Don’t miss the meteor shower this weekend, where up to 60 shooting stars per hour will be lighting up the sky at its peak! đŤ
Yep, grab a blanket, a beverage of your choice, and your favourite person. It’s time to look up at the night sky for one of the biggest and most stunning celestial displays.
Clear blue skies have arrived in the Netherlands in perfect time for the Perseids meteor shower, which will be visible throughout the night from Saturday, August 12 to Sunday, August 13, reports NU.nl.
Shooting stars all night long
Not confident that an alarm will get you out of bed at 3 AM? Don’t worry, you don’t have to miss out. Although the peak of the meteor shower will hit at around 4 AM, you should get the chance to spot a few shooting stars throughout the night.
All you have to do is stay up late until it gets fully dark (around 11:30 PM), and you can already head outside to try and catch a few shooting stars.
For those hardcore fans, the shower will be visible all night until about 4:30 AM.
Amazingly, the swarm of shooting stars are visible to the naked eye, so just cosy up with some blankets and chocomelin a spot with as little artificial light as possible â even your garden may do!
Here’s a pro tip, look northeast for the best view. â¨
What do we have to thank for this spectacle? The Perseids meteor shower takes place when Earth passes through a cloud of debris from the comet Swift-Tuttle, producing tons of visible shooting stars for us.
What a time to be alive. đ¤ âď¸
Have you seen the Perseids meteor shower before? Tell us in the comments below!
Savers in the Netherlands have had a rough few years. First came COVID-19, then skyrocketing inflation rates. However, while inflation is certainly an issue, there’s a silver lining to be found: interest rates on savings are still rising in 2023.
That means your savings will actually have the chance to earn money while theyâre waiting to be used.
The only question is this: how can you ensure that you enjoy the best interest rates?
Enter Raisin. Raisin is a savings broker that gives you access to savings accounts of banks across the EU â without you having to leave your home, deal with language barriers in banks, or remember login information for 10 different banks.Â
The result? You can deposit your savings in banks across the Dutch border with the best savings interest rates (like 2.65% at Renault Bank), giving your money a fighting chance against inflation. Â
But first: the best interest rates that you can get right now
No time? Here are the highest interest rates on offer for internationals and Dutchies from some of the best European banks:
This is a bit complex, so strap yourselves in, folks â and adopt the economic confidence of a frat boy after a good few biertjes. Not feeling like the long explanation? Jump straight to why it’s great news for you.
Ok, so: the European Central Bank (ECB) is the central bank for the euro and sets interest rates. The goal of the ECB (and, for that matter, any central bank) is to keep prices stable.
The rising interest is good for our savings, Raisin helps us find the best deposit interest rates. Image: Freepik
By increasing interest rates, banks aim to help with bringing down demand for all kinds of products and resources as worldwide supply chains are disrupted, causing the inflation we are experiencing right now.
The ECB increased its rates in February of 2023, and further increases are expected.
The ECB has been influencing interest rates in broadly two ways in the past years.
Quantitative easing
One way has been by influencing longer-term instruments (where rates come about in the capital markets) using quantitative easing (QE).
Put simply, QE is when the ECB pumps money into the capital markets, causing a higher supply of money⌠and what happens when the supply of any currency goes up? The price goes down.
In the real-life economy, this means the price of borrowing or lending money goes down. When the ECB started slowing the QE program down, interest rates on longer-term products, among which fixed-term deposits, started rising.
Adjusting key interest rates
Another way is by influencing shorter-term interest rates by adjusting its key interest rates.
The interest rates set by the ECB affect banks directly because these are the rates against which they can borrow money from the ECB and, more importantly, against which banks can place money with the ECB overnight.
Until July of 2022, the interest rate for banks to deposit excess savings (i.e. the part they donât lend out) was a negative 0.5% p.a. â meaning the banks had to pay the ECB to keep your savings.
This pushed down interest rates on freely withdrawable savings as far as the full -0.5% p.a. Since July, this rate has wooshed up to 4% p.a., causing further movements upwards in short-term interest rates across Europe.
The effects of these policy reversals have had a much more powerful effect on other countries in the EU than the Netherlands.
Why is this great news for Dutch savers?
According to Raisin, the best freely withdrawable savings (no fixed time period) interest rates that you will find at the major Dutch banks stand at 1% or less.
And if we look at other EU banks? Drum roll, alsjeblieft â 2.65% at Renault Bank. Yes, that is indeed almost three times higher than standard Dutch banks.
Finally, some good news for Dutch savers! Image: Freepik
For example: Let’s say you have âŹ100,000. If you deposited that in a major Dutch bank with a rate of 1%, you would earn a pitiful âŹ1005 over 12 months, allowing for compound interest.
In a bank with an interest rate of 2.65%, the amount of extra cash you’ll receive transforms to âŹ2,682. Meanwhile, your money is still safe, fully guaranteed under EU regulations, and accessible when you need it.
You may be wondering why Dutch savings interest rates are not responding the same way to ECB actions as elsewhere in the EU. This comes down to the Dutch savings market, which â to say the least â is about as concentrated as the sugar level in a stroopwafel.
The Dutch Central Bank (DNB) attributes this to an ageing Dutch population that tends to spend less money and a large service sector which needs less investment than the manufacturing industry.
In fact, Dutch savers are breaking record after record with the amount of money they are saving.
This means that there isnât actually much demand for savings in the Netherlands or at least much less than the Dutch population supplies.
However, you will find that demand from banks abroad. There are plenty of reasons for more demand and subsequently higher interest rates on savings.
For example, banks in other EU countries might face fierce national competition, which forces them to offer higher rates, the supply of deposits in their home markets could be relatively lower, or the local supervisory authority has a specific approach that requires that a certain (larger) share of the total capital of banks is made up of deposits.
But letâs say you donât want to benefit from the single EU market and really want to keep your money in the Netherlands.
Well, your only hope is that with international banks offering such high deposit rates, the Dutch banks will be pressured to offer better interest rates to their customers in the future â we wouldnât hold our breath, though.
While your savings may be off backpacking in a (for example) French or Estonian bank account, you can take a relaxing breath and know that, while your savings are off getting cultured, they wonât disappear on you.
Anything up to âŹ100,000 per account holder per bank (or the equivalent amount in local currency) will be protected by national, statutory deposit guarantee schemes in accordance with EU guidelines â no matter what happens to the bank where your money is lodged.
Time for action! Saving abroad makes your wallet smile
While youâre waiting for Dutch banks to catch up and realise theyâd be lost without you, you may as well benefit from placing your heart and your savings in the muscled arms of international banks.
While there is nothing wrong with hoping that Dutch savings rates rise, they will never return to the levels of old â itâs simple, the demographic and economic characteristics of the Netherlands no longer allow for this.
Moreover, weâre living in the here and now â and what matters in the here and now is muscles â by that, we mean the current interest rates.
When your wallet smiles, you smile. Image: Freepik
At the moment, international banks offer much better saving opportunities through their higher interest rates.
The Swedish payment service provider Klarna was the first bank to break the 1%-barrier for one-year fixed-term deposits in June and offers a stunning 3.95% today.
Dutch savers can also earn a fantastic 3.85% per year on a one-year fixed-term deposit with the Swedish Nordax Bank. Meanwhile, Dutch banks donât bother coming close to these rates.
In fact, Raisin provides access to banks with interest rates as high as a whopping 4.20% per year for a one-year fixed-term deposit with the Italian Banca Progetto.
Need we say more?
Ok, Iâm in, how can I get started?Â
Itâs easy: simply sign up with Raisin and open one single online account for free (yes, free) savings accounts with banks across the EU â and top interest rates â that suit you.Â
Youâre not required to walk into each individual bank in person, thatâs what Raisin is for. You can open these savings accounts via their platform. You can also take comfort in the fact that your savings are safe.Â
Will you be moving your savings abroad? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!
More and more seagulls are being pushed into Dutch cities, flying overhead, distributing rubbish, and threatening innocent walkers to take a sneaky bite of their ice cream.
Are you afraid of a seagull landing on your head as you eat your kaasbroodje? You’re not alone. Nuisance caused by the birds is on the rise in cities away from the Dutch coast, reports NU.nl.
Yup, it’s becoming increasingly common for snack-eaters in the city to get stalked by a group of seagulls and to find trails of trash pecked out of garbage bags in the mornings.
Seagulls taking over The Hague
Especially in The Hague, these birds have made their presence all too known.
According to Raoul Rozestraten from the municipality of The Hague, the complaints about seagulls have increased in recent years, with thousands of people regularly suffering from the animals.
… Come on seagulls, just let us eat our herring in peace!
Why are seagulls becoming our next-door neighbours? Well, because cities become the best place for the birds to find food.
However, it’s not only because we make delicious poffertjes and frietjes. More foxes, seagulls’ natural enemies, are making the dunes their home, chasing away the birds from the beach.
Not only that, but new fishing rules have also unintentionally pushed the birds inland in search of food. Instead of fishermen being allowed to throw undersized catch back overboard, and basically offering seagulls an easy snack, they now have to bring it ashore.
How to avoid inviting seagulls to your home
Although some actions are taken to combat the increasing population of seagulls, there are restrictions to what can be done. Why? Because seagulls are protected animals.
If possible, throw out your trash in underground waste containers. If that isn’t a possibility, put out your garbage bags on the street in the morning, instead of at night.
People from The Hague can also use extra sturdy garbage bags provided by the municipality, which are more difficult for the birds to break through.
And most of all, please don’t feed them unless you’re okay with one hanging out on your head…
What’s the cheekiest thing you’ve seen a seagull do? Tell us in the comments below!
We thought we were out of the crisis, but apparently, weâre not. Even though energy prices are lower than this time last year, they could quickly rise again this coming winter, according to one Dutch energy supplier.
While we hate to be the bearer of bad news, itâs true that heating prices will likely spike again. Energy company E.ON warns that in the coming winter, prices can rise again. This sucks for them as much as it sucks for us.
Believe it or not, companies also benefit from lower energy prices, so at least we know theyâre not just fully scamming us.
E.ONâs profits rose from 4.1 billion euros in the first half of 2022 to 5.7 billion euros in the first half of this year when energy prices were lower, according to NU.nl. But now, the company warns consumers to be careful about their energy consumption.
Why, why, we ask you?!
We know it sucks. Lower energy prices obviously mean that millions of people pay less. Still, you shouldn’t go turning up your thermostat at the first hint of a chill in your house â unless maybe youâre rich.
According to E.ONâs director, Leonhard Birnbaum, energy prices will rise this winter if gas supplies run out faster than expected.
This could be the case if Russia decides to stop supplying gas to the rest of Europe, or if a cold winter causes us to run through our supply faster than anticipated.
Now, weâre not professional economists, but we know one thing: if there is less of something, it becomes more expensive. đ
Itâs a bit scary, but what you can do is make sure your energy contract isnât screwing you over, look into getting an energy allowance, and maybe buy some fluffy socks.
How do you save money on your energy bill? Tell us in the comments!
Imagine being able to diagnose a disease or disorder at a glance. Well, Radboud University’s medical centre researchers have designed a new computer with the potential to make that dream a reality.
This new invention is able to detect genetic abnormalities in children and offer “relief” for parents who often “live in uncertainty” about their child’s state, AD.nl reports.
In collaboration with their Artificial Intelligence department, the university’s researchers have constructed a “self-learning algorithm” that picks up on syndromes from a facial scan and an account of people’s medical records.
Speed of diagnosis
The outcome? Faster diagnoses! This means families won’t have to wait a tedious amount of business days to get results. It also means that doctors can be more informed in their suggestions, treatment, and handling of the condition.
As Radboud geneticist Bert de Vries points out to AD, a particular “intellectual disability” can be associated with anything from epileptic seizures to “heart or kidney problems”. That’s why it’s better to treat those problems sooner rather than later.
Not only that, but a relatively speedy confirmation of what the syndrome is can alleviate the doubt and confusion experienced by the child and their family â providing both “clarity” and “peace” for them.
The end of life as we know it?
So far, the machine works like a charm and has managed to correctly identify between 37 and 40 disorders.
This computer will also reportedly “make the world a bit smaller”, in the sense that children living oceans apart will be comparable because of their shared genetic abnormalities.
As for the new conditions that are still a mystery to the medical world, those will become easier to research and investigate thanks to this machine.
Is AI paving the way for the medical industry? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
A canal cruise in Amsterdam is an ideal way to see the city from a new perspective â and these five cruises really make it worth it.
Feeling light and breezy as you drift past actual traffic from your cosy canal view of beautiful Amsterdam is pretty much Dutchness defined.
Ready to hop aboard? Your Amsterdam canal cruise is waiting for you. đŠââď¸
Is an Amsterdam canal cruise worth it?
Is it worth taking a traditional boat ride on the canals of beautiful Amsterdam? One thing we can say for sure: the city looks different from the water.
Seeing the sights from the water just hits different. Image: Freepik
While you might dismiss these boats as a tourist activity â well, that’s technically true but it’s for a great reason.
Amsterdam is famous for its canals, and while you can view them from ashore, a gentle boat ride is an ideal way to scope out the majestic canal houses, iconic locals riding bikes, and beautiful urban nature lining the streets.
5 best Amsterdam canal cruises
Of course, there are plenty of options to choose from. If you want to choose the best canal cruise Amsterdam, consider the following five cruises.
1. Pancake Cruise Amsterdam
A pancake canal cruise in Amsterdam is a real treat for families and those who love sweet and savoury delights.
This family-friendly cruise combines the joy of sightseeing with the indulgence of freshly made Dutch pancakes. These fluffy pancakes are a beloved local delicacy you can enjoy as you glide through Amsterdam’s waterways.
The Dutch do pancakes RIGHT. Image: Unsplash
The cruise route offers panoramic city views, including charming bridges and historic buildings.
Perfect for breakfast or lunch, this cruise ensures a fun-filled and delicious experience that will leave both adults and children with delightful memories of Amsterdam’s canals and their mouthwatering pancakes.
2. Wine & Cheese Cruise in Amsterdam
For those with a penchant for fine wines and gourmet cheeses, a wine and cheese cruise in Amsterdam offers an unforgettable evening of indulgence.
This cruise delights guests with a carefully curated selection of premium wines paired with an assortment of delectable cheeses.
This is perhaps the best way to experience Amsterdam by boat. Image: Freepik
As the boat glides along the water, guests can unwind and relish the tranquil ambience while enjoying the city’s illuminated beauty during the evening.
The knowledgeable staff onboard provide insights into the wine and cheese pairings, adding an educational element to the journey.
Whether you’re a wine connoisseur or simply wish to enjoy a refined experience, this cruise promises an elegant and delightful time on Amsterdam’s canals.
3. Evening Canal Cruise
For the more nocturnal among us, an evening canal cruise allows everyone to have a night on the town, but in a family-friendly tour on the water.
“The Venice of the North” is no stranger to bustling nighttime activities, and this cruise lets you witness the city in all of its nighttime glory but from the comfort of a cushioned boat.
Nothing like a view of Amsterdam at night to make you feel like a cosy night owl. Image: Freepik
Not only do you not have to wake up early, but you can seize the plentiful photo opportunities provided by “golden hour” lighting at sunset, before sitting back and relaxing Amsterdam’s sparkling lights after dark.
4. New York Pizza by LOVERS Cruise in Amsterdam
The New York Pizza by LOVERS Cruise in Amsterdam promises a delectable and unique dining experience on the iconic Amsterdam canals.
This cruise combines the best of two worlds, allowing passengers to savour delicious, freshly baked New York-style pizza while drifting along the picturesque waterways.
Bring on the pizza. Image: Freepik
A pizza cruise not only treats visitors to breathtaking views of Amsterdam’s landmarks but also ensures a mouthwatering culinary journey.
With a relaxed and cosy atmosphere onboard, this cruise is an excellent choice for pizza lovers and anyone seeking a memorable dining experience on Amsterdam’s scenic canals.
5. Amsterdam Dinner Cruise
Want to dazzle a love interest or significant other with some fine wining and dining? Treat them to a romantic dinner cruise on the water in Amsterdam, which offers delicious, professionally prepared cuisine complete with classy drinks.
Whether you opt for a meat, fish, or vegetarian menu, your palate will not be disappointed.
This might be the best way to enjoy Amsterdam from the water. Image: Freepik
Plus, there’s nothing like a bit of a Titanic movie atmosphere to charm the person sitting in front of you â especially while romantic music underscores your journey through Amsterdam’s popular sites and the evening sunset illuminates your loved-up faces.
Where do Amsterdam canal cruises depart?
Taking a boat trip around Amsterdam is easy. Many Amsterdam companies offer them, but some of the most famous are Stromma, Lovers Canal Cruises, Blue Boat Company, and International Holland Cruises.
The city’s historic centre, with many attractions, is located within the Canal Ring pictured here. Image: Unsplash
Generally, the boats dock in front of Central Station, and you can choose the prettiest one from them.
But if you want to cruise Amsterdam’s canals from elsewhere in the city, that won’t be a problem either. You can bump into them at all the famous tourist spots â for example, in front of the Rijksmuseum or the Anne Frank House Museum.
What to expect on an Amsterdam canal cruise
Amsterdam canal cruises come in all shapes, sizes, durations, and more.
To start with, the boats come in different forms:
The most common are long, narrow boats with panoramic windows that offer a view on the sides and top. They are similar to buses from the inside, except that the seats are arranged in groups of four: two facing forward, two facing backwards, and a small table in between.
There are smaller boats, including open boats. They are the best way to see the sights along the canal banks but are best kept for a sunny day.
The best choice is a boat with a folding roof that can be adjusted to suit the weather.
The duration of excursions along the canals of Amsterdam is usually an hour and a half. Their itineraries do not vary too much and typically include the canals of Grachtengordel with sights that can be seen on their sides.
A typical tourist boat in Amsterdam. Image: Freepik
These tours usually focus on the Netherlands’ maritime past, its colonial policies, the East India Company, and the 17th century, a time of commercial prosperity and rapid expansion for Amsterdam.
If a regular boat trip is not enough for you, you can book a personalised guided tour or a combo tour, where a canal cruise will be combined with a museum visit or a walking tour.
Ready to jump aboard?
Exploring Amsterdam’s canals is an essential and unique experience that offers a fascinating glimpse into the city’s history and architectural beauty.
Once vital for the city’s development, these waterways now serve as its main roads, providing an enchanting view of Amsterdam’s picturesque landscapes and captivating buildings.
What’s your favourite Amsterdam canal cruise? Tell us in the comments below!
English this, English that. Some Dutchies feel the English language is corrupting their country, and they’ve had enough. That is why they’ve decided English tram and bus announcements have to go.
You know that Siri-like voice who robotically recites “the Hague Central Station” in a clipped English accent when you’re onboard an HTM bus or tram?
That is exactly what this group of activists are attempting to abolish. They’ve fastened protesting posters to nearly every HTM stop explaining their cause.
Who cares?
Good question. Why does any of this make a difference? Well, according to defenders of the Dutch language, it’s demotivating internationals from making an effort to learn it, as well as being “discriminatory” towards ordinary, native Dutchies.
Not only that, but the English announcements are causing conductors and tram drivers to go “crazy”, according to Jan Heitmeier of the Language Defense Foundation.
Apparently, the original language is “deteriorating” in its use, even for native Dutchies, since many have just resorted to speaking more English amongst themselves. Wonder why *cough*. đ
More inclusion, less confusion
Are HTM in agreement with the cause? The short answer is no.
While they say they sympathise with the foundation’s concerns, they also claim their services need to prioritise clarity above everything else.
In order to avoid confusing tourists and internationals alike, they’d rather keep their stop announcements universally understandable.
After all, the Hague is meant to be the international city of Peace & Justice, not to mention an expat and tourist hotspot.
Besides, as a spokesperson from HTM points out, the Dutch transport system has already incorporated a lot of English loanwords (such as the “chip card” or “checking in”).
Basically, English is everywhere. You can run, but you can’t hide. Just kidding. đ
Do you agree with the notion that public transport announcements should exclusively be in Dutch? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
You will be seeing fewer and fewer old-fashioned ATM machines scattered around the Netherlands, as they will slowly be replaced by so-called ‘pin shops’.
Not sure what to do with the âŹ10 bill your grandma gave you? Or in need of some cash for that snackbar around the corner that doesn’t accept your card? Well, now you’ll need to head to an ATM shop.
Geldmaat, the yellow cash Automated Teller Machine (ATM) supplier, has just opened its second ‘pin shop’ in Utrecht, reports AD. And they’re already in several other Dutch cities.
Translation: “Residents and entrepreneurs can now withdraw and deposit money in the geldmaat shop in de Pijp.”
What is it? It’s one central, closed-off store with ATMs and deposit machines â for people to well, withdraw or deposit money.
Why the change?
Some people are a little confused about why the change is being made. According to Margo van Wijgerden from Geldmaat, ATM machines aren’t as simple to install in the street as we may think.
The machines can’t be installed in many streets because people might not want them there, or because it’s too dangerous for people to live right above them.
The result? Some cities just don’t have enough ATM machines.
Turns out, these geldmaat ATM machines just aren’t cutting it in the Netherlands. Image: Depositphotos
Geldmaat also points out that the new ‘pin stores’ are safer than street ATM machines. Firstly, you won’t need to speed crumple your cash into your wallet as it comes out of the machine anymore.
Secondly, the store is loaded with cameras and ready to go into full lockdown mode if there is a threat.
And an added benefit? You won’t have to freeze in the Dutch winter to take out a little cash. đ
Do you still use cash to pay for things? Tell us in the comments below!
Dutch healthcare patients are struggling to pay their health bills, and this is often coming at the expense of other basic needs. But the Dutch Patient Federation is fighting for a change.
The Dutch Patient Federation gathered the 10,056 members of their Care Panel to answer the question: can you afford Dutch healthcare?
Surprisingly, it turns out that 21% of Dutch people canât.
Medical treatment has become a luxury
Most people in the Netherlands who avoid treatment mostly do so when it comes to oral care and physiotherapy. And not only are they not getting health treatment, but those avoiding it also reported higher stress, anxiety, or being less mobile.
âYou regularly hear from dentists that poor oral care affects the rest of your health. (…) Dental care has become a luxuryâ, Dianda Veldman, director of the Patient Federation of the Netherlands, tells AD.
Sacrificing other basic needs
People with chronic illnesses really see the consequences of expensive healthcare: they sometimes have to save on their heating and food, just in order to afford a visit to the doctorâs.
What I don't get about Dutch healthcare is that it's INCREDIBLY expensive and yet they never want to DO anything. Where does all the money go?
Are we the only ones who think this is heel contradicting? People have to eat less and live in a colder home â both of which are detrimental to peopleâs health â just so that they can get their health treatment.
Excuse us, weâll be screaming into a pillow for the next four hours.
Time for a change
So letâs get this straight: Dutch healthcare is so expensive that rather than helping people, itâs adding to their issues? Less heating, less food, less social interaction, and worse mental health? Now, thatâs just not right.
But luckily, we are not alone in our fury. The Patient Federation is fighting for more affordable healthcare with a list of demands for the Dutch government.
Among other things, theyâre asking for a significantly reduced deductible, dental care to be partly reimbursed in basic insurance (again), and for people to have easier access to physiotherapy.
What is your experience with Dutch healthcare? Tell us in the comments!
At least thirteen Dutch attendees (including the bride) were injured during a car accident at a Cambodia-based wedding on Sunday.
On Monday, it was revealed that four Dutch people were hospitalised after a driver crashed into a wedding they were attending in Cambodiaâs Siem Reap province.
Potentially drunk wedding attendee behind the wheel
The driver, who spontaneously drove through the tent where the wedding was taking place, was reported to be drunk. However, that detail has not officially been confirmed by the state department, NU.nl reports.Â
Videos circulating on social media platforms reveal a harrowing sight: a grey SUV knocking over the bride before driving into the wedding tent full of partying guests.
Other wedding guests are said to have restrained the vehicle and its driver, before eventually handing him over to police custody.
An article by RTL Nieuws states that the driver was also a guest at the wedding, which was taking place in the village of Chroy Neang Nguon. Reportedly, all injured parties have now been released from hospital.
Conflicting reports
There have been various, contradicting accounts of what actually happened.
A spokesperson from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs mentioned four Dutch people being injured. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Dutch attendees at the wedding claims that five out of eight Dutch attendees were injured.
The Cambodian media, however, say âat leastâ 14 people were injured in total â 13 of them Dutch. (Including the poor bride. đ˘)
How do you feel about this situation? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
