Friday - Voyage Fantastique through The Hague's Hofkwartier

There is still time till tomorrow to embarque in a voyage fantastique (that's how the organisers called it) through the hidden treasures of the Hofkwartier in The Hague.

A tour where "history, new media, film, music and street theatre will give you a unique experience" and for the gourmets, the possibility to add a 3-course Italian dinner at the beginning of the tour, so you'll have the chance to burn those calories with a 2-hour walk.

The chef is the Dutch-Italian whisky connoisseur Sandro Bruti and having tried his pasta once, I think that diners will not be disappointed.

The event ends tomorrow evening, but tickets seem to be still available.

http://www.voyagefantastique.com/enghome/

Thursday - Delft Canal Tours

Amsterdam's canal tours are the most popular, however for something more intimate and ultimately prettier, it's worth having a ride on the canals in Delft.

The tour lasts around 45 minutes and tours are in available in English too.

Arturas, who went on the tour and was very pleased with it, sent me the stunning pic below.

http://www.delft.nl/delften/Tourists/Discover_Delft/To_see/Highlights_in_Delft/Delft_Canal_cruises

Wednesday - Maand van Geschiedenis (the History Month, for you and me)

October is the Month of Dutch History and, to celebrate the recent coronation, this year's theme is "Vorst and Volk" (= The Monarch and the People).

As always, there's a very useful searching engine to look for activities and exhibition near you.

http://www.maandvandegeschiedenis.nl/

http://www.maandvandegeschiedenis.nl/41515/nl/bezoek-activiteiten

Tuesday - Sex and the Sea

It's not the size of the ship, but the motion of the ocean...

Sailors, their languid desires and their women in every port are the cliches being explored at the Rotterdam Maritiem Museum by two film and multimedia directors. The things on display must be very interesting, since entrance is forbidden to people younger than 16....

Get your hands on the Rotterdams Uit Agenda, since it contains 2 free tickets to the exhibition.

http://www.maritiemmuseum.nl/website/index.cfm?fuseaction=tentoon.show&id=196

Monday - Lost at sea, part 2

On the new Scheveningen's promenade, a large inscription remembering the names of the local inhabitants who lost their lives in the sea has been incorporated into the wall.

Sailors, fishermen, pilots, soldiers or just unlucky people, they are all remembered.

Sunday - Lost at sea, part 1

This pensive lady at the end of Scheveningen's main shopping street is awaiting the return of her loved ones who went out to the moody sea.

Saturday - Pop Up Cinema Utrecht

Ever Saturday and Sunday during the month of October, films are being shown in unusual  and unexpected locations within the Hoog Catharijne in Utrecht.

Friday - The seven bridges in a row

According to the FB page of Amsterdam Canals, when looking from a particular spot on the Herengracht towards the Reguliersgracht, you can take an amazing picture of seven pretty bridges in a row.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=607664389278661&set=a.611012915610475.1073741827.349759805069122&type=1&theater

Not the seven bridges

Thursday - Den Haag Indian Film Festival

We have been invited to the Indian Film Festival a couple of years ago and had a fab time: we saw a film called Delhi Belly and laugh so much we cried.

This year's programme looks very enticing as well, with loads of side events (including food too!) and a Indian Ladies Night tonight at the Pathe' Buitenhof.

http://www.indianffth.nl/en

Wednesday - Kinderpostzegels: children, stamps and charity

In the coming days, you might receive the visit of some enthusiastic children from your neighborhood selling cards, stickers and other stationary items and giving you a stamp in return.

It's the Kinderpostzegels month and all the money collected will go to charities working with children.

Beware of smart assed kids asking for cash as they are not allowed to: they can only ask for bank account details.

My personal stamps seller was accompanied by one of my favourite neighbours, her sporty septuagenarian grandpa Kees.

https://www.kinderpostzegels.nl/

Tuesday - Willibrord, the Apostle of the Frisians

Willibrord, or the Apostle of the Frisians, was the Northumbrian Cristian monk who was sent to the Low Lands upon invitation of the King of the Francs and founded the dioceses of Utrecht, Deventer and Haarlem.

He is buried in Luxembourg but Utrecht celebrates him with this statue on Janskerkhof.

Among his patronages: Utrecht, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, epilepsy and convulsions.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willibrord

Monday - The New York Hotel in Rotterdam

The New York Hotel is the stunning building at the end of the Wilhelmina Pier in Rotterdam.

It used to host the headquarters of the Holland-America Line, which for several decades of the Nineteenth and Twentieth centuries transported emigrants, fortune seekers and the first class wealthiest across the Atlantic Ocean, to a new world and a new life.

It hosts now a posh, nostalgic hotel and cafe' and restaurant on the ground floor.

We drove by yesterday evening in the warm sunset light and regretted that we did not have time to stop and have a drink in the sheltered terrace on the pier, watching the sun disappear behind Rotterdam harbour's cranes.

http://www.hotelnewyork.nl/en/

Sunday - Scheveningen Kite Festival

Second and final day of the colorful Scheveningen Kite Festival, with dozen of silky creations filling the air.

It's set to be another beautiful day, so loads of photo opportunities of stunning kites against the blue sky ahead.

http://www.vliegerfeestscheveningen.nl/

Saturday - Whisky by the Sea

More than 500 whiskies are ready to be tasted in the Arsenaal Theather in Vlissingen (Zeeland) during this year's " Whisky by the Sea" event.

I have been to several whisky tastings in NL and always had a good time: it's a wonderful way to drink loads of lovely spirits while pretending to do something cultural.

http://www.whiskybythesea.nl/

Friday - MINI kite surf tour

One of the last submissions from faithful contributor Ale before she departs for her new adventure.

Europe's best kiteboarders are touring the continent sponsored by MINI and this week they are in Scheveningen: freestyle competitions and parties are on the whole weekend.

http://www.kitesurftour.eu/2013/09/20/mini-kte-scheveningen/

Thanks Ale and best of luck! :)

Thursday - Unseen Photo Fair in Amsterdam

An international photofair for undiscovered photo talents and unknown shots of notorious ones.

In the hipster expo space of the Amsterdam Westergasfabriek area, more than 50 international galleries come together to give you the best, the edgiest and the still undetected from the contemporary photography world.

Open till Sunday, it includes a book market, a collection of affordable photos and an exhibition at FOAM.

http://www.unseenamsterdam.com/

Wednesday - The lowest point in The Netherlands

In NL, you literally know when you have reached the bottom: it's on the Zuidplaspolder, somewhere along the highway from Rotterdam to Gouda, on a side road betwen Nieuwkerk aan de Ijssel and Mordrecht.

Marked by the monument pictured below, it makes for an unsettling experience to stand in front of it and realise how low below the sea you would be if there would be water here.

Tuesday - Fotoweek 2013

I got this tip from Arturas, the creative and talented friend I mentioned the other day, who also took the profile picture for this blog's Facebook page.

The Fotoweek runs from the 20 to the 29 September and professionals photographers, amateurs, shops, museum, libraries are celebrating this amazing mean of expression.

At several HEMA shops around the country for instance, customers can have their family portrait taken from Friday till Sunday...for free!

People can also contribute with the best (funniest, sweetest, awkwardest...) family photo to the "Largest Family Photo Album of The Netherlands" which will then be preserved digitally in the National Archives.

http://www.defotoweek.nl/

http://www.defotoweek.nl/popup-studio/index.html

" I think it was on the way to Uni". Copyright: Arturas.

Monday - Flying high

Major nerd alert for this post, although I must say that all kind of people show up in the several spotting posts around Schiphol: mothers with small kids and massive camera lenses, couples who wish to take a romantic stroll under the gasoline fumes, your average plane-spotters with binoculars and jackets with many pockets and even elderly gentlemen equipped with chairs, blankets and lekker bakje's.

Anyway, the latest star on Schiphol's runaways is the A380 from Emirates, which lands daily around 13.00 and take off to Dubai a couple of hours later.

This is a massive, spectacular machine, a proper feat of international engineering and when you stand under it while it lands, you can admire a wonderful human achievement and also feel a lot like Bono in Beautiful Day.

Below the tips from the man of the house:

Check this link 2 or 3 hrs before http://www.schiphol.nl/Reizigers/Vluchttijden/Aankomsttijden.htm
to see if the flight is on time or not. When you are close to Schiphol, better check this link (http://www.lvnl.nl/nl/airtraffic) to see which runway will be used for landing: most of the times it will be the Polderbaan and Zwanenburgbaan.

In any case the most eastern runway will always be used to receive the A380 (this is the Zwanenburgbaan).

For take off, check the link again (http://www.lvnl.nl/nl/airtraffic) to see which runway is going to be used or listen to frequency 121.6500 with a scanner (Startup control Schiphol).

The flight number is EK147 and arrival is every day scheduled at 13.30h, departure at 15.30h.

To check the codes of the runways see:  http://www.airliners.nl/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=206

See? Proper nerds stuff!

Copyright: still the man of the house.

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