An annual tradition in the Netherlands: After a long weekend of eggs, chocolate and celebrations the entire nation comes together in a nationwide gridlock. Odds are you were either in one earlier today or are reading this while looking out over an endless line of Dutch traffic ahead of you.
Today has been no different with a 370 kilometers (229 mi) total worth of traffic jams at 8:30AM, according to the Traffic Information Service (VID), striking especially hard earlier in the morning on the notorious A1 (Amsterdam-Oldenzaal) highway. Also affected is the A12 (Arnhem-Utrecht) with minor delays near Maanderbroek/Veenendaal and the A27 near Apeldoorn is affected by emergency repairs but with minimal delay.
The Netherlands is generally notorious for high traffic density, and ensuing congestions, especially around the Randstad-cities, with some of the most intense traffic points around Utrecht, Amsterdam’s A10 highway with the Coentunnel to Zaanstad in particular and the A13 highway between Rotterdam-The Hague holds the crown as the busiest highway in the nation.
Not so scenic living next to the A13
Dutch Traffic Advice
It’s always strongly recommended to avoid aforementioned highways during peak (office) hours as you are almost always certain to hit traffic. Be sure to use your phone or GPS with the latest updated traffic information if you must, it will often be able to guide you around them. But, as a word of advice, look into parallel running roads during peak hours, though top speed is usually slower you will more than often gain on those on the highway because of reduced traffic density. Though train tickets aren’t cheap in the Netherlands, they are a great alternative to the car, especially given the regular traffic delays – in some areas however buses have their own highway lane that they can use without facing other traffic, check your route online in order to find out if this is an alternative for you.
Future Traffic Efforts
In the near future traffic will most likely get worse before it gets better, with the Dutch economy making strides traffic will likely even further intensify, however there is a glimmer of hope – the pragmatic Dutch spirit has made both the local and national governments invest strongly in both road improvement and alternative transportation such as the infamous Noord-Zuidlijn, a subway connecting Amsterdam’s North and South city district which could potentially massively reduce both traffic density and environmental pollution of the A10-highway. Both the subway and other road projects are scheduled for delivery in the coming years.
We hope you had a great Easter Weekend and can shake off your traffic frustrations, God willing tomorrow will be a regular traffic day again. Drive safely.
You can feel it, pumping slowly through your veins, the thick sludge of cholesterol built from an endless stream of kroketten, frikandellen, patat met mayo and bier. It’s slowly killing you, every bite you take, your vision has reduced to shades of grey, you sweat deep-fryer fat and when you let one rip seagulls and pigeons swoop in. Why are you doing this to yourself? Because you’re in the Netherlands and you don’t always know where you should buy your food from because there are too many places. Well, fear not. This is your guide to supermarkets in the Netherlands – the posh, commonplace and budget! We’re going to – de supermarkt! Because I like hummus and bread and cheese.
So you’ve got some extra cash laying around from a successful bank robbery and want to spend it on food?
Marqt
Although Marqt only has a few supermarkets, it deserves a special mention as it’s Valhalla for everyone looking to buy biological and vegan foods and everything else that requires sweaters made from Llama-wool.
All the products you will find at this supermarket are high quality and organic with ample of vegan and vegetarian options. If you and herbivores desire to eat it, then I can almost guarantee this place has it!
Marqt is a niche supermarket and charges like one too – I once bought a pack of cookies and the receipt looked like my phone number. On the upside, the service and crowd there is super clean, quiet, helpful and if you’re looking for a hot boyfriend or girlfriend of matching diet, hang around a Marqt!
You can find most Marqt stores in Amsterdam but they have several locations throughout the Randstad-cities.
A customer browsing the Vegan foods section at Marqt.
Foodmarkt
This one’s a bit of a cheat, because it’s a subsidiary of Jumbo. Foodmarkt is mostly comparable to the quality supermarkets seen in the US and Canada – boasting huge halls and having a selection of products that dazzles the mind. Though their selection of biological and vegetarian/vegan isn’t as broad as Marqt, you will still be able to find just about everything at Foodmarkt. The supermarket is successfully designed much to look like an indoor market and offers a very high standard of products as well as most common A-brands you will find in other stores. Foodmarkt does charge a bit more than the regular supermarket but not as much as Markt. Oh, and take it from my experience – their parking lots are huge, especially the one in Amsterdam-Noord, be prepared to circle thirty times and pass equally confused drivers.
Plus
There isn’t an awful lot to say about this supermarket other than that it’s genuinely a quality supermarket. It doesn’t tend to offer any out of the ordinary brands but the store’s produce, bakery and meat are excellent quality (better than most other stores). However, just like its previous two competitors Plus has a minus in pricing but they have really great discounts on a regular basis. So even when on a budget, keep an eye out for Plus’s discounts.
Yes this is actually someone’s name, Albert was a grocer from Zaandam (Amsterdam’s New Jersey) whose company gradually built a massive empire of supermarkets and stores across the Netherlands, Europe and even the Americas.
Today they are far out the biggest supermarket in the nation with nearly 950 stores! They are have many mini-stores at railway stations and shopping streets. AH offers all the important A-brands available as well as their Bonus-deals. This is the store you are most likely to bump into or be directed to if you ask someone for a supermarket.
Source: Maurits90 on Wikipedia
Jumbo
Jumbo is AH’s biggest competitor (the two are at each other’s throat all the time). The advantage to this though is that the supermarket war between the two has prevented the grocery prices from ever raising too high. Though they ‘only’ have 600 stores nationwide, Jumbo is more than capable of competing with AH for pricing and their quality is just about on par too. They have great discounts on a wide selection of products and it is worth looking into and easy to find in any major town.
Dirk
The two are actually the same company but with a slightly different formula. Dirk van den Broek is an A-brand discounter, offering the sharpest possible prices for the same common brands like AH and Jumbo do.
Dekamarkt is a somewhat higher quality regular supermarket, not particularly standing out but of fine quality otherwise with reasonable sales on a regular basis. Dirk is especially present in and around Amsterdam, from where it originates, Deka is present in the whole of the Noord-Holland province.
Spar and COOP
Spar is also well-known outside of the country but doesn’t have a huge presence in the Netherlands meanwhile COOP is one of the fastest growing supermarkets in the nation. Both appear in areas where the bigger competitors don’t already rule. Both stores feature fine selections of A-brands and more than reasonable products of their own. They’re neither cheap nor expensive and are easily found throughout medium-sized towns and cities.
The Budget Supermarkets
If you’re like me, my condolences, but there’s (some) hope. Both of these supermarkets are from Germany but instead of starving Holland through the Hunger Winter, they’re now helping us through it.
Winter in Wartime, a 108 minutes of Dutch cinematic depression about the times before Lidl and Aldi.
Lidl
Lidl is of higher quality store of the two and is praised for their quality produce that can often compete with much more expensive supermarkets. Can you really taste the difference between a 90 cent bread and a €1,30 bread? I can’t, unless I suck on the pennies that make the price difference.
Overall, Lidl offers very reasonable products for excellent prices, you just have to find out for yourself which ones you like (or can tolerate) and which ones to avoid. Their non-food products are great too.
Their overall selections are meagre but they do offer something of everything from biological vegetables to cat-sticks (as in for, not made from), it’s all there. During holidays they often offer delicacies, keep an eye out!
Aldi
Aldi is notorious and it doesn’t get much cheaper unless you steal (which many do). So watch the security at the store, they’re onto you! It has to be said that Aldi offers a number of products that are reasonable, but that really is all it is – reasonable. If you’re on a really low budget and buy strategically then this is a great supermarket to head.
However, Aldi has one huge benefit and that is that their their non-foods are spectacular. For example, their electronics brand “Medion” often offers spectacular prices for great appliances such as kitchen machinery, computers and hardware and even smartphones. If you’re on a budget, look through Aldi’s ads or the non-food section at the store, you will often find a great alternative for a great price. As much as you can make fun of Aldi’s food quality, nobody can take that away from them.
So, this is the end of this article – are you starting to get hungry yet? If so, eat something BEFORE you go to the store, or you’ll be the proud owner of aisle six for sure. I hope you can now better orientate yourself through the Dutch supermarket landscape, it’s a jungle out there! Buy smart and eat healthy – because you deserve it.
The Dutch are world famous for their love of all things biking. But what are some ways you can really get on their good side while engaging in this two-wheeled exercise?
1. Bike in front of them very, very, very slowly
Life is about stopping to smell the roses, and being in the moment; you’re just helping them become a little more zen. The silent Dutch biker behind you is not seething with rage, they’re meditating. That loud breathing you hear coming from them isn’t anger, they are just focusing on their breathing. Namaste.
2. Signal and turn without looking behind you
The first time I ever biked in Groningen I signaled I was turning left in the process of already turning. The woman behind me rang her bell at me so many times I thought she was having a muscle spasm, and yelled many nice, different Dutch words; this was great for my vocabulary practice. I took this to mean she was just excited to see an exotic American in her home country, and I rang my bell back at her while giving her a smile and a wave.
3. Be a tourist
Dutch bikers love you with a passion. The second they see that bright colored rental bike in front of them they are ready to go all Gladiator on your ass, and who doesn’t love that movie?
4. Walk out in front of them
It’s an absolute honor to help a Dutchie find their inner Superman as they fly over the handle bars of their bike. When they face plant on the ground in front of you, just keep walking. Super heroes want to keep their identity a secret; you wouldn’t want to give them away would you?
Fly like the wind Superman!
5. Steal their bike
Seriously, Dutchies love the excuse to go for a nice, leisurely walk. If you take away their bike, they’ll have a nice 5km hike back home and you helped make that happen! Even better if it’s raining outside; who doesn’t love the fresh feeling of drops of water hitting them in the face?
6. Bike the wrong way down the bike lane
It’s a real life version of Grand Theft Auto! Dodge the Dutchies, and pick up a prostitute in the Red Light District while your at it.
Dutch people consider themselves to be a fairly relaxed bunch and it takes a lot to really drive them crazy. However, every student needs a master. Teach that Dutch biker behind you the art of patience, even better if it’s one of the bike racers with those really tight spandex shorts.
Who doesn’t love a ride through Niagra Falls?
8. Ring your bell at them multiple times
You’re just giving them the biking equivalent to three cheek kisses! Say hello to that guy biking slowly in front of you. Give a nice greeting to that tourist biking towards you in the wrong lane.
Do these 8 things and you will be make so many Dutch friends you won’t know what to do with yourself. Prrringgg Pringgggg.
Besides having the best modern architecture, some fab’ burger places and some great Smart City projects, Rotterdam also has some delicious new and trendy places opening up every month. But what’s the best place to go? So many spots to choose from! What’s on the menu? How’s the vibe? To help you in your choice, DutchReview went out to Rotterdam on a ‘fact-finding’ mission (aka tour de eating) to show you 5 creative and great restaurants that have opened in the past year!
AYLA
If you’ve been keeping track of the city’s new spots, you’d know Ayla would make the list. It’s been written about many times and rightly so: Ayla is not only a treat to the taste buds but the venue’s amazing interior is a gift in and of itself.
Ayla/FacebookStill in cold March, by April they should have a booming terrace
It’s a eclectic mix of Mediterranean, urban and orientalist chique that just totally works. And in that sense it’s also a welcome break from the hipster ‘airspace’ design that so many places now (try to) rock when it comes to interior design.
Good vibes there as well
On the intersection of the West-Kruiskade and Kruisplein (just 100m away from Central Station), Ayla is the new project from the people that gave you The Suicide Club and Biergarten Rotterdam. They also set up the pop-up ‘Ontbijtbar’ in the same location before Ayla came to fruition. If you visited any of these places then you know that this guarantees a hip and creative approach, (which was certainly true for their cocktails) but how was the food?
Best looking cocktails ever
Creative and crazy delicious, that’s the food in a nutshell. Weird combinations of ingredients are often hit or miss, but Ayla’s execution consistently hit the mark. It’s worthy following the staff’s recommendations since they hit the bulls eye with their first round. You might expect the Iberian ham and the scallops to shine, but it was the cauliflower that unexpectedly stole the show (the nice Dutch word for it is ‘Bloemkool’).
The cauliflower is the one in the middle that looks nuggets, but tastes like angelsPies for dessert
Normally I would post a picture of their menu, but they change it up every week so it wouldn’t help much. They’ve got a terrace during the warmer seasons and I’ve heard that breakfast is also a must-have, so Ayla has your back pretty much every moment of the year (or the week, they’re open 7 days).
Not into shared dining that much? Perhaps even better food can be had at ‘Dertien’. Normally when visiting a hot spot I’m always busy shooting pics of my food (ahem, for work) and the interior. This time was no exception and no picture was more justified than the one of the giant old-school menu sign right above the bar.
So once again there’s no physical paper menu, but there is some delicious food. The menu also changes frequently, but I’m hoping that they still have the pork belly and mussels (with cream and almonds, so good).
That big bitterball was a no-brainer for us at DutchReview: instant hit. And look at the size of that bavette, no Dutch thriftiness there!
Big plus, in my book, is that Dertien works with a lot ingredients from the region. Always a nice touch when you know it’s locally farmed.
Nice interior and plenty of space as well
I also have to say that their service was at a higher standard than the other places and pro-tip, ask them to pair the wines with your courses – they know their stuff and we got to taste some really original wines!
In one of the most exciting neighborhoods in the city there’s a seafood restaurant that’s definitely worth a visit. The Fish Market is located in the city-center between one of the most luxurious fashion streets of Rotterdam, De Meent, and near one of Rotterdam’s architectural highlights the Markthal. The menu offers you an exciting choice between all the high quality seafood classics like lobster, king crab, scampi’s and more.
Both the owners have worked in several Michelin star awarded kitchens and this can easily be found in the taste of every dish. And it certainly showed in the plating as well.
The huge outside terrace is perfect for some oysters in the sun on a Friday afternoon or a nice evening dinner with the energy of the Dutch city of cool all around you. The inside interior fits the theme of the sea nicely as well. The open kitchen is separated from the cozy and warm interior of the restaurant by a bar of fresh products that are displayed for you to choose from. And the tanks containing the fresh lobsters and king crabs give the whole place a finger-licking finishing touch.
All together this is a perfect place with high quality seafood for a good price.
In literally the same street as Dertien, the Schiedamse Vest, is Lola. Although with a focus on tapas and pinchos (with a twist), Lola is on a very different culinary road. We visited Lola when it was still breezy and dark outside, but Lola’s fresh interior, summer spirited bites and the friendly staff (thanks Casper!) make for a wonderful summer feeling.
Lola’s interior is best described as vintage retro funky Latin (totally made that up myself) and it’s a mix between a bar and a restaurant. The open kitchen adds to the already buzzing atmosphere inside. Absolute eye catcher for your nostalgic inner-nerd was their Donkey Kong Arcade machine!
Winning
So you won’t find most of those classic (and sometimes tiring) tapas here like the albongidas. Instead, the absolute winner was the ‘Lola plank’: plenty of delicious bites are served on a wooden board (the Dutch word is ‘plank’) and for a good price you get a great deal of varying bites. And could there be anything better than chorizo croquettes?
Another one that made my day was the Iberian ham, for the love of god order that one when visiting Lola. Drinking was also done with a twist. Besides good Spanish wines and beers, their Sangria also really shined and they even mixed some affordable and tasty cocktails.
Good times were enjoyed 🙂
Can’t wait to taste them again on a nice summer night!
To tell you the truth, the ‘Oude Haven’ was always one of my favorite spots in Rotterdam because of the nice terraces and views and such – but never because of the establishments of there. Old, campy and certainly not that creative. Luckily that has changed with arrival of Meat Rotterdam, and lucky for us, we just happened to visit it when the sun showed its happy yellow face.
As you can see, Meat Rotterdam wins the prize for the best view to be had:
Their name is kind of a giveaway; they call it a ‘Vleeschcafé’ themselves, and we came ready to taste some serious meat classiness. As the appetizer we went for the ‘Proeverij’ (which means appetizer in Dutch, how convenient) and the truffleballs (because obviously you need to go for truffles whenever available).
Brooklyn Lager always +1
After a while it got chilly and we moved this meat eating inside. Their decor has a lot of manly wood going on, quite suitable – all in all it’s a welcome addition to the Oude Haven.
Of course the main menu was, how surprising, meat! We had the ‘kogelbiefstuk’ and the picanha. Both were done perfectly – here you can see me having a great moment:
So if you’re ever in the mood for some good meat and views to go with it, Meat Rotterdam has your back. It has one of largest terraces in Rotterdam, so this one is always a good choice if you want to sit outside.
Are you in need of a new Facebook profile picture? Are your recent Instagram posts lacking in colour? Maybe you’re worried that your constant Snapchaps of drunken nights out are getting dull. If any of the above applies to you, we’ve got the answer.
A pop of colour brightens up any newsfeed
What you need is a trip to Keukenhof Tulip Gardens. Seriously, hear me out. Not only will you enjoy a great day out and enjoy the spectacular variations of tulips that Holland is so famous for, but you’ll also be in the perfect setting to take stunning photos to wow all your social media fans. And why just stop at taking photos of the flowers? Why not exploit the stunning surroundings to enhance your natural beauty this tulip season?
Is there a more perfect setting for a photo?
Find your focus among the crocus
And don’t worry about feeling self-conscious about taking pictures with every single one of the parks different flower varieties (of which there must be thousands) as you certainly won’t be the only one. People of all ages and nationalities will also be there posing up a storm trying to find the perfect angle and lighting that will make them look even more beautiful than the flowers they’ve paid good money to see. In this case, it’s not those pesky tourists clogging up the paths and hogging the best spots, oh no, the selfie epidemic seems to have spread to the national population as well.
Even this Dutch reviewer’s Mum couldn’t resist taking a gazillion pictures to show everyone on Facebook
Find your angle
You too could be elbowing a granny out of the way of that beautiful display of red and yellow tulips with a border of purple hyacinths to get that perfect picture that’s sure to get at least 10 likes. And don’t forget to lie down next to the flowers or use a selfie stick for that totally unique perspective that no one will be expecting. That’ll surely boost you up to at least 12 likes. Also, the whole park boasts free wifi access for that instant upload so you can always delete and post a fresh picture if your first try isn’t getting the love it deserves.
All about those angles
A rose by any other name
Don’t let the irony of snapping away hundreds of photos yourself surrounded by narcissi hold you back, what’s in a name anyway! Turns out quite a bit in this case as the unmistakable yellow flowers name can be traced back to the Greek myth of Narcissus. The beautiful youth was said to have become so obsessed with looking at his own reflection beaming up at him from the water that he eventually drowned and narcissi sprung up in the spot where he died. Perhaps we could all do with heeding the moral of this tale and spend more time admiring the flowers with our own eyes rather than through a camera lens. Or not. Don’t let me stop you from using the parks beauty to capture that flawless picture. Happy snapping!
If I was that beautiful I’d spend all day looking at my reflection tooGood lighting is crucialIt’s not all tulips,. You can also take selfies with orchids, crocus, narcissi, hyacinths… Well worth a visit!
After months of anticipation, today is the day that many people in the Netherlands have been waiting for: the arrival of two giant pandas from Chengdu in China.
‘Panda fever’ has struck the small town of Rhenen, where the pandas will eventually live, and local bakers and butchers have fed the frenzy by selling ‘panda bread’, ‘panda burgers’ and ‘panda sausages’. The butcher quickly confirmed that the sausages were not actually made from panda.
The pandas, known as Xing Ya and Wu Wen, have supposedly been the subject of 16 years of quiet negotiations by millionaire animal enthusiast Marcel Boekhoorn, owner of Ouwehands Zoo. Pandas are loaned from the Chinese government as a sign that a country has made it into China’s ‘inner circle’ of special friends, and as such are often regarded as a form of diplomatic currency. How the pandas feel about this is uncertain.
Marcel Boekhoorn hopes that Xing Ya and Wu Wen will be persuaded to breed. This is no easy feat, since pandas are notoriously reluctant lovers.
Panda Diplomacy
It will not all be candlelight dinners and aphrodisiacs for Xing Ya and Wu Wen, however. They have hard work ahead of them. With their cute and fluffy appearance, the two pandas are tasked with improving China’s international reputation.
Again, this will be no easy feat. A report this week by Amnesty International identifies China as the most frequent and least transparent practitioner of the death penalty. It is thought that China executes more people annually than the rest of the world put together. That is well over 1000 executions a year. But never mind, look at the pandas!
The pandas will arrive at Schiphol Airport on Wednesday evening.
Why you don’t want to miss the Museum Prinsenhof in Delft
Somewhere hidden in the picturesque alleys of Delft is a museum that combines great art with an illustrious history and some beautiful scenery to make the combination a succes. It’s also one of those museums in the Netherlands that makes you understand the country a bit better. Let’s have a look at what’s going on in Delft and why the Prinsenhof Museum is a must-visit!
1. It’s an epic place for Dutch History
I honestly can’t think of a more important place for Dutch history than the Prinsenhof in Delft. It all started in the 16th century when William of Orange (aka William the Silent) lived at the Prinsenhof and led the rebellion against the Spanish occupation of the time. Before that ‘The Court of the Prince’ was originally built as a monastery.
You can still see its original roots and character
It’s because of William of Orange that we are 50% more orange minded than the rest of the world and celebrate stuff such as the ‘Leidsch Ontzet’. What makes the Prinsenhof an even bigger epicenter of Dutch history is that William was also assassinated here. In 1584 Balthasar Gérard, who was after a bounty set by the Spanish king, shot William at close range – giving William the dubious honour of being the first head of state ever to be assassinated by a hand gun. You can still see the bullet holes where it went down:
It’s no surprise that there’s a lot to learn at the Prinsenhof about this particular time of Dutch history. This is when we actually started being this country and also the pre-lude to the Golden Age. The Prinsenhof does a great job of telling this fascinating story by combining great art from that era with innovative movies projected onto the walls (all nicely available in English as well btw!).
The aforementioned handgun
2. Go to Delft, seriously!
It’s one of those towns most of you either know from a short visit to it’s renowned university or just by passing when taking the train from Rotterdam to Amsterdam. But trust me, make it a day trip once and combine it with the Prinsenhof. Delft is in the process of reinventing itself, the new trainstation is a welcome improvement and the neighborhood surrounding the Prinsenhof sees more and more hip and delicious places opening up. But what was always winning was the historical scenery, and nowhere is this done better than around the Prinsenhof.
The Entrance, and a ‘Royal’ one I might add 😉
A personal favorite of mine every time I see it, is the leaning church tower. It’s also really impressive when you see it in the paintings from 400 years ago, not much has changed with that church tower since then.
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Speaking about those paintings, lets have a look at the:
3. Impressive art collection of the Prinsenhof
Besides history and scenery, art is (of course) one of the main attractive points of the Prinsenhof. Their permanent collection consists of great pieces from the Golden Age era, a really impressive display of ‘Delfts Blauw’ (you could have seen this one coming) and work of art from a time when the Dutch where at the forefront of inventing stuff.
Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Willem van der Meer. Famous piece by Mierevelt and Mierevelt
Personally I enjoyed the paintings more than I expected. Some of them really take you back to a different time, the immersion only gets better when you see these paintings of Delft which share quite some resemblance of the Delft of today. And of course there are the numerous paintings that just show of the wealth of the Dutch in that era.
Many paintings of the ‘schutterijen’, basically crew pics for the guysThey also loved kitty pics 400 years ago
Besides paintings the Prinsenhof can also boast an impressive collection of royal portraits (our royal predecessors are buried in the church next to the Prinsenhof) and an interesting collection of memorabilia related to Dutch inventors of the Golden Age, back when Delft was the silicon valley of the time.
And there’s plenty of interactive display’s in case you’ve got your kids along with you. Here’s the most impressive one in my opinion, which shows the origins of Delft’s porcelain:
Or this one which allows you to create your own Golden Age painting:
So impressive history, gorgeous scenery and a compelling permanent collection. Isn’t that enough to warrant a visit to the Prinsenhof in Delft?
4. Excellent temporary exhibitions: ‘Porcelain for the Forbidden City’
The central hall of the Prinsenhof can house some of the best temporary exhibitions of the Netherlands. For this spring and summer of 2017 it’s the exhibition ‘Porcelain for the Forbidden City’, which started at the 9th of April and is running until the 9th of July.
Queen Maxima performed the opening 🙂
During the early 1980s, enormous quantities of ceramic were found at imperial sites in China. This archaeological discovery stunned the ceramic world: it was the earliest Ming-porcelain manufactured especially for the Chinese emperors. Fast forward 500 years later, in Porcelain for the Forbidden City, these delicately decorated objects finally can be seen outside of Asia for the first time at the Prinsenhof in Delft.
More than 120 objects from the Archaeological Institute in Jingdezhen and a number of outstanding pieces (on loan) from Dutch museums show how important porcelain was in the religious rituals at the Chinese court and in the expression of political and artistic messages by the (Chinese) emperors.
So plan that trip to Delft and the Prinsenhof! More info to be found here, and feel free to share your experience with us in the comments!
Vandebron, a small Dutch company that sells peer-to-peer renewable energy, has come up with a luminous pr stunt. In fact their idea is so brilliant that five other parties have jumped on the bandwagon and a crowd funding action has spontaneously been launched in support of the initiative.
The plan is to buy the coal-fired power plant at Hemweg near Amsterdam from utility company Nuon – and close it down.
1 million
It all began just over two weeks ago, with Vandebron offering one million euro’s for the plant. This bid was promptly doubled by the municipality of Amsterdam. A few days later Triodos, one of Europe’s leading ethical banks, and the DOEN Foundation (owned by the Dutch Postcode Lottery) also offered 1 million euro’s each in soft loans. Tony Chocolonely of fair trade chocolate fame said they too would cough up a million, but only if the plant is converted to a chocolate factory. The latest to join is Greenpeace, who together with the Hete Kolen (Hot Coals) citizens’ initiative, has launched a crowd funding campaign, after a great number of Dutch citizens announced they were prepared to help buy the coal plant.
Frustrated with government procrastination, people are taking matters into their own hands. Environmental organisations have been campaigning for years to close down coal-fired power plants in the Netherlands. Since the 2015 Paris agreement on climate change, the urgency of these issues is finally filtering into mainstream awareness.
Under pressure
The government is under great pressure to meet its legally binding commitments to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Yet so far climate change has barely been a topic of discussion in the formation talks. As Arjen Lubach points out in his satirical Sunday evening TV show, short term thinking seems to prevail. For those of you who understand Dutch, it’s definitely worth watching.
Will Nuon sell?
So how serious are these bids and is there a chance that Nuon will sell? Well apart from the Willy Wonka one possibly, these bids are dead serious. And as it turns out, Nuon may not have much choice.
Nuon has calculated the cost of closing the Hemweg power plant at 55 million euros. This is based on the estimated cost of closing down the plant and dismantling the equipment, plus severance pay for its 230 employees. Yet experts believe the job can be done for well under 10 million. At least half the employees could be transferred to other Nuon locations. The plant was built in 1995 and the structure is still sound. The equipment, once dismantled, could be sold for re-use.
Hemweg power plant – worthless?
According to energy expert Arnoud Kamerbeek, former chairman of energy company Delta, which closed down its own coal plant in 2015, the Nuon plant at Hemweg has zero value. Even though it is currently being run at a small profit, as soon as it needs a maintenance overhaul (and these are necessary every few years, apparently, and cost millions of euros) the plant will become worthless. Without intervention, Nuon will have to close it anyway. So they may as well cut their losses and sell now.
Check out Vandebron’s artist’s impression of how a dirty coal power plant on the outskirts of Amsterdam could be converted into a beautiful green public space with facilities for children, sports, entertainment and cultural activities.
So which do you prefer? Come on peeps, let’s pull this one off together and get rid of #Hemweg
Last month saw 30,000 self proclaimed geeks and misfits descend on Utrecht. A hundred spider-men; a thousand Harley Quinns; enough Mario and Luigis to fix the plumbing of the Titanic; and one person who apparently forgot and just threw a sheet with a couple of eye holes over his head last minute.
Crowds swarm at Dutch Comic Con 2017. Photo by James Field
Dutch Comic Con is now in it’s third year, and much like the sub-cultures it represents, it continues to grow in popularity.
‘There are other con’s in Rotterdam and Amsterdam but this is the main big event of the year’ says the little Mermaid, reclining by a fountain in the Jaarbeurs convention centre entrance. Staying in character is a point of pride for many of the costumed visitors, or cosplayers at Comic Con. The Little mermaid—sometimes known as Susanna—was particularly impressed with the scale of this year’s event, ‘It’s bigger and there’s more to do more stands, everything’s more’.
Cosplayer dropping character for a quick lunch break. Photo by James Field
Anyone for a samurai sword?
These stands The Little Mermaid speaks of are indeed numerous. Stands representing Sci-fi and fantasy fan societies, from Doctor Who to The Walking Dead, and of course Star Wars and Trek; stands of 3D printers showing off their ability to make tiny cathedrals; and amongst the myriad comic book and merchandise stands you might even find a hobbit treating himself to a samurai sword or two Disney princesses thinking about investing in an authentic Harry Potter wand.
‘This year we’ve also got speed dating and a whole gaming hall that’s been very popular’ said Thijs van Teinen one of the event co-ordinators. He explains that the popularity of this ever expanding Comic Con has even spawned a winter edition, although disappointingly he stopped short of saying ‘winter is coming’.
Harry Potter wands on sale at this years Dutch Comic Con. Photo by James Field
The highlights
Apart from the simple joys of seeing Khaleesi from Games of Thrones dancing with a giant egg on at the Saturday night fever silent disco, the event had celebrity appearances—notably Lennie James who plays Morgan in The Walking Dead—as well as lectures, performances and a cosplay competition. To mention some of the highlight.
Visitors get their sci-fi dance on at the silent disco. Photo by James Field
However, what gives events like Dutch Comic Con their bizarrely brilliant soul, is the sea of costumed fans, proudly geeking out in the uniquely judgement free bubble that exists within this community. A Spiderman—first time cosplayer Jurgen—explains it best, ‘when you’re going from home to here it’s a little bit strange because everyone is looking at you like ‘he’s crazy’ but when you’re here it’s normal’.
Web slingers enjoying getting in the spirit of the event. Photo by James Field
So you might have seen all the short ‘Dutch word of the day’ movies at the DutchReview facebook page the last couple of weeks. Heck, some of you even went to the lonely corners of Youtube and subscribed to our channel.
These movies were short and sweet, but the plan was always to make it into a big one to get it all to work together and serve it to you (for those to lazy to read this one).
So here is our Crash Course on how to speak Dutch in just 7 words, enjoy!
Can’t get enough of that Dutch stuff?
We neither, so it isn’t over yet! Expect 7 more Dutch words to be featured in a not-so-distant future on DutchReview, just because ‘Dutch has all the best words, we’re YUGE, it’s the best’. (but let’s do Kingsday first btw)
Oh and any suggestions for us on what words to cover? Feel free to share them with us. Looking for more articles on ‘How to Speak Dutch’? DutchReview has you covered:
These movies don’t make themselves, so a massive thanks goes out to Elisanne van der Tuuk for presenting it, Lennart Houba for shooting the whole thing and making it come together and of course Henry Stokes for writing the whole thing to begin with (feel like you can do better? Here’s how to start with that).
