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Abandon ship: Amsterdam’s oldest houseboat set to be removed

Liana Risseeuw 🇱🇰
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Abandon ship: Amsterdam’s oldest houseboat set to be removed

Despite dogged determination to escape death in the scrapyard, Amsterdam’s oldest houseboat, The Dogger, is set to be removed from the canal. ⛵️

The houseboat will disembark from its current home in the Prinsengracht, reports Het Parool.

Built in 1865, The Dogger was originally responsible for keeping Amsterdam’s breweries afloat by carrying water to them — before being moved to its current location in 1888.

READ MORE | 5 questions people ask about living on a houseboat

Although intended to be taken out of the water every seven years, The Dogger’s keel has not touched land for 134 years. The rust on its exterior speaks of sad years of neglect. 🤕

Wat jammer!

Too high to pass under the low bridges that surround it, The Dogger cannot sail out of the Prinsengracht for repairs. This, according to owner Jeroen Elsen, renders it uninsurable.

In fact, all offers of insurance would bring conversations to a halt harder than a cargo ship in the Suez Canal when Elsen mentioned the boat being 157 years old! 👨🏼‍🦳

He also explains that if the 96 ton boat were to sink, it’d likely block the channel entirely. This would disrupt all traffic up and down the canal, and result in a huge liability for Elsen. Talk about being caught between a rock and a…errr, heavy place! ⚓️

READ MORE | Renting a boat in the Netherlands: all you need to know

To add insult to injury, some in the local community around the Prinsengracht have even labelled The Dogger an eyesore! 

Thankfully, Elsen notes that many others see it as a beautiful boat, and will be sad to see it gone.

It seems the ship has sailed

The Dogger was actually saved from removal by public support once before. In 1996, the public rallied around the vessel after a radio message drummed up support for its salvation.

However, given the state of the boat, it doesn’t seem likely that this will happen a second time.

But don’t worry, history-lovers — archaeologically-important items from the vessel will be saved while it’s in the process of being dismantled.

A brief glimpse at a floating blast from the past!

Have you spotted The Dogger in your wanderings around Amsterdam? How do you feel about its removal? Tell us in the comments below!

Progress takes a pit-stop as women face harassment at the Dutch Grand Prix

Heather Slevin
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Progress takes a pit-stop as women face harassment at the Dutch Grand Prix

This past weekend was a major one for fans of Formula 1 Racing; the Dutch Grand Prix took off at lightning speed, with thousands of fans travelling to Zandvoort to watch the spectacle. 

Yet, the weekend was a disappointing one for any female fans in attendance, as they faced unacceptable harassment at the hands of their male counterparts. 

Multiple cases of harassment

Over twenty women present at the event reported incidents of undesirable behaviour at the race, the NOS reports. This included women being yelled at by passing men, as well as incidents of groping. 

Read More | Hoera! F1 Champion Max Verstappen receives royal honour

The race track, which was positioned along the coast of Zandvoort, was mere feet away from the beachfront, where hundreds of people had chosen to spend the weekend swimming and sunbathing in the heat. 

No doubt beach visitors, stuck by accident amongst the large crowds exiting the stadium and heading into the city and nearby train station, also received unwanted attention. 

Watch out! Female fans were racing to report misconduct at the F1 races. Image: Unsplash

Delayed trains didn’t help 

Female fans, unfortunately, couldn’t make a quick escape from the stadium. While the NS had coordinated to have trains departing every five minutes, bringing fans from Haarlem and Amsterdam to Zandvoort and back, there were many delays in the evening. 

Read More | BREAKING: It’s official, the NS will have a second round of train strikes

On Saturday evening, a bus ran into a railway viaduct, causing delays and cancellations along the line. This left fans stranded, as 16% of the trains scheduled for the day were delayed or didn’t run at all. 

And this isn’t the first time 

However, this isn’t the only incident that female fans of F1 have faced unwarranted harassment at events. During the Austrian Grand Prix in July 2022, many fans had the same issues when it came to sexist and misogynistic comments, reported Het Parool. 

Read More | How men can step up against sexual misconduct in the Netherlands

Fans at the time spoke out against F1, saying that something should happen to prevent incidents like this in the future. 

Some fans even created a group chat to provide each other support after the race but believed that it should be the responsibility of the organisation to provide help and support to victims. 

At the time, F1 made fans aware that they knew of the incidents. However, they have yet to make any statement after the Dutch Grand Prix.

Even Lewis Hamilton, competing for Mercedes, was outraged at the misogyny women faced at the Austrian Grand Prix this past July. Speaking in a comment on his Instagram, Hamilton was ‘disgusted’ and ‘disappointed’ at the behaviour exhibited by fans. 

Let’s hope the F1 stars are equally disgusted this time round. 

What do you think about this behaviour? Leave a comment below, and if you were present in Zandvoort during the Grand Prix, tell us what you experienced!

Another one: today, regional buses and trains begin strikes across the NL

Juni Moltubak
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Another one: today, regional buses and trains begin strikes across the NL

Nope, we’re not done with upsetting transport news yet. Today, regional trains and buses in Flevoland, South Holland and Zeeland will join the infamous FNV union strike.

But it doesn’t stop there: the rest of the work week will see strikes in the other regions, so plan your commute carefully. 🚌

The regional trains and buses are striking alongside the national rail service NS, writes RTL Nieuws, aiming for more staff capacity (to lessen the workload) and higher wages. 💪🏽

This is just the warm-up

But this week’s regional strikes are just the warm-up for what’s to come. September 16 is the big day as a nationwide strike is planned for the regional buses and trains.

If the strikers go through with this, there will be no regional buses or trains anywhere in the Netherlands on that day. Ouch.

The regional disruptions come on top of the extension of the NS strike, which was announced only yesterday.

With all these issues, it seems, once again, like we’ll have to request some extra work-from-home days from the boss. Oh, and we probably can’t make it to dinner with the in-laws either… 🤷🏽‍♀️

Other public transport up in the air

Trams and buses within cities like The Hague and Rotterdam are, for the time being, not supposed to join the regional strike. However, if the past few weeks have taught us anything, it is that anything can happen in the world of strikes.

READ MORE | Public transport in the Netherlands: the complete guide

Some local bus and tram drivers are covered by the same labour agreement as the regional strikers, so hopefully, your local transport won’t experience any disruptions.

Want the latest Dutch news to come zooming through the internet to your inbox? Dat kan! Subscribe to DutchReview’s weekly roundup 📮

BREAKING: It’s official, the NS will have a second round of train strikes

Sarah O'Leary 🇮🇪
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BREAKING: It’s official, the NS will have a second round of train strikes

Last week, the Netherlands experienced commuting chaos as NS workers laid down their whistles in protest of poor pay. Now, trade unions have just announced a second wave of strikes.

Much like the last strikes, different regions of the country will experience a shutdown of train services on different days.

This time, the strikes will be spread across three days, the first of which will begin as early as this Friday, September 9.

What regions will be affected by the NS strikes and when?

According to the NOS, the strikes will look like this:

  • Friday September 9 — Northwest and West regions
  • Tuesday September 13 — The East, South and North regions
  • Thursday September 15 — Central region

However, if the last strikes are anything to go by, other parts of the country may also experience train cancellations.

Why are the NS striking again?

For much the same reason as the first round of strikes. Last month, the trade unions FNV, CNV, and VVMC announced that NS workers would strike, demanding better pay from the NS.

READ MORE | Don’t even try: travel organisation says stay home during NS strikes

Asking for a one-time bonus of €600 and a monthly wage increase of €100, the unions made it clear that if the worker’s demands weren’t met by the NS, more strikes would follow.

And guess what? The NS has not met these demands. “Although the strikes of 24, 26, 29, 30 and 31 August were a resounding success, there’s still no new collective labour agreement,” the unions have said in a statement.

The result: ditch your commuting plans for next week — and pray that the NS workers get their pay.

Want the latest Dutch news to come zooming through the internet to your inbox? Dat kan! Subscribe to DutchReview’s weekly roundup 📮

Holy crap! Man poops on a woman’s porch after a (casual?) night stroll

Gaelle Salem
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Holy crap! Man poops on a woman’s porch after a (casual?) night stroll

On Sunday morning, an 88-year-old woman in the Dutch town of Venray found a man sleeping in her garden. Oh, and that man had also taken a sh*t in her lawn chair. No, we didn’t just make that up.

It all started the night before. The man went out for a casual, evening stroll in the neighbourhood when he apparently had a sudden and unrelenting urge to take a dump. 😔

READ MORE | Wild poopers annoy the sh*t out of Nijmegeners

He wandered too far from his home, where his own private urinal lies — so he made his way to this old lady’s porch and proceeded to poop there instead. How convenient!

The next morning, the woman found him sleeping there in nothing but a pair of socks and a jacket. When the police arrived, they woke the man up — but he hadn’t the slightest clue where he was. 🤔

READ MORE | Dutch Quirk #81: Have toilets with an inspection shelf for their poo

Once he was conscious and made aware of the deuce he had dropped, he neatly cleaned it up and “took it home”, writes NU.nl.

In the end, the police concluded that the man was probably (only probably? 🥴) drunk during the incident, and enrolled him on a drug prevention project.

Might we suggest also signing him up for the ultimate list of drunken, poop horror stories too? 💩

What do you think about the crappy situation? Tell us in the comments below! 👇

Visible climate action: Haarlem to ban meat in public advertisements

Juni Moltubak
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Visible climate action: Haarlem to ban meat in public advertisements

If you visit the Dutch city of Haarlem in 2024, you probably won’t see any advertisements for meat products in public spaces. This decision was made due to the widely negative influence production of meat has on our climate.

With this, Haarlem will become the first city in the world to ban meat content from its public advertisement space, writes the NOS.

READ MORE | The effect of climate change on the Netherlands: what’s going to happen?

The decision is grounded in the fact that meat and livestock are highly polluting industries. Not only are they behind about 32% of all methane emissions, they also heavily contribute to the heating of the planet.

Visual steps to fight the climate crisis

Haarlem might be the first to ban meat commercials, but many other (Dutch) cities have already implemented climate-related advertisement bans, albeit not meat-related ones.

Amsterdam is another Dutch city that has gone the extra climate mile and decided to ban all public commercials for fossil fuel companies.

The municipality in The Hague has similarly chosen to refuse all car, and air travel adverts from the city’s bus stops. Way to inspire people to go by public transport!

READ MORE | 17 ideas that make the Dutch sustainability super-heroes

Tricky business

Naturally, banning a broad category of advert such as meat is no small task. It is, therefore, still unclear what exactly the new measure means, and which products and areas the ban will be effective.

READ MORE | Dutch ministry omits advice to eat less meat from its sustainability campaign

In addition, some have raised the question of whether banning certain forms of advertisement can be considered a breach of the human right to freedom of expression.

Like all impactful decisions, banning meat products from public advertisements can cause conflicting opinions. In the meantime, Haarlem will carry on with its meat-ridding plans.

Do you think the ban on meat advertisements will be effective? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!

Gas prices skyrocket (AGAIN!) as Russian pipeline shuts down

Lea Shamaa 🇺🇸🇱🇧
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Gas prices skyrocket (AGAIN!) as Russian pipeline shuts down

Remember the good old times (last week) when gas prices were going down? Well, on Monday morning, they rose up again because the Nord Stream 1 pipeline will remain closed for longer.

After falling slightly by 15% last week, gas prices shot back up by 31% yesterday morning, soon after the stock market opened again, writes Nu.nl.

READ MORE | Gas, electricity, water and more: ultimate guide to utilities in the Netherlands

In other words, on Friday, gas prices fell to €200 per MWh, and now they’re at €280 per MWh. To put into perspective just how expensive both rates are, last year, prices were only below €30 per MWh.

Nord Stream 1 pipeline closes

On Wednesday, the pipeline closed due to a three-day maintenance check. However, after the overhaul, Russia reported that the workers discovered an oil leak.

As a result, the Nord Stream 1 pipeline is going to be shut down for longer, reports the NOS.

Why is this pipeline affecting gas prices so much? Well, it’s actually the main gas link between Russia and its Western European counterparts.

The plot thickens

While Russia reported problems with the pipeline, Germany believes that the Kremlin shut it down for political reasons.

In fact, the news about the shutdown came right after the G7 countries agreed to impose a price cap on Russian oil, in order to lessen the money being used to finance the war in Ukraine.

Right after Russia reported that the pipeline would need more time to get back on track, gas prices shot up. So, it’s safe to say that matters are looking a bit suspicious right now. 🤔

Dutch residents pay the price

Since fall 2021, rising gas prices have become common in the Netherlands. Now, many Dutch households are struggling to pay in full for gas and electricity.

READ MORE | Customers aren’t prepared for their bills; Dutch energy companies concerned

If gas market prices continue to shoot up, the Central Planning Bureau estimates that about 350,000 people will struggle to cover the high energy bills and soon find themselves below the poverty line.

Stay up to date with all the news in the Netherlands by following DutchReview on Facebook.

Good news! Schiphol is planning on building a new terminal

Lea Shamaa 🇺🇸🇱🇧
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Good news! Schiphol is planning on building a new terminal

Schiphol had its fair share of chaos in the past couple of months. To make sure that doesn’t become a common case, the Dutch airport will now be adding a new terminal to its name.

Ultimately, the terminal will be able to provide travellers at Schiphol with more walking space and comfort to move, especially during high peak seasons.

This will be a huge advantage for the airport, which recently suffered from loads of management and capacity issues. With luck, Schiphol won’t have to hoard all our luggage again.

READ MORE | Problems on the horizon: Schiphol limits number of travellers in autumn

Unfortunately, while plans for the terminal have been running for a hot minute now, construction will most likely only be done by 2032, writes NU.nl. Let’s hope Schiphol can sustain all its travellers until then. 🙈

New terminal isn’t a small investment

When it’s finished, the new terminal will be located to the south of the Schiphol plaza, giving it the name “Terminal South”, according to information on Tendernet.

Building a whole terminal won’t be a cheap task, however. According to the project information, it’s going to cost more than €1 billion to carry out the construction. 🤯

Not everyone’s happy about the decision to spend that much on a new terminal…

Also, plans on building a new terminal isn’t exactly new. Plans for the new building have been postponed for two years due to the decline in air traffic caused by the pandemic.

While the Dutch airport hasn’t exactly had the best reputation this year, they’re now definitely going to carry on with this project. Go Schiphol, go!

What do you think about the idea of another Schiphol terminal? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!

Good luck, commuters: Dutch trains are now fuller, later, and less frequent

Juni Moltubak
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Good luck, commuters: Dutch trains are now fuller, later, and less frequent

Dutch trains are less often on time than in 2019, new research from RTL Nieuws shows. On top of that, the Dutch railway company NS announced earlier this year that they would cut down on the number of train departures all across the country.

Travelling by train is the preferred way to commute in the Netherlands for many commuters (okay, after biking, of course). This fall, there will be many changes to Dutchies’ daily routines — for many different reasons.

More delays

September is the busiest train month of the year, and we were in for a rough ride. The research editors over at RTL have concluded that the number of delays in 2022 is almost 4 percentage points higher than in 2019.

READ MORE | The ultimate guide to taking a train in the Netherlands: from OV cards to saving money

This, unfortunately, also means that 378 of the 400 train stations in the Netherlands now experience more delays than we’re used to. 🤯

Fewer departures

Delays are not the only thing challenging the daily commuters, however. There are also more cancellations on Dutch railways than before.

Malfunctions and technical difficulties are the main factors to blame, and the amount of such disruptions has been exacerbated due to the staff shortage in the Dutch train industry.

The staff shortage has also led to outright cancellations of trains in recent months.

READ MORE | NS workers are about to go on strike: here’s how trains will be affected

But of course, the nationwide train strike has also had its impact. Thankfully, the strike seems to be over (for now), but cancellations are still a much greater issue now than in 2019.

Big changes from today

From September 5 (hey, that’s today!), NS has announced a nationwide reduction in train departures — to last indefinitely.

The reason for this is the mentioned staff shortage, but also a somewhat more surprising passenger shortage, reported by the company. It seems like the pandemic has inspired more people to work from home.

With fewer trains stopping at station platforms, catching a ride to work may become a hectic task. In other words, Dutch trains are later, fuller, and rarer than before. Happy travelling!

How has the Dutch railway situation impacted you? Tell us in the comments below!

Rejected! University of Amsterdam plans to admit fewer international students

Gaelle Salem
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Rejected! University of Amsterdam plans to admit fewer international students

From 2023, the University of Amsterdam (UvA) plans to put a cap on the number of international students admitted to both psychology and political science study programs.

The chairman of UvA’s board, Geert ten Dam, says that this is a matter of urgency because, with the massive influx of international students in the Netherlands, the Dutch are being outnumbered and outcompeted in those two studies.

READ MORE | Over half of international students struggle with Dutch university life

The university can’t handle the number of international students, and a line has to be drawn not to overflow it. The point is that: natural-born citizens also need to become a priority when it comes to higher education.

Desperate times call for desperate measures

Legally, universities in the Netherlands are not allowed to exclude international students, which is why school boards are only testing whether putting the cap in place will truly make universities more accessible to Dutch students.

However, with a reputation for being the most popular university in the country, UvA simply can’t wait any longer.

According to the NOS, the number of international students in attendance is just too great, sharply increasing from 31,000 to 41,000 in just five years! 😮

READ MORE | International students warned not to come to Amsterdam: 10,000 rooms short

“The workload is too high, the numbers too large. We are reaching the point that Dutch students from Hoorn, Emmen or Amsterdam-West cannot go to popular studies, because they are being outcompeted by students from abroad”, Ten Dam tells the NOS.

Next to that, about two-thirds of international students now make up the psychology study program — exceeding the number of Dutch students by quite a lot. 

Housing shortage calls for rule on maximum capacity

Internationals are also put in a vulnerable position with the housing shortage.

They’re struggling more and more to find a home in Amsterdam. Getting an apartment to rent has become a hundred-to-one shot, leaving many to sleep in tents as a last resort.

With high rent prices and house shortages, it’s already becoming unattractive to come to Amsterdam for higher education.

What do you think about UvA’s plan to limit international students? Tell us in the comments below! 👇

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