Sunday - Peace of Utrecht's 300 years birthday bash

The first time I ever heard about a place called Utrecht was at school when we studied the eponymous Treaty, signed in 1713 between France, Spain, England and several other countries.

France and Spain agreed to be BFF, Sicily went to Savoy, some more land was officially by decree stolen to the Native Americans, the Spanish Netherlands (what's today's NL and north of Belgium) went to the Holy Roman Emperor...and much more!

So this year Utrecht celebrates that Peace that put it on the map with conferences, shows and exhibitions.

Among other events, today it's day 2 of the Basis Festival in Soest, with the shelters of Soesterberg's Military base open to the public and packed with performances, act, kids' activities and even an assault course (to make peace, possibly?...)

http://www.vredevanutrecht2013.nl/en

Saturday - Ik Hou van Holland

Ik hou van Holland (I love Holland) is not just an awful TV show on which Dutch celebs confront each other on their general knowledge about their own country (lower than mine, it seems), it's also an interesting project being developed by the Stedelijk Museum Schiedam.

The aim is to explore the relations between Dutch art after 1945 and the social, political and cultural contexts in which artists have been creating.

 This series of talks, workshops, short exhibitions and of course loads of art pieces on display will last till 2015.

http://www.stedelijkmuseumschiedam.nl/nl/tentoonstellingen/verwacht-in-2013/281-ik-hou-van-holland-nederlandse-kunst-na-1945

Today there's also the culmination of the celebrations for the 100 years of the Peace Palace, with a big concert and some international guests. The ticket costs some hefty 50 euros, but according to some it's worth it, chiefly because Jude Law will be among the presenters.

http://100jaar.vredespaleis.nl/

The Peace Palace. Copyright: the multi-talented and simply awesome Arturas 2.0

Friday - The Faulty Towers Dining Experience

How many times, when getting a very poor (or rude) service at a cafe' or a restaurant, people think "Jezz, it's like being on Faulty Towers".

Well now you can actually experience almost the real thing: Faulty Towers - The Dining Experience, in on in Rotterdam from tonight and will move to Groningen in February.

Que? Que?!

http://www.interactivetheatre.com.au/ticket_sales/neth-sep2013.html

Thursday - The toast factory

What does it take to create a meal as simple as a toast from scratch, factoring in the human, emotional and ethical implications of rearing a living animal to kill it...and in city centre farm?

The creative minds behind this project decided to figure it out, so earlier in February this year, they got two pigs, some cows and planted the grain.

Now in September, the toasts are finally ready for ... harvest.

http://www.detostifabriek.nl/index.html

Korean toasts, with kiwi jam spread.

Wednesday - The green green grass of het Groene Hart

A maze! Made of corn! Near Utrecht!

...and many other surprising findings will hit you when you browse this site.

Het Groene Hart ( the Green Hearth) is that area you cross when you drive from Utrecht to The Hague, scattered with farmhouses, the occasional windmill line and the ever chillin' cows, but also many little towns and villages with a surprisingly rich past and historical relevance.

http://www.groenehart.nl/

Tuesday - Prinsjesdag

Prinsjesdag is the Dutch equivalent of the British Queen's Christmas speech or the US President's State of the Union address, only instead of happening in December or January, it takes place on the 3rd Tuesday of September.

And let's face it, most of the people feel that the new year actually starts in September, when schools reopen, people are back from holidays and you sign up again for the gym, the Spanish class or the Italian cooking workshop. All of which you will anyway seldom attend because with the weather and the darkness, who wouldn't rather be on the couch with a comforting cup of hot chocolate and "How I met your mother" on TV?

But I digress...

This is year's Prinsjesdag is particularly relevant as it's Willem Alexander's first time and people are eager to know what he will say, what Maxima will wear and if Geert Wilders's hair will glow in the dark as usual.

The reigning monarch makes her/his way to the Ridderzaal on a golden carriage, as you do.

Go early to find a spot among the loyal monarchists well equipped with fridges, Thermos flasks and fishermen's umbrellas: you may be lucky and score a discarded boterhammetje.

http://www.prinsjesdagdenhaag.nl/

Most likely, it will unfortunately rain on their parade...

Monday - The bridges over trouble water

It seems that every country in Europe is equipped with its own controversial Calatrava masterpiece.

These bridges are located in the Harlemmermeer area, bewteen Hoofdorp and Nieuw Vennep and the costs for their construction and maintenance have been spiralling throughout the years, as often Calatrava's projects tend to do.

These (quite striking) three bridges are poetically called Harp, Zither and Lute and they actually blend very well with the surrounding countryside.

http://www.architectuur.org/bouwwerk/140/3_bruggen.html

Sunday - Open Monuments (Last) Day

Second (and last) day of the Open Monuments Day and although there aren't as many monuments open as yesterday, there are still plenty of interesting sites to visit.

The searching engine is an useful tool and the best strategy is to look by Province and then zoom in a certain area, to skip the usual spots and find the unexpected.

Loads of churches are open today, possibly because it's Sunday and they would be open anyway...

http://www.openmonumentendag.nl/zoek/

Come in: we are open!
 Laurenkerk in Rotterdam

Saturday - Leiden's night of art and knowledge

Festival season continues and tonight it's the night of Kunst and Kennis, Art and Knowledge, in Leiden.

It's almost logical for a city like Leiden, at the forefront of science and medicine studies, to combine the usual formula focussed on art and music with science and technology.

Expect all kind of exhibitions and demonstrations, workshops on African dance, sampling of molecular cuisine and insects, interactive cartography and loads of DJs at the afterparty.

http://www.nachtvankunstenkennis.nl/

Art meets science: can you see the dolphins?

Friday - (Mad) high heel race

Stiletto race: possibly one of the most bonkers competitions ever, and dangerous too, but fun (to watch) nevertheless.

The race is tomorrow on the Denneweg, however the registration closes today, so, if you are older than 21, own a pair of shoes with a 9 cm heel (and above) that are no wider than 1.5 cm and you are so mad to think you can run with them, sign up and get a chance to win more heels and other goodies.

http://denneweg.nl/index.php/component/rsform/form/5-h4-inschrijfformulier-haagse-hakken-race-2013-h4

Not suitable for the competition.

Thursday - A V&D with a view

Missing the view from above, the thrill of the height, the bird eye perspective ?

Just go to the V&D in the Hoog Catharijne shopping mall, climb to the restaurant on the last floor, get a koffee en gebak and enjoy the stunning panorama, Domtoren included.

Copyright: my dad.

Wednesday - Climbing in the flat country

For all those intrepid daredevils out there who miss the trill of the mountains but would nevertheless like to do a bit of climbing, here's the Mountain Network.

Five climbing arena scattered around the country suitable for beginners and experienced climbers who want to keep in shape.

http://www.mountain-network.eu/

Not indoor climbing.

Tuesday - Bean Appreciation Month

So apparently it's the Bean Appreciation Month and a lot of legumes-inspired culinary events are being organised all around the country.

Links to all the initiatives can be found on their FB page and bean lovers can send in their recipes and pretty beans pictures.

https://www.facebook.com/Peulenparade

http://www.urgenda.nl/projecten/duurzaam-voedsel/Peulenparade.php

This bean.

Not this one. Although...

Monday - A'dam Fab! Film Fashion Fabulous

Last year's Hollywood Fashion wonderful V&A's exhibition in London, was exploring the close knitted connection between haute couture and cinema and how this link is then channelled into popular culture and every day life.

The Film Fashion Fabulous film weeks, hosted at the EYE in Amsterdam,  explores these links through a selection of iconic films that are either about fashion, or that inspired fashion trends or are heavily influenced by la mode.

Most of the films are in English with Dutch subtitles.

http://www.eyefilm.nl/en/film-fashion-fabulous

The Infamous Corset, earlier this year at the Jean-Paul Gaultier exhibition in Rotterdam.

Sunday - Haags Uit Festival and Art&Fashion on the Noordeinde

Concluding this eventful weekend in Den Haag, the Haags Uit Festival aims to give a sample of the upcoming new cultural season.

You can visit the info market along Lange Vooruit and Spui and check out the programme of the podium there, but you can also enjoy performances in different areas of the the city.

To store energy for the very busy day, there's even a free breakfast offered at 10.30 on the Spuiplein, followed by a 120-meter long brass band parade and several other acts inside and outside the theatres in the area.

Insider tip: in the Centraal Bibliotheek, there's a sale of books and DVDs that need to be "evicted" from the collection. Very reasonable prices, as far as I can remember.

So after you have checked what's in store for you for the coming cultural months, you can head to the Noordeinde for their Art & Fashion event: catwalks, exhibition openings in the several galleries and gourmet food from the several restaurants and cafes in the area.

Insider tip: at 13.00, tableau vivante offered by the Maison de Bonnetterie

http://www.haagsuitfestival.nl/

http://hetnoordeinde.nl/art_and_fashion_2013

Weather forecast: chances of rain until midday but in the afternoon till late in the evening it should be dry.

Saturday - The day and night of the museums

As mentioned yesterday, this is weekend is dedicated to Den Haag as there is so much to do that it would be impossible not to.

First up, the Museum Night, which features not only the museums special openings untill the small hours, but also loads of  "collateral" events: DJ sets, special performances, pub quizzes, meetings with journalists, group yoga and a Google poetry workshop.

The issue with Den Haag is that the museums are not all at walking distance, however very fancy free purple busses (and even a boat) are driving people around for the whole duration of the event.

The ticket is 15 euro, in case haven't bought it already (otherwise it would have been cheaper) and includes transportation.

If instead you'd rather get out during the day and have a good time for free, on the Lange Voorhout, there is the first Embassy Festival, celebrating all the different cultures living in the city with a varied program of music, dance, debates and theatre performance and many food stalls (yay!).

http://www.museumnachtdenhaag.nl/

http://www.embassyfestival.com

Weather forecast for today: covered, but with little chance of rain until midnight.

Friday - The 48 hours of Den Haag - Episode I - Grachtenpracht

There's so much going on in Den Haag this weekend that it looks like  I will have to write the 3 next posts about it...

It starts tonight with the Grachtenpracht festival, a sort of floating festival, providing the visitors with a very different interaction and outlook on the city.

Boats will take the audience along the canals and the occupants will be able to enjoy glimpses of theatre performances, music, dance and much more, on other boats or on bridges, gardens and wharfs.

http://www.haagsegrachtenpracht.nl

Thursday - Utrecht's books fair

I am quite fond of this event, since it's the first one I ever attended precisely 9 years ago on the day I moved to Holland.

Het boekenfestijn starts today in Utrecht and runs till Sunday, with free entrance and a wide selection of books in Dutch and English, all with hefty discounts on the original price.

Although it's hosted in a warehouse, there's enough space and (oddly enough), quietness, to browse trough thousands of volumes of  fiction, popular science, posh coffee table books and quirky and bizarre titles you would have never thought existed.

The event is itinerant and will travel to Zwolle and Eindhoven in the coming months.

http://www.boekenfestijn.com/

Wide selection of dictionaries available too!

Wednesday - Delfgauw, or (the illusion of) the middle of nowhere

In Delfgauw, a village just outside Delft that has a middle of nowhere feeling even though it's just behind IKEA,  there's a green area called "Balij en Bieslandse Bos" with walking and biking paths, taking you through pretty vistas of farms, polders and orchards.

After having leisurely promenaded, stop at this pretty cafe' for something yummy.

http://www.staatsbosbeheer.nl/Activiteiten/Balij/Wandelroute%20Bieslandse%20Bos%20en%20de%20Balij.aspx

Tuesday - Gallery Urban Photos

For a photo trip down memory lane, check out the website and studio of the Gallery of Urban Photo.

I walked by the Rotterdam's gallery one evening and was captivated by the atmospheric black and white images of stylish people having cocktail parties in the 60s, newly built winkelcentrums filled with happy buyers and Rotterdam's harbour at the beginning of last century.

http://www.urbanphotos.nl/