so plenty of time to admire light spectacles in more than 50 locations.

www.amsterdamlightfestival.com

Friday - Stroom Exformation

Culture vulture Marketa sent me this and I republish with pleasure.

Stroom is a The Hague based cultural centre organising a series of events that explore contemporary art, media and society.

http://stroom.nl/activiteiten/tentoonstelling.php?t_id=5430856

Thursday - Christmas markets and Sinterklaas

The Netherlands are not famed for their Christmas markets, however this is true especially "north of the big rivers", where the protestant ethics is stronger and people looks down at people trying to have too much fun, while they should be working or at least stay indoor and be sorry.

South of the rivers, where those carefree, sinning, easy going, Carnival loving catholics live, it's a whole different story.

That's why a very fine Christmas market can be found in Maastricht. (Although if you rather go for the real thing, just go over the border to Aachen).

This could also be because the main Dutch seasonal celebration is Sinterklaas and not so much Christmas. Families will be gathering tonight to celebrate the arrival of Saint Nicholas and exchange gifts, sweets and poems.

So...enjoy the mulled wine and have a wonderful Pakjesavond!

http://www.vvv-maastricht.eu/winter/ice_skating.html

Wednesday - Rotterdam's tropics and the amazing butterflies

It's not really something for me, as insects on the loose tend to creep me out, but for those who do like it, here's a place to warm up after you have visited the zoo's "great outdoors".

Amazonica offers a taste of tropics, with foliage, flowers, humidity and temperature straight from the jungle. And of course, with butterflies.

https://www.diergaardeblijdorp.nl/nl/blijdorp%20actueel/amazonica/

Not butterflies.

Tuesday - It's beginning to look a lot like ... A Christmas Carol

It's not strictly happening today, however you should better book on time because it tends to become sold out very quickly.

A Christmas Carol, narrated by skilled British storyteller Ashley Ramsden, is the most Christmassy thing you could possibly do this year.

Definitely a must see and I should know, since I have seen it at least 5 times and brought to the shows everyone I know.

Shows are on the 12, 17 and 21, with or without convivial dinner afterwards, hosted by Mr Scrooge in person.

Three cheers to STET for bringing it back once again!

http://www.theenglishtheatre.nl/stet-productions/2013/a-christmas-carol-and-other-stories-to-lighten-the-darkness.html

Monday - The King's walk

In these times of royal celebrations, if the weather stays dry and in case one has plenty of time in their hands, you could chose to follow the Royal Route and visit all the relevant sights related to the Royal Family.

Palaces mainly, but also churches, gardens, statues and all things royals, are connected by a path that crosses cities,  villages and very picturesque areas.

Actually, when I come to think about it,  it's quite rare that these ruling families chose to live near a dump, a factory or a container terminal...

http://www.koninklijkeweg.nl/

Follow the sign.

Sunday - Holy tome!

Appropriate post for the first Advent Sunday...

We went to the Olivier  yesterday, the secret church remade into a Belgian pub.

Another interesting - and aptly name - ... conversion took place in Zwolle: the Brothers' Church, which is nowadays an astounding library, restaurant and exhibition space.

http://waandersindebroeren.nl

Copyright Homedsg

Saturday - The Landing of the Orange Prince

Although they don't have the scale and frequency of, say, the Gettysburg re-enactment, the celebrations for the anniversary of the foundation of the Kingdom of The Netherlands are set up in similar fashion every 25 years.

This year, being the 200th Anniversary, they have done things in style, with hundreds of extras in costumes, the re-enactment of the landing, shows from the Navy and the Royal Air Force and the actual King in attendance.

http://www.denhaagviert.nl/

Not the actual King.

Friday - Warm up with art and culture

Tonight in the Gemeentemuseum in The Hague a "Warm Winter Evening" event, with guided tours to the several ongoing exhibitions and collections, tastings of food and drinks, lectures, music and dancing.

http://www.gemeentemuseum.nl/activiteiten/warme-winteravond-kunst-op-onder-de-huid

It looks like it's going to rain...for a change (copyrighted)

Thursday - International Documentary Film Festival

I just realised that this year's IDFA has started already, on the 20th November! It's ending on the 1st December, so still some days to go.

Really cool documentary festival: all the best titles you are going to hear about in the coming months will probably be presented here, plus concerts and fringe events..

I am reading the program and I totally wish I had the week off...(boss, if you are reading this, maybe we could go together? ;)

http://www.idfa.nl/nl.aspx

Wednesday - Rotterdam Design Prize 2013

Rotterdam, the hippest (and hipster-est) city in The Netherlands, is hosting it's twelfth Design Prize.

Finalist creations are on display at the Boijmans van Beuningen, which is free for Museum Card holders, and is an amazing labyrinthine wonderland of great art surprises: a must go!

Watch out for the Cattelan's curious man on the second floor (custom made for the museum, as you will see), Bruegel's Tower of Babel  and the coolest coat hanger ever.

http://www.boijmans.nl/en/

http://designprijs.nl/en

Tuesday - Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2013

It seems that the London Natural History Museum's "Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2013" exhibition is very good and definitely worth a visit.

Some colleagues mentioned it yesterday at lunch and I though I'll share.

Here the page at Museon:

http://www.museon.nl/nl/node/10963

Here the original page:

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/visit-us/whats-on/temporary-exhibitions/wpy/onlineGallery.do

Meow!...copyright: Museon

Monday - The holy cronut

The wait is finally over: the cronut has landed in The Netherlands.

This delicacy from NY, a artery clogging deep fried pastry, the love-child of a croissant and a donut (hence the name) is available in a bakery called "Van Orsouw", in Zwolle.

http://www.banketbakkerij-vanorsouw.nl/

Copyrighted cronut pic.

Sunday - I'm gotta get high!

It's quite rare to have a view from above anywhere in The Netherlands however according to the The Hague Tower's flyer, you can have the "Highest Tea Ever" at their restaurant on the last floor.

Although this claim could be ambiguous in a country famous for its coffee shops, I am assured it's the regular kind of tea we are talking about...

Sip your tea, enjoy your cake, take in the view. When the sky is clear, you can see the cranes in Rotterdam's harbour and Delft's spires.

http://www.haagsetoren.nl/

Copyright: venue.nl

Saturday - Are we human or are we dancers?

When we were kids, my sister and I used to watch a French cartoon series whose title can be roughly translated as "Exploring the Human Body".

The main characters (Hemo and Globina) were travelling inside the body and assisting to the amazing processes that keep us alive, the fights against diseases, the way vaccines work and so on...

My sister was even collecting the books: the first one came with a transparent shell of a human body and at each release you were getting one more organ/body part. Kind of creepy, but great educational fun!

The CORPUS is Leiden seems to offer a very similar experience, albeit in 5D and on a massive scale (it's 35 meters tall).

As they say on their flyer "you enter at the knee and get out in the brain" and in between you see and explore, using all your senses, the organs and vital functions of the amazing human body.

http://www.corpusexperience.nl/nl/

Friday - Rotterdam: Centre for Contemporary Art

As mentioned it in yesterday's post, the Witte de With Centre for Contemporary Art is a cool institution if you are interested in out-of-the-ordinary and unusual art.

We have been there on several occasions during the Museum Night and always saw something new, bizarre or thought provoking (or all these things together).

Not for the faint hearted, people with little fantasy or those who think "Oh, my 3 years old could have made this one".

Remember, all art has been contemporary.

http://www.wdw.nl/

Thursday - Haters gonna hate

This fantastic de-motivational poster ornates the side of  Witte de With's Center for Contemporary Art in Rotterdam.

Wednesday - Rijksmuseum Library's Reading Room

I haven't had the chance to visit the renovated Rijksmuseum yet, however I was browsing Pinterest yesterday evening and found out that it also has a vaste research library with a splendid reading room.

Like with all the libraries the only problem could be that the more you read, the more you would like to read...

http://library.rijksmuseum.nl/rrl/search.pl?lang=nl

Copyrighted as mentioned on the picture.

Tuesday - Finding NEMO: Science Museum at Schiphol



The latest addition to the many things you can do while you wait for your flight in Schiphol: visit a sample of NEMO science museum in the green waiting area at the beginning of Terminal B.

 

Amusing experiments, interesting attractions and optical illusions that kids and grown-ups (see below) will love.

 

http://www.e-nemo.nl/en/?id=1&s=1121&PHPSESSID=1916adaf98cfa0b3e655b1e022054d04

Monday - Shell's rope walker

If you pass by the Shell HQ in The Hague you may notice this very peculiar statue going back and forth on a rope.

It's called De Draailoper and it is a creation of an artist called Henk Visch.

Sunday - Shakespeare festival

A brand new creation from those amazing people of STET: the first The Hague's Shakespeare Festival, with performers from the UK, USA an NL presenting their version of the Bard's well known classics but also lesser known pieces.

It starts today and lasts approximately 2 weeks. Several venues.

http://thsf.nl/

Saturday - He is coming! He is coming!

When I moved to Holland many years ago, I was extremely pleased to discover that the Dutch have as well, like in my hometown of Trieste, S.Nicolo, or, as they call him, Sinterklaas.

The difference is that, while back home he comes just once, in the night between the 5 and 6 December, here he arrives today with his boat, horse and controversial helpers.

Like your neighbours do the rest of the year, in the next three weeks he will be checking if you are behaving properly.

He arrives today in several cities, although the official televised one is this year, Groningen.

More info and locations at the link below.

http://www.intochtsinterklaas2013.nl/

Friday - Dancing on the edge

This festival brings together artists from the Middle East and North Africa in a contamination of theater, multi-media, films and lots more. The focus of course is the dance as working platform for creative exchanges.

The Hague's leg of this dance event starts today, but the festival is itinerant and will then move to Utrecht, Rotterdam, Enschede and Groningen.

http://dancingontheedge.nl/

Thursday - Iceberg!... or the Titanic exhibition.

Just heard about it on the news and I though I'd share: a travelling exhibition diplaying a lot of objects recovered from the wreck at the bottom of the sea, re-constructions of the impact and mementos of the passengers.

Quite pricey at 16€ but with loads of interactive features and object from the actual ship, maybe it's worth the money.

http://www.amsterdamexpo.nl/en/expositions/titanic-the-artifact-exhibition/

Wednesday - Klik!

Another interesting ongoing event, this time at the EYE in Amsterdam Noord: Klik! Amsterdam Animation Festival.

Among the highlights: the screening of The Congress, sequel of Waltzer with Bashir, a documentary about the bronies,  male fans of My Little Ponies (I am not making this up) and a retrospective on the Fabolous Fifties.

http://www.klikamsterdam.nl/

Fiction or reality (Brighton)

Tuesday - Eindhoven glows in the dark

Appropriately for the city that used to be synonym with Philips, Eindhoven is hosting an artificial illumination open air festival, with installation and performances based on the use and design of light.

GLOW runs till the 16 November.

In brief: ...let there be light!

http://www.gloweindhoven.nl/website/glow/glow.php?gshow=order&eventId=13&Curr=1&action=home&lId=2

Monday - The IKEA's design birthday bash

Raise your hand if you do not have anything in your house originating from IKEA, not even a lamp, a candle or a piece of frozen salmon.

As I thought: no-one.

The Swedish furniture colossus is celebrating its 35th year in The Netherlands with an exhibition at his store in Amsterdam, taking a journey through the design's development of it's most famous pieces.

It started Saturday 9 and will end on the 17 November.

http://www.ikea.com/nl/nl/35jaar/35jaar_ikea_tentoonstelling.html?icid=nl|iba|20131104|178

My very own EXPEDIT.

PS: today it's Saint Martin, so you might have kiddies ringing your bell and singing you a little song, in exchange for some sweets.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Martin's_Day

Sunday - The expat databases

I was goggling around looking for my next attempt at craft (proximity to Christmas makes you do that):  was it going to be glass moulding? or medieval tapestry? or haberdashery?, when I came across this useful overview on resources for expats, so you can browse at your heart's content during this lazy Sunday.

http://www.denhaag.nl/en/residents/to/Links-and-resources-for-expats-1.htm

Saturday - Rotterdam Pop Week

Sometimes it really looks like the party never ends in this country.

The Rotterdam's Pop Weeke started yesterday and will run till next Sunday with Snoop Dogg ( aka, Snoop Lion, Snoopzilla or - this week - Snoopadelic) making his appearance late on Monday at the VIP Club.

Ain't no party like a Rotterdam's party, cause the Rotterdam's party don't stop.

http://rotterdamsepopweek.popunie.nl/

Friday - Rewire festival

The Hague's Rewire festival starts today in several venues and interesting line-up.

By looking to their Instagram feed (something that any self-respecting hipster festival should have) the venues and set up look pretty cool and the SoundCloud links links give you a good overview on the kind of music they are going to play.

http://www.rewirefestival.nl/

Thursday - Zuiderzee Museum in Einkhuizen

In the 1930s, with the construction of the Ijsselmeer Dam, what used to be the Zuideerzee became divided in  basically two large lakes, without direct access to the wide open sea.

The consequences, losses and ways of living before and after that momentous event are explored in the Zuideerzee Museum in Einkhuizen.

The outdoor museum is closed due to the season, however there is plenty to explore in the indoor part, including some temporary exhibitions.

The English website is very well done:

http://www.zuiderzeemuseum.nl/en/10/home/

Wednesday - A school for the best wining and dining

No matter how much your Dutch friends are praising the virtues of the bitterballen, stamppot and olijebollen, anyone would be hard-pressed to state that The Netherlands are famous for their cuisine.

There are of course many exceptions and with a bit of luck you can manage and find a "pool" of nice eateries where you can enjoy a nice dinner or lunch.

One such well kept secrets are the restaurants of Cooking and Hotel Management schools. Here in The Hague there are several and I am pretty sure that there are more around the country.

We have been there many times and never have been disappointed: great flavours, nice arrangements, good wine pairings and surprisingly professional service. It makes you wonder if all the students move abroad at the end of their education...

Right now they are taking reservations for the Christmas dinners: they will be serving amazing seven courses affairs and I can attest that you will come out happy about the fact that you have to bike home afterwards...

Ow, did I mention the fact that the final price is seldom higher than 20 euro, wine included?

http://www.rocmondriaan.nl/restaurants-roc-mondriaan

Tuesday - Oldies but goldies: short movies of yore

Perfect for a rainy day (and to practice your Dutch) here's a selection of old short films to discover popular and less known places in The Netherlands.

Below this one about Delfshaven, you can find the link to several others.

http://www.avro.tv/video/753/discover-the-netherlands-delfshaven

Monday - Open air photo festival in Leiden

There is still time today and tomorrow to visit the Leiden Open Air Photo Festival.

The photos are displayed on (hopefully waterproof) panels in several locations around the city and are the results of the work of Dutch and international contemporary photographers.

http://talentvollefotografen.com/foto-festival-leiden-2013/

Not one of the entries.

Sunday - Chateau Maestricht

Chateau Maestricht: a celebration of the cuisine and wine makers of Limburg which includes cooking workshops, wine tasting, exhibition and talks...and above all, free samplings.

http://vvvmaastricht.nl/chateaumaestricht.html

And in Dutch, with more info:

http://www.vvv-maastricht.eu/chateau_maestricht.html

Saturday - Amsterdam's Museum Night

Following a scheme applied to similar events around the country, tonight Amsterdam's museums will be open till 02.00.

Although the tickets are sold out, there's often a variety of free side events that everyone can join and it's nice to be out and about with the buzzing artsy crowd, at least to have a chance to point and laugh at the hipsters...

http://museumnachtamsterdam.nl/

Friday - Meet the Huygens'



The third Dutch celeb* I have ever been aware of, when I was still back at home and studying physics at college, must almost certainly be Christiaan Huygens,  the polymath scientist, well know for his studies on optics, lenses and astronomy. A pal of Spinoza, he was in correspondence with several other great men of the time.

 

Also, it turns out he stems from a family of well respected cultural icons of the Golden Age, with his father Constantijn Senior, being a poet, composer and secretary to two Princes of Orange and his brother, Christiaan, a scientist too.

 

The Huigens' House, Hofwijk, in Voorburg, currently hosts an exhibition about this influential family and it's anyway worth a visit since it's a very striking, elegant building with formal gardens and a full program of Christmas activities.

 

* the other two being Van Gogh and Ruud Gullit

 

http://www.hofwijck.nl/

 



Constantijn's marble bust in the Scheveningse Bos

Thursday - Schoonhoven's witch

Today, to do something suitably creepy, one can visit Schoonhoven, where the last alleged Dutch 'witch' was burned 1597..

Apart from this detailed, it's a quaint little town, known for it's gold- and silversmiths (there's a museum about it) and a very ornate water-tower from the beginning of the 20th century.

Happy Halloween to all!


http://nieko.home.xs4all.nl/english.htm

Pumpkin, anyone?