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Visiting Meissen – catching only a glimpse of the porcelain
The German city of Meissen is world-famous for it’s porcelain of exceptional quality, easily recognisable by the Crossed Swords mark. When visiting Meissen, my wife and I only caught a glimpse of the porcelain though. The Torhaus After visiting Albrechtsburg castle, where the first European porcelain was produced in 1710, and enjoying a spectacular view over the city from the tower of the Frauenkirche, we entered the small, historic gatehouse (Torhaus). In the Middle Ages, the Torhaus was an important building in Meissen, being the only accesspoint to Albrechtsburg castle. Throughout the centuries, the Torhaus has been the home of many famous German artists, including master sculptor Christian H. Kaendler…
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Finding peace as a family
My husband was driving on highway 1, we had to be on time at San Francisco airport to catch our flight home. Home being Utrecht in The Netherlands. Far away from the beach and rolling waves I was seeing out of our car window. Yuri was asking why we had to go home, why couldn’t we keep on driving, he didn’t want to go home. Paul said shall we drive on? We all wanted to go further North on highway 1, was going through my mind. Half a half year before driving on highway 1 Paul, my husband, was unhappy in his job. That Monday in February, I was still…
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Kingsday: My Favorite Dutch National Day
Each year we celebrate Kingsday or ‘Koningsdag’ in The Netherlands on April 27th. It’s a Dutch national day which I love and look forward to each year. Everybody is cheerful and there’s so much to do and see all day. History of Kingsday Since 2014 we celebrate Kingsday. Queen Beatrix abdicated in 2014 and her son became the King. King Willem-Alexander changed the date from April 30th to April 27th. His Birthday and he changed the name from Queensday to Kingsday. April 30th had been the date since 1949, which was the Birthday of Queen Juliana. Queen Beatrix didn’t change the date when she rose to the throne. Out of…
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Hertog Jan Brewery in Arcen: well worth visiting
As a beer lover, a visit to Hertog Jan Brewery in Arcen had been on my bucket list for years. In the summer of 2018, I bought a package from SurpriseFactory for the three of us, containing a guided tour of the brewery and a Brewer’s Lunch. The Burgundian ambiance, for which the southern provinces of The Netherlands are famous, eventually made us stay for dinner too! Hertog Jan Brewery is almost as well-known as the Castle Gardens of Arcen.. and for good reason. For the love of beer The visual experience starts upon arrival; a pipeline transports Hertog Jan pilsner beer directly from the brewery to the pub across…
