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  • Weissensee in Austria, with a perfect reflection of the houses and mountains in the lake. Some snow on the mountain.
    Austria,  City,  Couples,  Germany,  Kids,  Netherlands,  roadtrip

    2020 travels in review

    January 14, 2021 / 4 Comments

    As for us all, 2020 was completely different than we expected. We had only one trip abroad to Austria. Other than that we stayed in The Netherlands. Luckily we made some beautiful trips in The Netherlands during the Summer. So here are our 2020 travels from month to month. January Just like in 2019 we started the New Year at friends in Almere. We played board games and watched the fireworks. Our first outing was Uden on Ice with my nieces during Christmas break. Later in the month I went shopping with a friend in Uden, while Paul and Yuri had the day for themselves. The last day of the…

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    Cosette

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    To show another view from the Krimmler wasserfalle with a rainbow. Week in Austria

    A week in Austria: roadtrip itinerary

    April 16, 2020
    The town of Gotzens, Austria, with a grass filed in front and behind snowcapped mountains and clear blue sky. A view visible on the winter walks in Götzens.

    4 Winter walks in Götzens

    February 4, 2020
  • De Woordzoeker, a word search in colorful colors
    Netherlands,  Street Art,  Utrecht

    Street Art Utrecht: larger than life and small works

    December 4, 2020 / 8 Comments

    It’s so much fun and a great surprise when you turn a corner and there’s a beautiful or funny mural on a wall. Whether it’s a small cute one or a larger than life one. Lately, I’ve been exploring the street art of Utrecht, my hometown. A city in the middle of The Netherlands. There are more than I expected there to be. Let’s dive into street art Utrecht, area by area. Street Art Utrecht Northwest Books: On Amsterdamsestraatweg is this famous piece from JanIsDeMan. It’s 3 book shelfs with books that are favorites of the people in the neighbourhood. The mural went viral after being finished. Otter: A mural…

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    Cosette

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    To show another dish from Thrill grill, the Mesoamerican taco thriller.

    Where to eat in Haarlem

    March 13, 2020
    A hotelroom at Van der Valk Hotel Tiel, with a double bed, 2 chairs next to the window with a small table in between

    A night at Van der Valk hotel Tiel

    January 31, 2020
    Weissensee in Austria, with a perfect reflection of the houses and mountains in the lake. Some snow on the mountain.

    2020 travels in review

    January 14, 2021
  • Nativity scene inside the cave
    Christmas,  Maastricht,  Netherlands

    Christmas market Valkenburg: caves and food

    November 25, 2020 / 34 Comments

    Valkenburg is a small town way down in the utmost Southern part of The Netherlands, next to big brother Maastricht. Maastricht is one of the top cities of The Netherlands. When eating your way around Maastricht, it’s easy to make a visit to Christmas market Valkenburg. Valkenburg during Christmas time is magical, with its Christmas markets in caves, a festive parade and culinary walking routes. Christmas market Valkenburg: caves Valkenburg has several marl caves, which can be visited. In November and December there’s a Christmas market in the caves of Valkenburg. Fluweelengrot The Fluweelengrot (Velvet cave) are the corridors under the castle ruin. Each year the biggest indoor Christmas event…

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    Cosette

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    To show a funny picture from Christmas in Jordan. A camel head with a Santa hat on it.

    Christmas in Jordan

    February 21, 2020
    Yuri with some actors on the photo who where having fun at Dickens Festival.

    Dickens Festival: the perfect Christmas outing

    August 9, 2020
  • The Atrium, 4 floors, with different colored doors. In the middle open space, down chairs with coffee tables and closed off cubes.
    Hotel review,  Netherlands

    A Luxurious stay at the Van der Valk hotel Ridderkerk

    November 25, 2020 / 8 Comments

    Macarons for breakfast, a comfy bed and friendly staff is what the Van der Valk hotel Ridderkerk offers. But these aren’t the only reasons to stay at the hotel, it’s also just 17 minutes away from the world famous windmills from Kinderdijk. We enjoyed a stay at this hotel on a road trip in 2018 and loved it. Note that not everything mentioned is now offered, due to the pandemic. This is not a sponsored post, we stayed here on our own expense. So all opinions are, as always, our own. The Room at Van der Valk hotel Ridderkerk Van der Valk hotel Rotterdam Ridderkerk has 7 types of rooms.…

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    Cosette

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    To show the rest of our room at the Hilton. Stopover hotels South

    Stopover hotels on the way South

    March 4, 2020
    A hotelroom at Van der Valk Hotel Tiel, with a double bed, 2 chairs next to the window with a small table in between

    A night at Van der Valk hotel Tiel

    January 31, 2020
  • To show 'Kroketten' with fries
    Food,  Netherlands

    25 Dutch Traditional Foods you must try

    October 31, 2020 / 30 Comments

    Although we always say we don’t really have a national cuisine, The Netherlands does have distinct dishes that you simply have to try when visiting The Netherlands. I grew up with these 25 Dutch traditional foods I’ve listed below. From breakfast to dinner to snacks these dishes can be found all over The Netherlands. Dutch Traditional Foods 1. Kroket A kroket is a typical Dutch snack that’s one of my all time favorites. It’s a thick ragout which is braided in egg wash, flour and bread crumbs. This is then fried in oil and you have a delicious soft interior with a crunchy crust. Most krokets have a beef stuffing,…

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    Cosette

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    Keks, a sort of bundt cake topped with straweberries on a plate standing in the grass, further back a bowl with strawberries

    21 Amazing Bulgarian Foods to Try On Your Trip

    December 7, 2020
    Mole. A dish on a plate covered in Mole sauce.

    10 Authentic Mexican Foods You Must Try

    November 18, 2020
    Biryani in large pot/plate

    12 Traditional Foods of Kerala

    January 15, 2021
  • The sign at the beginning of the restaurant
    family time,  Halloween,  Netherlands

    Going to the Little Monsters Ball Hardrock Cafe

    October 12, 2020 / 0 Comments

    Each year we try to do something special for Halloween, last year we attended the Little Monsters Ball Hardrock Cafe in Amsterdam. Halloween is on the rise in The Netherlands. Our son is still too young for haunted houses and fright nights, but luckily there are events suited for kids. Little Monsters Ball Hardrock Cafe The Hard Rock Café organizes a breakfast buffet on Sunday before or on Halloween. Every family had its own table and could get plates full of delicious food. You did have to wait in line before getting to the buffet. The staff was all dressed up for Halloween. The café was also decorated in Halloween…

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    Cosette

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    Happy Halloween! on a glass plate , where Cosette is standing behind, in between jaws teeth.

    Fun at Ripley’s Believe It or Not Halloween

    October 9, 2020
    Beach houses

    A family vacation close to home during the pandemic: Texel

    June 22, 2020
    To show us playing a board game

    What to do during lockdown

    March 26, 2020
  • Happy Halloween! on a glass plate , where Cosette is standing behind, in between jaws teeth.
    family time,  Halloween,  Netherlands

    Fun at Ripley’s Believe It or Not Halloween

    October 9, 2020 / 40 Comments

    Halloween isn’t a holiday that’s originally celebrated in The Netherlands. But more and more events with an Halloween theme are popping up in The Netherlands. We love going to one of these events each year and a few years ago we celebrated Halloween at Ripley’s Believe It or Not in Amsterdam. We had a blast. Ripley’s Believe It or Not Halloween The whole Ripley’s Believe It or Not museum was decorated with cobwebs and other creepy things. This added extra to the Halloween sphere for us. Without the Halloween decorations the museum is already bizarre, but this made it extra special. We came dressed up for Halloween, all 3 of…

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    Cosette

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    The sign at the beginning of the restaurant

    Going to the Little Monsters Ball Hardrock Cafe

    October 12, 2020
    To show us playing a board game

    What to do during lockdown

    March 26, 2020
    To show how the swimming pool looks, this the part with two slides and part of the swimming pool.

    Best Family Friendly Campgrounds in Europe

    September 24, 2020
  • A path true the heathland and forest
    National Parks,  Netherlands

    De Hoge Veluwe National Park: beautiful nature and art

    October 1, 2020 / 54 Comments

    De Hoge Veluwe National Park is a park I used to go to with my parents during our vacations on the Veluwe. I have good memories of exploring this area. The beautiful nature of heathlands, sand drifts and forests. Later on I went to the Kröller-Müller museum with high school and admired the art collection. Recently Paul and I went with our son to the park. It was just as beautiful as I remembered. Where is De Hoge Veluwe National Park? Het National Park de Hoge Veluwe is in the province of Gelderland in The Netherlands. It’s between the cities Arnhem, Ede and Apeldoorn. So roughly in the middle (eastern)…

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    Cosette

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    Sunset on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The sun goes down with a red and blue sky above the mountains.

    Blue Ridge Parkway: fireflies and endless mountains

    August 19, 2020
    A broken petrified log, you can see the blue, red and white inside the log

    Petrified Forest National Park: Fossils, Petroglyphs and the Painted Desert

    October 16, 2020
    Sipapu Bridge

    Natural Bridges National Monument: hiking and a snake

    July 9, 2020
  • The Lange Jan Tower, as seen through another street in front of it.
    Kids,  museums,  Netherlands,  Zeeland

    25 Fun Things to do in Zeeland

    September 20, 2020 / 6 Comments

    Zeeland is one of the provinces in The Netherlands, which is perfect for a vacation. It consists of islands and peninsulas. There’s so much to see and do here, that we keep coming back. Whether for a weekend getaway or a vacation. Here’s our list of 25 things to do in Zeeland that we have compiled from all our visits over the years. 25 Things to do in Zeeland: Food 1. Eat Kibbeling or a Lekkerbekje. It’s braided fried cod, which is in big pieces (kibbeling) of still in fish form (lekkerbekje). You can eat both dishes all over The Netherlands, but so close to the sea you have the…

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    Cosette

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    To show one of the fun things being organised on Campsite Moulin de la Pique

    Fun things on campsite Moulin de la Pique

    March 3, 2020
    Yuri climbing up a ladder, surrounded with camouflage. Part of the adventure path for children.

    7 Things to do in the Dordogne with Kids

    January 30, 2020
    To show us playing a board game

    What to do during lockdown

    March 26, 2020
  • With face masks in the bus, reality while traveling in 2020
    Netherlands,  roadtrip,  Travel

    10 Useful tips for traveling in 2020

    September 3, 2020 / 57 Comments

    We’ve traveled 3 times this year, once in February, when all the craziness was just starting (no lockdowns in Europe yet). And twice during the rest of the year. In May for a long weekend and this Summer for a road trip. All within The Netherlands. Here are 10 tips we can give you from our experience for traveling in 2020. Traveling in 2020: know the rules Before you take off on your road trip, know the rules specific to the country and/or region you’re visiting. Moreover, keep yourselves to these rules. Every country and in some cases regions have their own set of rules to fight the pandemic. You…

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    Cosette

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    Nativity scene inside the cave

    Christmas market Valkenburg: caves and food

    November 25, 2020
    To show an overview of Amsterdam. Best cities for shopping

    Best cities for shopping in The Netherlands

    April 23, 2020
    A hotelroom at Van der Valk Hotel Tiel, with a double bed, 2 chairs next to the window with a small table in between

    A night at Van der Valk hotel Tiel

    January 31, 2020
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