It’s Sinterklass day here in the Netherlands! Celebrated by many Dutch families (as well as by families in neighbouring countries such as Belgium, Luxembourg and Northern France), this tradition is observed instead of, or for some families in addition to, Christmas. Sinterklass is a Santa-like figure, which delivers gifts to good children and, according to […]
The allure of the man’s market (Mannenzaken) in Amsterdam
“This doesn’t look like the type of area where a market would be held”, I muttered suspiciously as I cycled into a barren shipping yard on a crisp Sunday afternoon in November. The area was still, lifeless, except for the distant figure of a security guard huddled in a doorway, smoking a cigarette. I cycled towards her. “Excuse […]
Discovering Athens; my tour with a local
I was running 20 minutes late when I arrived at the meeting point where I’d arranged to meet Paolo, a local who’d agreed to show me the city. “I’m so sorry to keep you waiting” I muttered, shuffling my bag on my back. “I took a wrong turn and ended up on the wrong side […]
I’m in love with Athens (and it wasn’t just the ouzo)
Above is the video I made during my time in Athens and Delphi. I’ve recently returned from my first trip to Athens and, what can I say? I’m in love! There was something electric about the place – and it wasn’t just the feel of the ouzo as it trickled down my throat and warmed […]
Street dancing in Monastiraki Square, Athens
I’ve seen lots of street dancing in my time, but while in Athens I saw a fantastic show by a group of Athenians. This crew had some awesome moves, but it was their sense of humor and play that really got me into the show. I captured most of it on my camcorder and just […]
Tasting the street food in Amsterdam’s Oud West [Photo Essay]
On Thursdays throughout the summer, Kanen Bij takes over Amsterdam’s Ten Katestraat to host close to a dozen food trucks for a street-food festival specializing in dishes from around the world. Framing the small street, the food trucks lined the curbs and surrounded a stretch of picnic tables in the centre of the street. Decorated […]
Exploring Amsterdam’s Local Goods Market
I just love supporting local producers and checking out all of the cool things they’re creating. So when I heard that a local goods market was taking place over the weekend, I just had to check it out. The Local Goods Market at De Hallen, Amsterdam, takes place once a month and is filled with […]
Exploring Amsterdam’s Uitmarkt [Photo essay + video]
Amsterdam’s Uitmarkt is an annual festival which marks the start of the cultural season in Amsterdam. This year the festival ran from 29-31 August, and we stumbled across it purely by chance while exploring the city just days after arriving. The event, which filled the grounds at Museumplein, was an eruption of culture, with hundreds ofmusical […]
Did I find the world’s biggest mushroom in Amsterdam?
While wandering through Amsterdam, I stumbled across a market selling (what appears to be) every possible variety of mushroom. But what really caught my eye was a giant mushroom being carefully sliced into sections. Could this be the biggest mushroom in the world? Have you ever seen a larger mushroom? If so, where?
Are there exotic birds in Amsterdam?
While eating my breakfast on the balcony, I spotted what appeared to be a bright green parrot fly to a nearby tree and perch on a branch. Moments later, a second bird of the same colour flew to the same tree and perched out of sight in the leaves. “Did you see that?” I asked […]