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April 30 in the Netherlands is known as Queen's Day (Koninginnedag in Dutch). The day is a public holiday to celebrate the Queens birthday. It's actually the birthday of the last queen (Juliana), but it is said that the current Queen (Beatrix) kept it in honour of her mother, and also because her birthday is in January, too chilly to be celebrating outdoors.

Queen's Day is the biggest party of the year in the Netherlands, and on the day the streets resemble a huge market (vrijmarkt, or freemarket) as anyone can sell anything in the streets. Further info at Queen's Day: The World's Biggest Street Party.

Today I stumbled upon Dutch Orange Day, a little celebration the local Dutch community put on to celebrate Queen's Day in Melbourne.





Seeing the Dutch celebrating in Melbourne got me thinking what might have been. Not many people outside of Australia know that this continent was once known as New Holland (in fact probably not many Australians know that either).



When New York was still New Amsterdam (in 1644) the Dutch seafarer Abel Tasman christened the continent Nova Hollandia. It wasn't until 1824 that New Holland officially became Australia.

The first recorded European sighting of the Great Southern Land was by the Dutch explorer Dirk Hartog, who landed at what is now known as Cape Inscription, Dirk Hartog Island, on 26 October 1616.

Probably the most famous contact the Dutch had with Western Australia was when the Batavia struck a reef off the coast. It is a classic story of mutiny and survival, which can be read in detail at the Batavia Story.

British ships also sighted the coast but as the Western Australian coast is a vast waterless expanse it was never colonised.

Labels: australia, holiday, melbourne, netherlands

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I always feel a sense of shame on behalf of British Airports whenever I pass through Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, and I'm not even British! Poor old Heathrow. I want it to be the world class airport it should be but it doesn't stand a chance when compared to Schiphol.

Schiphol is a large gateway airport that is modern and relatively easy to find your way around. There is a State Railway station under the airport with regular trains only 15 minutes from Amsterdam Centraal Station.



Rijksmuseum Amsterdam Schiphol

If you can't bear the though of leaving Europe then this is your last chance saloon. Rijksmuseum Amsterdam Schiphol is located in the area behind the passport control between the E and F Pier.



Holland Casino Schiphol

An airport with its own casino.



Wireless Internet

This is the chink in the armour for Schiphol. There is no free wireless here - you have to pay an exorbitant amount. This is a European wide problem though (Shannon Airport in Ireland is the only place that I have used so far that have free wireless).

Labels: airport, amsterdam, heathrow, netherlands, schiphol

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Our Man in Amsterdam

In the film Pulp Fiction Vincent Vega has just returned to LA after living in Amsterdam. Quentin Tarantino lived in Amsterdam while he was writing the script so that is why Amsterdam is worked into the plot.

Writers Workspace

Amsterdam's liberal environment has long attracted international artists to base themselves. If you are thinking of coming here to write then you could start off at De Woordensmederij (The Wordsmithery).

I found this place in an advertisement in a local English paper and it sounds like a great idea to me. It is a non-profit for writers of all kinds. The prices are very good considering what you get and that you are in central Amsterdam.

To quote from their website:

The Wordsmithery is Amsterdam's first and only non-profit writer's workshop. It's a serene, convenient place for creative people to get quality writing done.

Are you a wordsmith too - a writer, journalist, academic or translator?

Working space is flexible, so you pay only for the time you put in, and includes the use of:

* speedy internet connection (with wi-fi that extends to the nearby park) & printer
* facilities (workspace, kitchen & al.)
* discount at local copy/print shop
* and most importantly the company of other writers.

The tone is quiet, but the spirit convivial. Join a real word-lovers community!

Located on the tranquil Bickersgracht in Amsterdam Centrum, The Wordsmithery is only a stone's throw from Central Station and the multitude of shops on the Haarlemmerdijk.


This is great for nomadic workers as well. I will probably use this next time I travel to Amsterdam. Being on the road for long stretches it would be good to have a place to catch up on notes that I have put together.

I would like to know if anyone knows of other places like this in Europe, or around the world?

Labels: amsterdam, netherlands, workspace, writers

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One of Amsterdam most common features is a bollard known as Amsterdammertje (little one from Amsterdam in Dutch).



There are thousands of these bollards all over the city. They feature the coat of arms of Amsterdam, the three Crosses of Saint Andrew's. When I first saw this I thought it meant that Amsterdam was the triple-x rated city of sin. I'm sure I'm not alone in this presumption.

They are gradually being replaced though which is a shame. So here is an idea for the Amsterdam City Council. They should sell these as souvenirs on ebay or somewhere online. They would look great in your backyard, and anyone who has been to Amsterdam would instantly recognise it.

Labels: amsterdam, amsterdammertje, netherlands

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I end my Benelux railpass in Amsterdam, where I make my way back to London. I have found a great budget hotel near Leidseplein, Kooyk Hotel.



Not far from here is the Cafe De Saloon. This Flatiron shaped building is by a canal in a quiet area and I come whenever I am in Amsterdam.

Labels: amsterdam, cafe, hotels, netherlands

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A different budget accommodation option in Maastricht is the Botel Maastricht.



This boat hotel has basic single rooms with shared bathroom for €33. The river is tame and the boat is well docked so the only time you feel you are on a boat is when a barge would go past, and the boat would gently rock. I heard ducks outside my porthole as well as I drifted off to sleep. A beautiful way to go to sleep.

Labels: boat, botel, hotels, maastricht, netherlands

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Dogs are so funny when they are spreadeagle like this. How can you not take a picture?

Labels: dogs, maastricht, netherlands

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Labels: maastricht, netherlands, recycling

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I have been served coffee at different places in Maastricht with a little side cup of liqueur and whipped cream. I'm not sure if this is soley a Maastricht tradition. They also give you a little chocolate, which makes for a nice touch.

Labels: coffee, maastricht, netherlands

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Legend has it that French Fries were introduced to the U.S by soldiers returning from Europe after the Great War. They thought that Belgians were French hence the confusion. That is the story as told by Belgians anyway, but the term French Fries was already in America before then.

I would say that the Belgians probably did invent them as they are not one to boast anyway. Not that it matters. French Fries rolls off the English tongue nicley, and when you are in this part of the world you only need one word: frites.

Frites in the Netherlands are most popular with a big dollop of mayonnaise. It sounds wrong but its not too bad actually.

Labels: food, maastricht, netherlands

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It seems that in the Netherlands there is a mania for fried snacks served out of vending machines.



Automatiek snack shops are all over the Netherlands, of which FEBO is probably the most widely known.

Labels: food, maastricht, netherlands

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There are thousands of beautiful old churches across Europe, but many of them lack the funds and worshippers to maintain them, and they end up decaying beyond repair. So I thought this bookshop in Maastricht makes for a good compromise.



The Selexys bookstore chain has converted this old Dominican church into a bookstore. They have English language books in store and it is a pleasing environment to browse books in.

Related link: Bookstore Guide

Labels: books, church, maastricht, netherlands

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The combined size of Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg (Benelux) is relatively small, less than the size of Austria or Czech Republic for example. Size is relative though, and being Australian you are asking the wrong person if you think this region is big. Australia has cattle stations the size of Belgium and I lived on a sheep station the size of Lichtenstein (though it sadly lacked castles and private banking facilities).

So having 3 coffees isn't as difficult as it sounds. I started the day in Luxembourg, got the train to Namur and Dinant in Belgium, then finished the day in Maastricht in the Netherlands. If I really wanted to I could have made it 4 coffees in 4 countries as Aachen on the German border is not far away from Maastricht.

I have already done 4 coffees in 4 countries once before though. Lake Constance in Central Europe is bordered by Germany, Switzerland, and Austria, and Lichtenstein is not far away. Using the efficient rail network of that part of the world it is very easy to visit all of them in a day (with a bus trip to Lichtenstein as they have no passenger rail service).

Labels: belgium, benelux, coffee, luxembourg, netherlands, train

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If you are planning to travel in Belgium and the Netherlands then you may want to consider a Benelux rail pass. (Benelux stands for BElgium NEtherlands and LUXembourg).

For European residents there is the Benelux pass from InterRail, and for non European residents the Benelux pass is available from Rail Europe. This pass can be bought at the international ticket department of major train stations, but it may be more convenient to order it before you travel to save time buying it when you arrive.

Plan Your Travel

As with any rail pass you should do some homework beforehand to make sure you will save money from buying a pass.

For example the Benelux pass Adult 2nd class is €139 and is valid for 5 days travels in 30 days. That works out at €27.80 per day of travel. Next you need to look at the map of Benelux to see where you would like to go. If you are only visiting a few places then it will not be worth getting a pass. If you plan to visit many towns and cities then the pass becomes worthwhile.

Next you need to plan how to make the most of the pass by planning your travel days. Making the most of your pass include doing your long distance travel in one day or visiting a few different small towns in one day that require lots of train travel.

Starting your Benelux Pass Travel

People arriving from outside Europe will most likely arrive at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport or Brussels International. If you are coming from another point in Europe then it might work out better to start at on the edges of the region. Some starting points could be:

- Luxembourg Airport
- Charleroi Airport(known as Brussels South)
- Groningen Airport in the north of the Netherlands has flights from Ryanair.
- Maastricht Aachen Airport

visitors from the UK can also get the Dutch Flyer, which is a combined ferry/train ticket from London to Amsterdam for from £25 one way.

Labels: belgium, benelux, luxembourg, netherlands, rail pass, train, train station

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It seems that some people and media institutions still don't understand the Holland/Netherlands relationship. Technically Holland is a region within the Netherlands made up of the two provinces of Noord-Holland and Zuid-Holland. Saying Holland when you mean the Netherlands is like saying England when you mean Great Britain.

This is a distinction David Hasselhoff has not yet grasped when he appeared on Scottish television. Hasselhoff told GMTV presenter Jenni Falconer that he was "looking for a nice English girl". She told him she was Scottish and Hasselhoff replied: "Well, that's the same thing." How not to win a Scottish heart - call them English.

So it is with Netherlands still being referred to as Holland. I noticed that while reading about the Euro 2008 qualifying matches. UEFA, the governing body of the Euro 2008 competition have Netherlands officially listed as competing. Some English language news sources though have referred to the Netherlands team as Holland:

timesonline.co.uk

news.bbc.co.uk

I would have thought that at least the British news sources would understand this distinction, as Great Britain or the U.K is never represented in football tournaments, but England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are. If Holland were playing (representing South and North Holland) then that would mean the other 10 provinces would be represented.

While looking for links for this article I have found that the Netherlands Board of Tourism & Conventions (NBTC) do not help in allaying this confusion by lumping all of the Netherlands travel information into The Official Holland Site.

Further References:

Holland or the Netherlands?

Holland and the Netherlands

Netherlands Terminology

Labels: holland, netherlands

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I seem to find myself at Maoz all the time when I'm in Amsterdam. Good falafels that you pack yourself.

Labels: amsterdam, falafel, maoz, netherlands

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Labels: amsterdam, netherlands, urinal

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