Here is a story for you. For anyone who has experienced British culture, if there is one thing we do a lot of, it’s drinking. Especially at any kind of social event, and definitely at a birthday party. For those of you who are not familiar with British culture or the differences between a British and Dutch birthday party, I will give you the low down.
British Birthday Parties
If the party starts at 7, you should always arrive at 8 (to avoid any awkward introductions by being the first one there)
Pre-drinking is never a bad idea, it eases the nerves of actually having to communicate
The birthday present is nearly always an alcoholic beverage bought at the party
The party only truly begins once everyone is 4 drinks down and suddenly you are best friends with someone you have only just met
It appears obligatory for the birthday boy or girl to be the most intoxicated (and when I say intoxicated I mean incapable of moving their limbs properly.)
Of course this is a stereotype, however it is something I have encountered many times (especially as a student) and it’s definitely common knowledge that us Brits can pack away a few drinks when we want to.
My first Dutch birthday party
“Ik schenk 1 keer in, daarna moet je het zelf pakken”
So my partner (who is also British) and I had not been in the Netherlands for too long and we were invited to our Dutch neighbours birthday party at a restaurant in Rotterdam. This was our first Dutch birthday party experience.
Hearing of the dreaded Dutch birthday circle of death, knowing about the introductions (‘gefeliciteerd’ ), the 3 kisses, the very ‘forward’ Dutch approach to any kind of communication, naturally my partner and I were worried about it. British people are generally an awkward sort. Pre-drinking is definitely a must and any form of social interaction is generally limited until you reach a certain level of drunken confidence.
We thought it was an excellent idea (or not, in this case) to skip food that evening and head straight to the party. Naturally we arrived a bit late. Upon arrival we were greeted with bottomless prosecco and wine and around 40 Dutch guests. We downed our first glass and made our way around the party awkwardly introducing ourselves.
After the first couple of glasses we started to lighten up a bit and become less socially awkward. However, we either forgot to say ‘gefeliciteerd’ or pronounced it so badly, that his family proceeded to frown at us as they had no idea what we were saying.
I said to my partner that we had 6 hours left of the party, so we had to be careful as we hadn’t eaten a single thing. We are very small, not at all like the tallest nation in the world, so we struggled to keep up with the Dutch guests. Unfortunately we didn’t take my advice and as our wineglasses kept on getting topped up, we carried on drinking.
If you can’t make it home, catching a few z’s nearby will suffice
I ended up sitting next to a work colleague of my neighbour and I must have rambled on for well over an hour about anything remotely Dutch, like bike rides, cheese and different Dutch cities I had visited. I ended up ranting about Brexit, making some of the guests laugh at what I had to say.
Of course the Dutch guests had enjoyed themselves and were merrily chatting to one another, but we were on another level. Our neighbours couldn’t believe how drunk we had become. They ended up filming us on our journey home as we became the entertainment for the night.
As they took us home, it ended with my partner with his head in an Albert Heijn bag on his lap (of course it had to be a AH bag) on the night bus, one not very pleased bus driver and me declaring my love of the Dutch and apologizing for our British ways.
Tips for expats going to a Dutch birthday party:
Just because it’s free, doesn’t mean you have to drink it.
The Dutch would rather you be forward and say ‘no’ to another drink, don’t just keep knocking them back because you’re too afraid of saying no.
Learn the word ‘gefeliciteerd’ – it’s very embarrassing when you either shake hands or forget it, or pronounce it completely wrong.
Don’t be afraid to shake as many hands as possible.
When doing the 3 kisses, make sure you always start on the correct side (but no one ever really knows which side is the correct side, do they?)
Lesson learnt
Luckily we have amazing neighbours, who nursed our hangovers the next day with food and proceeded to laugh at us. “You weren’t joking when you said the British like a drink.” Unsurprisingly, we haven’t been to a Dutch birthday party since. We have learnt a valuable lesson from this, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. Or, in this case, do as the Dutch do.
Have you experienced a Dutch party yet? What was your experience? Let us know in the comments below!
Having trouble leaving your precious couch and giving that poor little MacBook a break? Keep things the way they are and enjoy an eye-opening browse into the Netherlands. The websites you will read about today might help you get a general yet considerable idea about the country. Whether you are considering a trip, whenever you get off that couch, for art tourism, education, or just to check things out up here.
To Dutch or not to Dutch?
Many expats coming to the country can’t decide whether or not they really need to learn Dutch. Believe it when I tell you everybody here speaks English; a considerable proportion of the population speaks French or German as well. But in all Dutchness, if you are an English speaker and you’d better be – if not why would you be scrolling down gibberish? – you will find Dutch easy on the left hemisphere.
One resource you can opt for to learn Dutch is Flowently. Flowently will help you find a personal tutor in the city where you live who will thereafter immerse you in situations where you have to utilize the Dutch phrases you have been learning. The informal setting where these sessions take place will conceal the classroom pressure. The concept of language learning over a cup of coffee with a new Kennis, who will reinforce you with both courage and knowledge to raid a Dutch speaking environment (a local bakery for example) and tackle your day to day issues in Dutch might seem too good to be true, but with a little help from Flowently, it is now within reach!
Introducing Dutch Grammar
FutureLearn provides you with a free Introductory Course to Dutch developed by the University of Groningen, you don’t have to be Dutch to appreciate free stuff and this one is particularly exceptional. For one thing, it is excruciating to find a free online Dutch course (trust me! I tried), let alone a useful one, for another, the quality you get with this one is remarkable. The course consists of a three-weeks program, you’d be able by the end of it, along with the support of your Flowently tutor-to-be, to talk about yourself, your family and your interests, write a short text in an email, or fill in a form with your personal information which is impressive for a three-weeks span.
If you happen to be more intrigued about the country than the regular expat, register your interest for the Introduction to Frisian course on FutureLearn.
For the Art Enthusiast.
If you have been browsing Smarthistory, you might have run across this one. Cool stuff alert! ARTtube is a free online channel where you can watch videos by museums in Netherlands and Belgium.
With over 25 partners including some of the most influential art institutions and museum in the Netherlands, this website makes a great resource for most culture vultures. Enjoy the products of musicians challenged by ART Rocks to create songs inspired by iconic art works, take a swift trip through the history of hats with the help of Central Museum Utrecht, and learn more about the nominees of Unseen talent awards.
The channel sorts materials based on their educational level and nature, it provides materials for both primary art education and secondary culture education. The videos on ARTtube can be filtered by their series, themes, museums, or artists. If this website doesn’t make you feel bad about the time you wasted watching DIY unicorn shoe laces videos, I don’t know what else will!
To make our indulgent cheese tasting life easier than it already is, the website is available in both English and Dutch.
Thirst for Education.
Our fourth entry may come in handy for the lost spirits who haven’t made up their minds on a Dutch university to pursue their higher education. If you have set your mind on taking that leap of faith (aka college) in the Netherlands but don’t know where the inception is, Study in Holland can be a good place to start looking, not only is it a user-friendly website, it is also reliable and informative. You can learn about the education system in the country or use the filters to find the most suitable programs for your qualifications. It is about time to scout scholarships and awards!
If you were ever to get over the cute yellow tulips background, you will be impressed by the interesting opportunities ahead of you.
This can save you hours of googling “Where should I study in the Netherlands?”, “Do I have to learn Dutch to study in the Netherlands?”, and “Can I have a ganja in the classroom?” Wait! I take that back, I don’t think it’s the right website for this one. Back to Google!
Predict the Unpredictable!
Nope! We’re not talking renting prices in Amsterdam, but rather about the indecisive Dutch weather. Just like your ex, the weather here can’t make up its mind, is constantly making drastic changes without a warning, and can make you regret the picnic you decided to pack up for on a seemingly warm and peaceful day. Stay away from all that drama and check Buienradar each time you decide to make a trip on your bike to the neighboring town or even to the Albert Hijn in your neighborhood. Each time it rains it pours here and it is always raining. Since you can’t be too prepared when it comes to the unforeseen Dutch storms, keep a light rain coat in your bicycle basket at all times. Better safe than wet!
Thanks for reading! Stay tuned as more resourceful articles make their way to DutchReview, your favorite cyber-Pedia on the Netherlands.
Looking for a conveniently close, yet traditional and beautiful Dutch city when planning a day trip from Amsterdam? Visit the gorgeous historical city of Delft!
Most tourists discover the gezellige town of Delft almost as an afterthought as a side trip from Amsterdam or the tulip fields near Keukenhof. The typical day tourist will do the standard things: visit the famous Royal Delft pottery factory, go for a beer or a meal in the many tourist-trap places around the Markt (Market Square), gaze up at the Nieuwe Kerk (New Church) steeple rising upward towards the glorious clouds. And then they dutifully head back to the train station and chug back to Amsterdam. That’s all they ever see.
And while Amsterdam is a fascinating city, full of great contradictions like the classic virtue of Rembrandt’s “Night Watch” with the barely clad, less virtuous hookers leaning out of seductive doorways in the Red Light District, and with the solemnity of the pious Bejignhof with the scent of coffeeshops in Leidseplein, the small, but very significant South Holland town of Delft, is a gem often unexplored by tourists, or even by native Dutch.
Day Trips from Amsterdam: Try Delft!
Delft is more than old pottery. So much more. It’s a vibrant town, appearing essentially unchanged in the center city from Vermeer’s day, with tons of fun things to do and an ambience which is truly Dutch, even more so than gritty, touristy Amsterdam. Don’t get me wrong, Ik hou vanAmsterdam, I love Amsterdam, and I lived there for 2 wonderful years, but Delft is a pure Dutch experience, unclogged by foreigners, and full of little magical surprises once you get off the beaten path. Here’s a suggested guide to experience this feeling, and for an unforgettable full day in Delft:
First of all, Delft is close. It’s less than an hour away from Centraal Station in Amsterdam and it’s even closer from Schiphol airport. For most Americans, who can drive miles to buy groceries, it’s an adjustment to navigate how compact the Netherlands truly are. Take advantage of it! And while Amsterdam is amazing, there is more to the Netherlands than just major city life. So, plan a day trip from Amsterdam to Delft to get the true Dutch experience. When arriving in Delft, start your day by leaving the excellent, brand new train station and NOT heading towards the Markt in the center of town. Instead head south towards the base of the town looking for the Hooikade just over the bridge of the Zuid Kolk. The old city center of Delft is surrounded by an oval canal, with the center sitting like a castle protected by a moat. The Hooikade is just over where the “moat” would be, right over a bridge. Cross that bridge and it’s easy to seek out the very spot where Vermeer stood when he painted one of his most famous paintings, the iconic “View of Delft.” A small park marks the spot; usually it’s devoid of tourists, amazingly so. I’ve been to this spot a dozen times and it’s always been empty. It’s a surreal and almost religious experience to stand in Vermeer’s very footsteps and see the same river and threatening clouds hovering over the Nieuwe Kerk. While much of the landscape has changed in 400 years, it’s amazing how much hasn’t, and, since the two churches were in the same spots when Vermeer painted, you can line up the tower of the Nieuwe Kerk with the steeple of the Oude Kerk (Old Church) to pinpoint the exact spot where the painting was created. Take a deep breath while you’re there. It is extraordinarily beautiful.
Then walk up the old canals towards the 800 year old Oude Kerk, a brisk 20 minute walk at most, taking in the architecture, ambience and, well, the cuteness of the place! As you approach the Oude Kerk, affectionately nicknamed “Old Jan,” notice how it leans precipitously over the canal. As the legend goes, the church started to lean over and everyone got concerned it would topple, but then it just stopped – like the leaning tower of Pisa — and has remained frozen leaning over ever since. And, as you walk, be careful not to impede the many beautiful Dutch students, like so many supermodels, whizzing by on bikes. It’s a student town, with the Delft University of Technology just outside the main canal circle.
Delft, Netherlands
Next you could stop in the Oude Kerk and pay your respects to the grave of Vermeer and the other famous Dutch citizenry resting eternally there, but do so quickly for right next door is the incredible Prinsenhof museum.
CSI: The Late Middle Ages (and some great bars and food!)
Take a good hour or two to carefully explore this amazing museum, the Prinsenhof. It’s a mystical, magical historical puzzle. Here, in 1584, William of Orange, AKA William the Silent, was murdered by a zealous Catholic from Spain. At the height of his power, William was fighting for Dutch independence, oh the usual Catholics- versus-the-Protestants type of thing. But, right here, in the Prinsenhof, you’ll see the actual holes made by Spanish bullets imbedded in the wall next to the staircase, like a scene from CSI or a murder mystery novel. Could this really be how he was assassinated? Do the clues fit? See for yourself. It’s a great place to let your mind wander back a few hundred years. Let your imagination fly!
Then you could head back to the Markt, but skip the touristy cafes there, and walk a few more blocks to the cozy Beestenmarkt, where the real Delft people hang. Lots of handsome guys and pretty girls fill up the chairs in the outdoor terrace where ancient cattle were once bought and sold. Relax over a biertje and some bitterballen! A great place to sit and chill, take in some sun and meet some new Dutch friends. The prices are dramatically lower than the tourist-trap spots just a few blocks away on the Markt. Amazingly, you won’t find too many tourists here, which is also fantastic.
For dinner, there are awesome Dutch cafes on every corner, one favorite of mine is De Bieried on the Burgwal, just steps from the Beestenmarkt. It’s a charming, friendly, prototypical Delft’s eet café, where drinks and excellent home cooked dinners await you. If, however, you prefer something ethnic, there are multiple choices all around the city center, you’ll find fantastically spicy Indonesian rijstafel, all-you-can-eat sushi, a Chinese buffet, a great Indian restaurant and scores of other restaurants — all are located in this part of town.
Stuffed, head back towards the Central Train Station, and, in less than an hour, you’re unloading at Centraal Station in Amsterdam. Or, if you have a long layover at Schiphol, think about making a 30-minute dash down to Delft rather than heading up toward Amsterdam, the airport is right on the same line and extremely easy to navigate.
Delft! Such a great place. Check it out, it’s much more than the typical cliche trip from Amsterdam, it’s a life-changing experience!
Scheveningen Harbor! Lovely vibes, festivals, plenty of fishing (and fish eating) and a somewhat hidden gem of the Netherlands! Let’s have a look at 7 awesome things to do in the harbor of Scheveningen.
First-time visitors may never know that the Netherlands has much to offer besides staple tourist attractions such as the Red Light District and banquets of psychedelics flowers. (For instance, did you know we have our own little Venice tucked away in the far North?). For those who do not feel like heading to the middle of nowhere, or who’ve had their fill of Amsterdam’s depraved offerings, one favorite beach town of ours: Scheveningenand it’s harbor may well be the best option!
Scheveningen itself requires no introduction, having garnered lasting world fame as the town where the International Skating Union was founded in 1892. It’s also where the notorious Sinterklaas sails into the low countries to dispense candy and reignite a yearly recurring discussion on racism. But what else is there to do in this quaint coastal district? We’ve already talked extensively about the beach and other highlights, so it’s about time we start talking about the somewhat less illustrative, but oh so beautiful Scheveningen Harbor.
Scheveningen Harbor
The Harbor of Scheveningen also offers a large variety of entertainment for those looking for a day away from the city of The Hague or the standard Scheveningen beach experience. So we did all the ‘hard’ work and compiled this list of 7 things to do at Scheveningen Harbor.
#1 Eat some fish!
Why not go to one of its many fish restaurants? Many of the restaurants on offer in the Scheveningen harbor serve fresh fish, caught from the North Sea the same day as it’s served to you! Or, if you or your significant other enjoy the finer things in life, Catch by Simonis offers a high-end dining experience that is well worth a visit.
#2 A day of fishing
Ever wanted to see what it feels like to be a Dutch fisherman? Make sure to pack a decent rod and your best surf fishing reel so you don’t risk coming home empty-handed.
Who knows, you might be that seasoned sailor that will catch the dinner you and your friends will be eating later that night. More adventurous types may want to consider one of the speedboat rides on offer, taking to the salt water in more spectacular fashion.
Scheveningen is also a nice fishermen town. Great possibilities to go sea-fishing! (By @buitengewoonscheveningen)
#3 Go for some more fish at VISSCH
Can’t get enough of fresh Dutch fish? We at Dutchreview can hardly blame you. True fish fanatics may want to go to the yearly VISSCH festival at Scheveningen. Where most Dutch festival involve copious amounts of drinks, the VISSCH festival provides attendees with a culinary experience, rather than an existential one. This year the seafood festival will take place on the 6th, 7th and 8th of October. Best of all it’s free!
#4 The Yacht Club of Scheveningen Harbor
Feel like pretending to be as obscenely rich as Leo in The Wolf of Wallstreet? Well the Scheveningen Harbor has a yacht club where one can intimidate fiscal investigators with lobster and cash to their heart’s content. It’s open year round and has convenient wifi spots from which to share your terrible recreations of that one famous scene from Titanic everyone always re-enacts when on a boat.
#5 Flagday!
Flagday! when millions of starving Dutchman rejoice in eating the years’ first catch of our world famous herrings. It’s quite the event, with live music, big bands and cute little miniature ships to marvel at while eating delicious raw herring with onions. It’s truly a must for tourists, if only because those who leave the Netherlands without at least trying herring will never be invited back. Frankly it’s one of the reasons the Dutch are seriously considering leaving the EU. As our resident crazy blonde politician/grade school bully is fond of saying; either get with the culture or leave our country.
#6 Take a watertaxi!
Need to get around in the harbor of Scheveningen and not up for walking or a regular old taxi? Go for the watertaxi! Departing from the Dr. Lelykade this watertaxi will take you through the yacht harbor, the ‘fish auction’ and the ‘Zuiderstrandtheater’. It’s doing the routes from May till October – and best of all it only costs 2 euro!
Those looking for some wholesome family entertainment may want to go to Scheveningen on the 23rd and 24th of September as the International Kite Festival will be held there this year! The most exquisite and special kites will be on display on the beach as Europe’s best kiters show up to, well, fly kites. This international event of the year is not to be mistaken for the infinitely more interesting Kitesurfing. For those who prefer doing rather than watching, Scheveningen offers several excellent spots to go kitesurfing. There are even places, such as at Kijkduin, where they offer lessons to everyone.
How sex workers in the Netherlands and Amsterdam are starting their own brothel. How’s this coming along?
We might try to persuade you that the best reasons for visiting the Netherlands are our nice flowers, delicious cheese, great art or perhaps the hip and trendy Rotterdam. But let’s face it, the gritty side of the Netherlands, and especially Amsterdam, continues to draw in heaps of (men) tourists interested in our liberal take on drugs or our famous and open approach to prostitution. We’ve already written a bit about the position of sex workers in the Netherlands, and mentioned how sex workers in Amsterdam are opening up their own brothel. Before we have a look at how that is going down (sorry, lame pun), what’s happening again these days in the Netherlands when it comes to prostitution and sex workers?
Sex workers in the Netherlands; what’s going on again?
Prostitution in the Netherlands has been legalized since 2000, and being a sex worker in the Netherlands is considered a regular job (by the taxmen, your parents in law might still disagree). Sex workers have the same set of rights and obligations as any employee in the Netherlands. Since 2011, sex workers in the Netherlands also pay taxes over their hard earned money – because nobody is going to screw the Dutch government out of some money (sorry, I’ll stop now). So, in theory, all is well and women (and a few men) working as a sex worker in the Netherlands get to unemployment benefits and all those other sweet benefits of our cozy welfare state… in theory
In green: where prostitution is legal and regulated — Blue: prostitution legal but not brothels — Yellow: illegal to buy sex but legal to sell sex — Red: everything is illegal
There has been an effort by the municipality to clamp down on the dirt of the sector, buying out the more shady establishments and (sometimes literally) cleaning up the Red Light District. There have been some complaints about the motives of the city, with some people claiming the municipality is mostly doing this for the real estate prices. Others claiming that most of the action was online anyway, in case you wanted escort girls in Amsterdam.
This year will also saw the opening of the very first independent-owned brothel: a group of sex workers in the Netherlands decided to rent a place on their own and become their own boss (Brothels were already pragmatically legalized in 2000). Sounds like the next step in the regulating for the sex workers of the Netherlands, how did it go in practice?
Sex workers in the Netherlands and their own brothel: how did it work?
The concept is called ‘My Red Light’ and dates back to the Amsterdam of 2007 when the city tried to combat crime in the notorious neighborhood. During these past years, the city closed down over a 100 ‘windows’ where ladies offered themselves – some of these closings were protested and out of discussions by the city and sex workers came the concept of ‘My Red Light’. The city helped out with a social investment and bought 4 buildings, which were then rented out to these sex workers of Amsterdam.
Three months ago the organization, officially now a ‘foundation’, opened up their doors – the backbone of the organization made up by active and former prostitutes.
How is it working out for them?
Three months after its opening, My Red Light is slowly trying to fit in the neighborhood and it’s trying to establish a network of sex workers in the Netherlands – or better said Amsterdam. As soon as it makes any profit, they’re planning to invest their money in workshops on language- and business training for the employees. There’s also a discussion going on about investing in insurances, workers compensation and other safety nets that come with regular jobs. And lighthearted sidenote, the brothel is also nicely designed by some award winning furniture company and with the wishes of the sex workers in mind.
Still around 75% of the sex workers are from Central- and Eastern Europe, which all kind of makes all these good intentions hard to carry out. Justine le Clercq, a spokeswoman for My Red Light, also says that it’s a work in progress and hope that they will be totally run by sex workers in the Netherlands in 2 years time.
What’s not good about it?
The official network of prostitutes; Proud – has some criticism. A spokeswoman claims that it’s just another brothel and it isn’t really run by sex workers in the Netherlands. The media attention for My Red Light has also put the other brothels in a bad spotlight. What prostitutes really wanted is to run their business from their own homes without any problems – the spokeswoman claimed. – We can see some problems with this idea, the police as well since they say that if Proud had their way there wouldn’t be enough checks on human trafficking. And then there were also legal conflicts when members of Proud didn’t end up in the management team of My Red Light, as they claimed, were promised. My Red Light stated that was because of troubling records of these sex workers in the Netherlands.
All in all, it’s fair to conclude that My Red Light is a noble initiative but still can’t completely shake off all the bad practices that came along with the oldest profession of the world.
So about the terror attack in Rotterdam? It didn’t happen and never was going to…
Quite a scare in the Netherlands and a potential terror attack in Rotterdam. Was this it? Was it our turn? Did we dodge that bullet?
#1 What happened and why did we think it was a potential terror attack in Rotterdam?
Last night a concert by the band Allah-Las (!) was cancelled in Rotterdam after a tip-off, but to be fair we could also immediately see the issue with that name. Later on the night we heard that a van full of gas bottles (!) was found near the location of the concert, the Maassilo in Rotterdam South.
The Maassilo
When it turned out that the van also had a Spanish number plate (!!!) anybody and the media knew that this was it and we were either on the verge of an attack or just barely escaped it.
#2 But there wasn’t anything going on in the end?
Well not quite, a 22-year-old man from Brabant has been arrested in connection with Wednesday evening’s terrorist threat in Rotterdam. The man was arrested by anti-terrorist police at around in the night, was taken into custody and is being questioned about his possible involvement in the threat, NOS reported.
So what about those gas bottles? Well, apparently there are still drunken Spanish gas fitters at work, as was this guy. Pure coincidence and that guy sure must have some hang-over.
#3 So that’s it? What are we learning from this?
First of all, you’re missing something of huge importance here – and so did I until yesterday. Allah-Las is a really awesome happy funkadelic pop band. Check it out:
That’s some happy Summer stuff right! Totally going on my spotify-playlist!
And while a terror attack in Rotterdam didn’t happen, we do seem to have lost the Ijsselmeer!
Easy there world. No terror in Rotterdam, false alarm. Also where the hell is our Ijsselmeer gone? pic.twitter.com/7E8hDiUXA2
Fairmined? And aren’t all goldsmiths old dudes with awesome beards?
DutchReviews meets up with Nina Strategier, a young woman hammering through traditions and the only fairmined goldsmith in the Netherlands.
Being a goldsmith isn’t always an easy life. Hard work and sweating will all that hammering, it will literally get the ‘blood from under your nails’ as we say sometimes in Dutch. And then there are some more modern challenges in today’s world of jewelry: where are your precious metals coming from? How do you bring an old tradition to a new generation? And what drives a young person to enroll in this old profession?
Meet Nina
Meet Nina from Nanini
We meet up in an artistic basement at the Java-eiland in Amsterdam. Nina Strategier; Amsterdammer and definitely not fitting the stereotype of old bearded guy forging jewelry shows a few of her newly made pieces of jewelry art and tells about her recent travels to Mongolia. The endless steppes, the yurts, the oriental express and of course the goldmines of Mongolia.
A goldmine in MongoliaA miner in Mongolia
Nina tells me how she wanted to do some creative and practical with her life. Finding Art school too much of an abstract thing she ended up doing an accelerated course at the goldsmith academy in Schoonhoven. If you’re thinking ‘jeeh, I don’t know if I’m brave enough to follow my creative calling straight away’ then don’t worry – Nina had the same dilemma. As she also studied communications and worked at a regular office for a couple of years until she made the leap and started as a goldsmith with fairmined metals and gems.
Wait, what’s Fairmined?
Contrary to popular beliefs spread by Scrooge McDuck and the Lannisters, most of the gold, silver and precious stones and metals are mined in the poorer regions of the world. Mining never was a luxurious and easy-going job and this certainly holds true when it comes to goldmining and such in poor countries.
Low wages, not able to use the proper equipment, dangerous conditions with toxic air constantly threatening the miners. And then there are also societal problems such as corruption and child labour, both of which are also prominent problems in the mining industry. All in all not really the associations you would want to have while enjoy wearing something precious and dear around your neck or finger…
A miner in Mongolia. By Nina Strategier
Enter the Fairmined Organization
Sprung from Colombia: Fairmined is a certifying organization that supports small scale mining with a focus on protecting the environment and stimulating social development. When you get your hands on something that has been Fairmined approved you know that there was no child labour involved, miners got paid a fair wage and chemicals were handled safely. Up until now Nina is the only fairmined goldsmith in the Netherlands, let’s hope others join that cause!
These noble goals don’t only apply to the precious metals Nina uses in her creations, she also just uses fairtrade gems. These gems are ensured to be mined under the same fair conditions as the fairmined organization, also tracking the stones to ensure that all these conditions were met (here you can find more information about that).
Fairmined made fabulous
So there’s a healthy origin to all these precious metals and stones, that always helps in this day and age. But within an ever changing society, Nina also focuses on getting something different and yet very beautiful out there and reach a new generation of people with her jewelry. Take a look at these pieces for example.
Because all Nina’s jewelry is handmade more or less all her pieces are unique and or limited editions. This way of work also has the added advantage that Nina is totally open to your jewelry design ideas or reworking something gold and old.
Interested in her work? Check out her website: Nanini! She is specialized in wedding- and engagement rings, but there’s plenty of other beautiful work to be found there.
Football is back! After a long summer of very little football, which my Mum has been very happy about, the new Eredivisie season is upon us. A good look at what’s happening here, the Eredivisie Preview you’ve been waiting for!
We’ve been treated to the early European qualifiers. Ajax will be feeling unfortunate to have been knocked out by Nice and PSV performed under par against Croatian side Osijkek. Both will be hoping their domestic campaigns start more fruitfully. Utrecht progressed past Lech Poznan and have earned a third-round qualifier against Russian giants Zenit, whilst Feyenoord patiently await the Champions League group draw.
The Rotterdammers will be hoping to repeat the title success of last season. Ajax and PSV will be hoping to reclaim the silverware they believe is rightfully theirs.
Further down the table there are plenty of teams that will be hoping to make it to the Europa League play-offs. The battle between Utrecht, Vitesse, AZ, Heerenveen, Groningen and Twente is always exciting to see unfold.
In the lower half of the table, it’ll be interesting to see how Roda JC improve from last year. Their ambitious new owners have stated that they wish to see stability return to the club; particularly in terms of the playing staff. 56 players have arrived since 2014!
Finally, of course, we welcome back NAC Breda and VVV Venlo to the Eredivisie. They’ll be hoping to upset the status quo and finish the season still in the division.
Rick Karsdorp (right) has left Feyenoord for Roma
Eredivisie Preview: Notable transfers
As is customary in the Eredivisie off-season there has been a lot of transfer activity. Circling like vultures, clubs from around Europe have taken their turns to pick apart the well-blended squads for the rising talents that emerged in the season previous. It is often the players themselves that decide they are ready for the next step.
Feyenoord have been victims of their own success. Rick Karsdorp and Terence Kongolo have earned high profile moves to Roma and Monaco having been given a strong platform at De Kuip. They have also lost their leader Dirk Kuyt, who retired on a high after last season’s title win. However, no time was wasted in their recruitment drive. Defenders Haps and St Juste have arrived with plenty of Eredivisie experience. Steven Berghuis’ loan has been made permanent and the Rotterdammers have also brought in Amrabat from FC Utrecht.
Van Bronckhorst has turned his attention to players from the Eredivisie this Summer. The idea is likely to be that these players will be able to hit the ground running rather than taking time to adapt to the division’s general style of play. Keeping golden boot winner Jorgensen at the club will most likely be the club’s best piece of business this window.
At Ajax, one of the most notable changes has been in the dugout. Last season’s Europa League run attracted Dortmund’s interest in manager Peter Bosz which means that Marcel Keizer has been promoted to the first team manager role. In December 2015, Voetbal International predicted Bazoer, Riedewald and Tete to be the future of Ajax. The trio have all moved on from the club. Bazoer to Wolfsburg in January, and the other two to Crystal Palace and Lyon this summer. The biggest challenge will be replacing captain Davy Klaassen, who joined Everton for €27m. The club philosophy dictates that the first place to look for replacements is in the youth teams and it is no different this window. Van de Beek has started the season incredibly well in midfield with a goal in both ties against Nice. Elsewhere, the return of Klaas-Jan Huntelaar has sparked excitement amongst fans though he is likely to play a secondary role to Dolberg.
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar: the striker has returned to Ajax this summer
It’s been a particularly active window at PSV and it appears there is still a lot of work to do for Phillip Cocu. Defenders Moreno and Willems have moved on in addition to Propper and Guardado in midfield. Loanees Zinchenko and Siem de Jong have also both returned to their parent clubs. Luckassen has arrived from AZ as a direct replacement for Roma-bound Moreno, but the most interesting piece of business is the arrival of Mexican winger Hirving Lozano, who was once linked to Manchester United. It’ll be interesting to see how he develops over the season. Marco van Ginkel has again arrived on loan from Chelsea.
FC Utrecht also need a busy last few weeks of the window to replace the goals of top scorer Haller and Barazite. Additionally, the influence of Amrabat in midfield will be missed. The club which finished as the ‘best of the rest’ will be hoping Gyrano Kerk continues his development and builds on his breakthrough season last year. Moreover, success in their Europa League play-off against Zenit will compound the need for more signings.
Vitesse has made the smart purchase of Luc Castaignos to replace out-going van Wolfswinkel, who departs after one season and a KNVB Beker trophy. The Arnhem club have also brought in Linssen from Groningen and former Groningen and PSV striker Tim Matavz, who they’ll be hoping can recapture the Eredivisie form from his early career. Their biggest loss is likely to be that of Lewis Baker who returns to Chelsea after his loan expired.
Elsewhere, FC Twente will need to find a replacement for Enes Unal who has joined Villarreal from Manchester City. Losing a striker who scored 18 goals would hurt for any club, but it’ll hit the Tukkers especially hard. Rene Hake will do especially well to match the success of last season.
PSV manager Phillip Cocu (left) has his work cut out this season
Eredivisie Preview: Fixtures
Ajax have the most comfortable start. Heracles away on the opening day shouldn’t provide too much of a test for a team that has already started playing competitive football in Europe this season. The biggest test is likely to be the rotation that is necessary to maintain the intensity required in their play in Europe and domestically. The first tough fixture comes against Vitesse on matchday 6 and the first Klassieker isn’t until matchday 9.
PSV have the toughest start of the big three as they play AZ on the opening day before facing Feyenoord, Heerenveen and Utrecht within the first six games of the season. There’ll be no European football in Eindhoven this season as they were defeated home and away by Croatian minnows Osijek. Hopefully, their domestic campaign starts more impressively.
Feyenoord start the defence of their title against Twente and the first Rotterdam derby is on matchday two away at Excelsior. Interestingly, the Rotterdammers play both PSV and Ajax before the end of October. It’ll be interesting to see how they handle the rigors of Champions League football on top of the domestic calendar.
Elsewhere, spare a thought for NAC Breda who face Vitesse, AZ, Feyenoord and PSV within their first six games. The newly promoted side will be hoping the momentum from last season can carry them through a testing first few weeks.
An interesting game to watch on the opening weekend will be the derby between Groningen and Heerenveen at the Euroborg with both teams wanting a good start over their rivals.
Eredivisie Preview: Potential Upsets?
Unless they bring in some top-quality signings before the end of the window I predict PSV will struggle. Van Ginkel is a brilliant acquisition, but they’ll be desperate for Luuk de Jong to rediscover his scoring form. Last year they were so wasteful in front of goal and they’ve lost several first team players this summer.
Currently, it’s hard to pick a potential surprise package for the upcoming season. Utrecht have lost key players that they would have looked to build upon from last season and it looks unlikely that they’ll retain 4th spot in the league. Had they kept Haller and Amrabat they could have caused PSV some issues.
Vitesse are potentially the best suited to secure 4th this season. The big question mark being whether they can get Luc Castaignos up and running quickly. Replacing the 20 goals scored by van Wolfswinkel last season may prove too much for the returning striker. Additionally, if they are to usurp Utrecht for 4th there will need to be an 11-point swing.
Youngsters Dolberg, De Ligt and van de Beek train for Ajax
Eredivisie Preview: Where is the title headed?
This has to be part of the Eredivisie preview of course! The title looks as though it’ll be heading either to Rotterdam or Amsterdam. Ajax look to have the more talented squad with some particularly special youngsters coming through the ranks.
Dolberg, Kluivert and De Ligt look set to play key roles this season after very respectable breakthroughs last year. Additionally, Donny van de Beek has started the season impressively in the midfield, replacing outgoing captain Klaassen. The youngster scored in both legs against Nice in the Champions League qualifiers earlier this month and looked very capable with his break-up play.
Early indications suggest that Keizer will play with the same style as Bosz did which should prevent the same slow start as last year. There are few players to have to blend into the system which should help the new coach also.
Feyenoord, whilst have lost key full backs, have kept prized possessions further up the pitch. Jorgensen, Berghuis and Vilhena have all been retained. Additionally, Boetius has been brought in to replace Elia. The biggest loss to the dressing room may be Kuyt, who helped push the title challenge over the line last season.
The high turnover of players at PSV will probably prevent any real title challenge. Their disappointing showing last season has probably led to the exodus this summer and, as previously mentioned, there needs to be more additions before the end of the window. Simply put PSV need to score more goals and an over reliance on de Jong may once again cause them issues.
Ajax are my tip for the Eredivisie title this season, with Feyenoord second and PSV in third. With a few weeks left in the window there is still time for deals to go through which could change this. Of course, football continuously proves difficult to predict. It’s a funny old game after all.
Anything to add to this Eredivisie preview? Feel free to pitch in!
So you want something original, different, tasty and in Amsterdam? Well, we did all the ‘hard work’ for ya and ate and drank like kings and queens at 5 creative and original places in Amsterdam. And yes, it’s a ‘we’ – thing. Weirdly half of DutchReview was into delicious food all of a sudden* Smakelijk eten!
Tucked away on Rozengracht, Pesca invites you into a heady world of fish and theatre. Upon arriving, you are greeted by a receptionist who offers you a glass of sparkling wine to set the mood. While sipping your drink, you are then guided to the fish market to pick out your meal.
The marketplace is set up like a high-class fishmonger’s. Sumptuous seafood and cuts of fresh fish are arranged on a bed of ice and seaweed for you to gaze upon. Here, an aproned fish expert takes you through everything that’s on offer, in Dutch or English. This can be very useful if, for example, you do not know very much about fish.
Fishy crowds gather around the marketplace to hear the fishmonger’s wisdom.
As someone who likes seafood without being much of an aficionado, I found the fishmonger’s in-depth knowledge of his catch very helpful. For two people, you can simply pick out several types of fish that take your fancy, while the fishmonger recommends portion sizes. You choose side orders if you want them, and your fish order is weighed out and sent to the kitchen. You receive a buzzer which lights up when your food is ready.
With your mouth still watering from the fish market, you are ushered to the wine cellar. Here, you receive wine recommendations based on your fish order. Your bottle of wine is handed over in an ice bucket, and thus fortified, you are brought to your table.
The Pesca wine cellar
For my dinner partner and myself I had ordered four oysters, two scallops, a portion each of monkfish, dogfish and stingray, and a side order of friets and salad. We had not been sitting long before the buzzer buzzed to denote that our oysters were ready. I went up to the serving counter to collect them.
A quartet of oysters gets the show started
A series of buzzes then followed in quick succession, announcing the arrival of our scallops, monkfish and dogfish. One slightly trying aspect of the Pesca concept is that you have to get up and cross the restaurant several times to collect your different portions. The explanation for this is that the restaurant can therefore dispense with waiting staff, meaning they can charge less for the food. The large number of dinner guests attested to the fact that many people thought it well worth the compromise.
What’s more, the food is excellent. Our dogfish was deliciously salty, and the scallops were plump, juicy and tender. The monkfish, which in other restaurants can seem a little bland, had a fresh citrus flavour. Each dish was expertly accompanied by a jus or sauce tailored to the individual fish. The stingray, which I had never tried before, was my favourite: soft, moist, and flaking easily from the bone. It had a delicate flavour that melted on the palate. It also went very well with the friets.
Stingray, frietjes, side salad – exquisite. And the buzzer.
Despite my initial scepticism, the whole meal was very filling. Indeed, the purpose of Pesca’s fishmongers is to recommend not only appetizing food, but sensible portion sizes, thereby cutting down on food waste. We left the restaurant filled and satisfied.
A fish-eye view of the marketplace
The Verdict
Excellent fish, a warm atmosphere, good service. What more could you want! Try it for yourself at Rozengracht 133, Jordaan, Amsterdam. And book ahead, because it’s popular.
Adam & Siam is a fusion restaurant in Amsterdam with a Thai-inspired menu (‘Siam’) and a more European-cuisine (the ‘Adam’ menu). Useful, if you have different preferences within a group!
The restaurant is located in the heart of Amsterdam and veryeasily accessible from central station. It has two entrances, but is partitioned into separate areas. This makes it feel smaller than it is and both areas have a different atmosphere.
Adam & Siam houses temporary art-exhibitions and when we were there, you could buy nut-and-bolt shaped candles. Presumably, these were intended to relieve frustrations of some sort. Or create them. It occurred to me that, if you know any engineers you want to annoy, this is a good gift-option.
To take the edge off our hunger, we had a mixed drink. I highly recommend Siam’s “Little Dark Mule”. The name alone made me feel badass. It was delicious, gingery, you could taste the lime, and came in a beautiful tumbler. I now dream of this beverage, and intend to baptize my first cat with it.
My friend had a Hendrick’s G&T with flower petals and cucumber. I always notice how cucumber is a surprisingly strong flavour, or maybe it’s the scent. Anyway, it was fine, but I’m not a G&T girl.
First things first
For starters, the first course. It was satisfying, but we were so excited to eat, we forgot to take a photo. My friend had a chicken saté slathered in peanut sauce, a battered shrimp, and vietnamese spring rolls. I had two battered corn snacks and spring rolls with two choices of dipping sauce. We both had a cabernet sauvignon.
The main was rib-eye with vegetables and sauce Bearnaise for my friend, and tofu curry for me.
When I used to eat beef, I liked it red and my friend also seemed pleased with how rare it was. This was the default, so if you like it well-done, bear that in mind.
Personally, I would have liked my main a bit spicier or with more lemongrass, but it was easy to request something to give it an extra kick. The wine was probably better with rib-eye than with curry (I shouldn’t have chosen red), so that’s something I would check about next time.
Dessert arrived, as it tends to do, after the mains. A pretty blue-and-white patterned plate with sticky rice, mango sorbet, a flower made of mango slices, some sort of wafer, and mango coulis. Like ginger, mango is a way to my heart so I was happy.
The verdict
If you like men with beards, you should check Adam & Siam outThere were even photos of this older bearded gentleman in a forest hanging around. He is part of the art exhibition and looks friendly (just like the staff!).
Anyway, after all of that our stomachs were bulging and we happily took our time to digest, before being on our way. One thing; the place filled up pretty quickly. You should arrive around 19:00 or before to be sure of a space!
At first glance, Floreyn is the kind of place you want to go when you have something to celebrate; when you want to treat yourself; when you want to pull all the stops but in a casual, off-hand (and very Dutch) way. That was perfect for me: I was taking my friend out to congratulate her after a first day at her brand new, pretty grown-up job.
She and I sat down, looked around and searched for the perfect terms to define the atmosphere of the restaurant. We came up with jazz bar. The interior is clean, pretty, and industrial-chic like the rest of the Amsterdam hotspots. Smooth jazz plays in the background -the kind that lulls you into a sense of (accurate) security, matching with the lovely staff.
My friend and I went for a 5-course meal (this was, after all, a night to celebrate). We went in without any expectations and ended up blown away by the creativity -and the simplicity- of every course. Here is what we were offered.
We had some appetizers to start off: your average bread-and-butter stuff (though it is worth mentioning that this was real bread, which matters greatly to two French girls), and some delicious savory tompouce. Tompoucen are usually sweet treats, a little like mille-feuilles, with a hard topping and some soft cream. Impossible to eat with dignity, yes, but delicious. The savory take of this typical Dutch treat was surprising, but it worked. It was a fresh snack and a subtle way to whet our appetite and poke at our curiosity.
The starter was a marvelous cauliflower dish. “You may have thought cauliflower to be boring before,” the waitress told us, “but this dish should prove the opposite.” And boy, was she right.
Next came the mains: a celery-based dish for my veggie friend, and the veal filet for me. By that point we were already getting pretty full, but everything looked too good to miss. The veal did not disappoint; cooked just enough to remain tender, with delicious gravy and mustard on the side and some light, mashed potatoes to ease it down.
Then came a lovely platter of 4 different types of cheese -I wouldn’t be able to give you their exact names (they were Dutch cheeses)- but I can tell you that we enjoyed them. The platter featured some blue cheese as well as some goat and cow cheese.
Finally, we were asked whether we wanted dessert… Of course we did. There is always room for dessert. Although the apple pie and the butter cake sounded great, it was a ‘chocolate dessert’ kind of evening, so we opted for the Chocolate Buckthorn. Although we were stretching our stomachs a bit, it was worth it. A very good ending to a great culinary journey.
The Verdict
If I had to sum up Restaurant Floreyn in one word, it would be flavorful. Every dish is well-crafted to combine different textures and surprising flavor combinations that work incredibly well together. If you are looking for a fancy dinner out without wanting to break the bank, Floreyn is your place. Oh and make sure to check their menu online, they update it every month.
It’s big, yellow, open all day long and located in Amsterdam-West at the Foodhallen. It’s the Kanarie Club! It certainly lives up to its name in the sense that it’s awake and open all day long and has big yellow letters all over the place.
Since it opened up in 2017 and is by the people that brought you the foodhallen you can rely on it’s decor to stunning as ****. Whether you’re there for breakfast, lunch or late-night drinks – this place is sure to provide the right atmosphere – truly a hotspot.
Marianne and I went there for lunch and drinks. So we have to return for dinner one day! In a weird moment of small appetite, I opted for the Pastrami sandwich while Marianne went ahead and got stuck in the Kanarie Burger. Both were excellent (yes, I whined for a little bite of that burger – for review purposes obviously) – but I gotta admit that sandwich was a little, well, too little – but excellent quality.
The cocktails though were both great in size and quality, so cheers for that! And when the sun is also shining you can take them outside on their terrace as well!
The Verdict
All-round fancy hotspot! A sure thing when in Amsterdam-West whatever the time of day may need 🙂
Wyers Bar & Restaurant is conveniently located within walking distance from Central Station. It is part of the Kimpton DeWitt hotel with direct access for hotel guests as well as a separate entrance. It claims to be an Amsterdam Restaurant with American roots thanks to Brooklyn born chef SammyD, which we learned from the menu once we took a seat around lunch time at a fairly empty but inviting looking restaurant. The interior has a clean, industrial look with warm elements like flowers and Delft porcelain plates on the tables.
After a glance at the extensive drinks menu, which was bigger than the actual food menu, we decided that it was late enough (yes, it was past noon) to sample some of their house cocktails. Lachlan went for the Bergamot Buzz with a very interesting combination of tea and beer, and I chose the Kokosnoot that tasted delightfully refreshing thanks to the lime and soda mixed with Jenever. They also have over 25 beers on draft as well as a very decent wine card perfect for after-work drinks.
Having worked up an appetite thanks to our cocktails we decided to order some snacks first followed by two Sam-wiches, which were the crowd pleasers on the menu according to our waitress. We found all-time favourites like chicken wings, bitterballen or salmon on the menu that were all transformed into creative dishes with a twist. The Lollipop Chicken Wings were delicious and their Bitterballen surprised our taste buds with a filling of oxtail and marrow. We further sampled the Cuban with roast pork, Swiss cheese and pickles and the very spicy “Koen’s” Hot Dog with jalapeños and kimchi. I was not prepared for this expert level of spiciness (although the waitress did warn us) and Lachlan had to finish my half, which he didn’t complain about.
We were very surprised when our attentive waitress, who never neglected to re-fill our water glasses regularly, presented a tray with desserts to choose from. As there were no desserts on the menu we didn’t expect any sweets but happily tried the cheesecake with fresh fruit and the chocolate mousse with brownie. There was no crumb left on our plates when we got up to thank the staff and roll ourselves out of the restaurant!
The Verdict
Cocktails, good food – what’s not to love? All in all a very pleasant place for after-work-drinks or a (business) lunch.
PS: Feeling stuffed after all that delicious food? We know how important to take care of your dental health to keep on enjoying all the yummy stuff. So, if you ever need a good international dentist who can help you in English or Dutch, we got you!
To take the edge off our hunger, we had a mixed drink. I highly recommend Siam’s “Little Dark Mule”. The name alone made me feel badass. It was delicious, gingery, you could taste the lime, and came in a beautiful tumbler. I now dream of this beverage, and intend to baptize my first cat with it.
There were even photos of this older bearded gentleman in a forest hanging around. He is part of the art exhibition and looks friendly (just like the staff!).
