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Netherlands posts
VIDEO: Visit a guinea pig village in Holland
Feb 10th, 2012 at 6:00PM:
If you prefer cute and cuddly animals to the Big Five on safari, you may want to consider a trip to the Netherlands. VICE's Cute Show takes a look this week at a guinea pig village in Holland, where the hairy rodents go to "retire" when their owners can no longer look after them. You can adopt a guinea pig or just visit them (I'm partial to the scrappy and long-haired Droopy).
The guinea ...
Opinion: Dutch khat ban smacks of racism
Jan 16th, 2012 at 10:00AM:
The Dutch government recently announced that it will ban the use of khat, a narcotic leaf widely chewed in the Horn of Africa and Yemen.
I've written about khat before. I've spent four months in Ethiopia, especially Harar, a city in the eastern part of the country where chewing khat (pronounced "chat" in the local languages) is part of many people's daily lives. It's a mild drug that makes ...New budget travel magazine debuts: Off Track Planet moves into print
Jan 4th, 2012 at 11:00AM: Off Track Planet, a Brooklyn-based online budget travel publication, takes its f-bomb dropping idiom into print today with the debut of an eponymous magazine.
Off Track Planet, for the uninitiated, is geared toward the 18-30 set and is particularly focused on undergraduates.
Accordingly, the publication directs its attention to several subjects of primary interest to college kids; among ...Amsterdam's Schipol Airport gallery opens winter exhibition (about winter!)
Dec 21st, 2011 at 11:00AM:
I love airport art galleries. They offer the delayed passenger something far more satisfying than eating fattening toxins in the food court. The gallery at Schipol Airport, Amsterdam, is one of the best because it's run by the world-famous Rijksmuseum.
The gallery has just opened Dutch Winters, a collection of winter scenes by Dutch artists. Interestingly, the curators didn't go for the usual ...Airplane accommodations: The Netherlands' Airplane Suite
Dec 16th, 2011 at 1:00PM:
Whether you're an aviation enthusiast or simply a lover of quirky lodgings, these airplane-style accommodations are sure to fly high in your book. We're featuring a series of them. Up first: an Airplane Suite in the Netherlands.
Fly "first class" with this luxe suite, which offers a Jacuzzi, infrared sauna, mini bar, three flat screen TVs, mini kitchen and more. The suite is actually an ...Biblical bridge allows pedestrians to "walk through water" like Moses
Nov 30th, 2011 at 1:00PM: Parting the sea is no longer a feat held just for saints and those with higher powers. Thanks to a new and innovative creation by RO & AD Architects, anyone can walk through water, just like Moses did when he parted the Red Sea.
The Moses Bridge is located in the Netherlands and gives people access to Fort de Roover, an old Dutch Fortress from the 17th century. What makes this bridge unique ...
Amsterdam day trip: Van Brederode castle
Nov 28th, 2011 at 11:00AM:
Amsterdam has plenty of day trip opportunities. Smaller cities such as Delft are a short train ride away and the pretty countryside has many historic attractions.
Ruïne van Brederode is a castle in the town of Santpoort Zuid, about 25 minutes away by train from Centraal Station. From the Santpoort Zuid station, signs lead through quiet, tree-lined streets to the castle. The ...One luxury and two budget hotels in Amsterdam
Nov 27th, 2011 at 3:00PM:
Visitors to Amsterdam are spoiled for choice when it comes to hotels. From flea-bitten junky flophouses all the way up to five-star luxury accommodation, hotels in Amsterdam offer something for everyone. Picking one can be tricky, though. Here are three places I've stayed at.
The four-star Hotel Estheréa is a good choice if you want to splash out. Its location on a broad canal in ...Kids travel gift: Junior "crumpled" city maps
Nov 26th, 2011 at 9:00AM:
Last year we reported on Italian designer Emanuele Pizzolorusso's crumpled city maps, a delightful series of maps made out of tough waterproof material. Pizzolorusso's maps can withstand crumpling and crushing. They fit in a little pouch and are easily transportable. They are a wonderfully fanciful yet solidly utilitarian tool for tourists.
Pizzolorusso, working with Berlin-based ...Amsterdam's Torture Museum
Nov 25th, 2011 at 12:00PM: Like many travelers, I have a soft spot in my heart for tourist traps. Whether it's the politically incorrect cheesiness of South of the Border or the shabby weirdness of The Thing, nothing brings a smile to my face better than some cheap, gaudy attempt to capture my attention.
Amsterdam's Torture Museum fits the bill perfectly. Behind a pseudo-spooky facade are reproductions of torture ...Tasting gourmet Dutch cheese in Amsterdam
Nov 20th, 2011 at 1:00PM:
I'm addicted to it. Every time I'm in Amsterdam the first thing I do is get some to satisfy my craving. I couldn't think of a trip to Amsterdam without it. Yeah, you know what I mean.
Eating Dutch cheese!
I've always wondered why some countries get famous for certain foods. Why is Belgian chocolate so great? Why do the Dutch make such fine cheese? Why aren't the Dutch the chocolate experts ...Amsterdam's Maritime Museum
Nov 17th, 2011 at 3:00PM: Amsterdam owes its wealth to the sea. In the Golden Age of the 16th and 17th centuries, the Dutch sailed around the world looking for rare products to bring back to Europe. They were one of the great maritime powers and are still important in shipping today.
Amsterdam is a city made for the sea. Its canals are laid out like a spider's web, where every family that could afford it built a narrow ...Amsterdam's booming Eastern Harbor
Nov 16th, 2011 at 1:00PM:
Amsterdam is a beautiful city famous for its narrow canal houses that during its golden age served as both homes and warehouses for merchant families waiting for their ship to come in. The historic heart of Amsterdam is an architectural treasure, and the Dutch didn't stop building innovative spaces in the modern times. One of Amsterdam's newest expansions is the Eastern Harbor Area.
A century ...Preserved human flesh at Amsterdam's Tattoo Museum
Nov 13th, 2011 at 10:00AM:
This is exactly what it looks like--the preserved human flesh of a tattooed man. Judging from the style and subject, I'd say it's from a nineteenth century American sailor. I spotted it sitting on the director's desk at Amsterdam's Tattoo Museum.
Ah, Amsterdam! I've visited you so many times and yet you always have new surprises for me.
Amsterdam is a great city for museums. There are two ...Photo of the day - Under the Glow dome
Nov 10th, 2011 at 5:00PM:
Today's Photo of the Day is from the Dutch city of Eindhoven, where the GLOW festival of light is going on now through Saturday. Eindhoven is the hometown of electronics company Philips, made a multinational brand by Anton Philips who is the subject of the sculpture here. Each year, the town hosts a forum of light-based art and architecture installations, performances and events; in 2011, the ...Live music and weed sampling at the 2011 Cannabis Cup in Amsterdam, Netherlands
Oct 24th, 2011 at 3:00PM: This year, the Cannabis Cup will take place in Amsterdam in the Netherlands from November 20-24, 2011. Pot fans will not only get to enjoy live music and performances, but will also get to sample some of the best products in the cannabis industry. Seminars will also be held to teach attendees the best tips and tricks for weed cultivation.
One of the highlights of Cannabis Cup is the contests to ...New Gadling travel series: the lowdown on the Low Countries
Oct 24th, 2011 at 2:00PM: Today I'm starting a new travel series here on Gadling. While Alex explores Far Europe, I'm checking out Near Europe. I'm spending the next ten days seeing the sights and sampling the cuisine of the Low Countries. My first stop is Antwerp, Belgium, and from there I'll head to Amsterdam and the Hague in The Netherlands.
There's a lot to explore and I have a full schedule. I'll be seeing castles, ...10 unique experiential hotels from around the world
Sep 30th, 2011 at 8:30AM: A trend in the travel world that is becoming increasingly popular is the "experiential" hotel. Many travelers are no longer looking for a basic room in a premier location, but instead for an experience that will allow them to get to know an (often remote) area, or at least have their hotel be something they'll never forget. From staying in mines in the deepest hotel suite in the world to getting ...Amsterdam art exhibit focuses on the Antwerp school
Sep 16th, 2011 at 1:00PM:
The Hermitage Amsterdam starts an important exhibition tomorrow focusing on the Antwerp school of Flemish art.
Rubens, Van Dyck & Jordaens: Flemish paintings from the Hermitage runs until 16 March 2012 and features almost a hundred paintings and drawings from some of the great names in Flemish art. Peter Paul Rubens is especially well covered, including his famous work Venus and Adonis, ...Museums plan to sell collections to survive
Aug 18th, 2011 at 12:00PM:
Museums in The Netherlands have received some bad news--national funding for arts and culture will drop from 900 million euros to 700 million in 2013. Now museums and other institutions are scrambling to figure out how to survive.
The Wereldmuseum in Rotterdam has come up with a controversial plan. They're going to sell off their African and American collections in order to raise money.
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