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2020 travels in review
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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Christmas market Valkenburg: caves and food
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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25 Fun Things to do in Zeeland
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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10 Useful tips for traveling in 2020
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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What to know for a visit to the Delta Works
The Delta works (Deltawerken) is what has made The Netherlands world famous in the water management world. They’re one of the landmarks of The Netherlands. It’s possible to visit the Delta works in The Netherlands. Below I will share some history, a few facts and how to visit the Delta works Netherlands. The Deltawerken are in the Southwest of The Netherlands. A short history of the Delta Works Watersnoodramp In 1953 the Watersnoodramp (North Sea flood of 1953) happened, which was a combination of high spring tide and a storm tide. This caused extensive flooding in The Netherlands, UK and Belgium. There were 1836 deaths in The Netherlands and lots…
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A family vacation close to home during the pandemic: Texel
When the intelligent lockdown was declared all our vacation and getaway weekend planning was put on hold. When they say stay home and only go out for necessary stuff, I’m not making plans for outings let alone a vacation. After a few months restrictions were slightly loosened, so we booked a long weekend getaway for Acension weekend, a vacation close to home. One of our first 2020 travels. We opted for Texel, an island in the northwest of The Netherlands. The reasons for choosing Texel are that it has beautiful nature, we’ve been here before, social distancing seemed achievable, biking is great on Texel and there are plenty of beaches.…
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Best cities for shopping in The Netherlands
3 to 4 times a year I go shopping with a friend, we pick a city somewhere in The Netherlands and arrive there by train. We started this in 2013. My son was saying to me “When are you not here?”, not because he had enough of me, but because he thought that on a day with just his dad he could have screen time all day long (luckily that didn’t come true). My friend and I have one city we go to each year, Maastricht, and then a number of cities that rotate. Next to these I have added some cities where I used to go shopping with friends…
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Where to eat in Utrecht
My hometown, Utrecht. A beautiful city I love and lived in for the last 21 years. We’ve been out for dinner so many times here, that a list of places to eat in Utrecht isn’t difficult to make. Just don’t expect it to be short! Options to eat in Utrecht Utrecht being a city with a university, science park and several colleges makes for a lively restaurant scene, with inexpensive options to eat. The restaurants on this list vary from cheap eats to more expensive. I’ve divided them up in sections of Utrecht. When exploring the restaurants in Utrecht, combine it with a street art tour in Utrecht. Lunetten The…
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Where to eat in Maastricht
Maastricht is one of my favorite cities in The Netherlands. My friend and I go shopping here almost every year. We’ve planned our outing to Maastricht for this year already, lets hope we don’t have to postpone. Here’s all the places to eat in Maastricht. When in Maastricht in November or December, reserve some time for a visit to Valkenburg, with it’s beautiful Christmas markets. Options to eat in Maastricht There are so many restaurants to pick from in Maastricht. My friend and I have already tried out a lot of them, but there are many more. A few we’ve been to several times. Buvette ’t Piepenhoes is our standard…
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Where to eat in Eindhoven
Eindhoven is one of the cities I first went to with friends when we had the age to go shopping on our own. I’ve been here so many times and loved it every time. Here’s a list of good experiences to eat in Eindhoven. Options to eat in Eindhoven Eindhoven is home to Philips, the world leader originated here and there’s also a museum here from and about Philips. There’s an vibrant industrial scene. Eindhoven also has a university which means lots of cheaper restaurants. The city is placed in the south and has an burgundian ambiance, which is common for the south. All this combined makes sure there are…
