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holland posts
US Comedian attempts to show that there's more to do in Holland than visit "coffee shops"
Aug 31st, 2011 at 1:30PM:
US Comedian Mark Malkoff is on a mission. After hearing a proposed Dutch law that would make it illegal for tourists to visit coffee shops in Holland, he embarked on a creative video mission: he would travel to the country and make a video series about 101 Other Things to Do In Holland. #65? Hang a painting in the Van Gogh Museum (and, apparently, visit the way cool museum restrooms).
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Video of the Day: Smuggling marijuana from Amersterdam
Feb 28th, 2011 at 6:30PM:
Mr. Show with Bob and David is, arguably, the greatest sketch comedy show ever. When they took on the nerve-wracking experience of trying to smuggle marijuana back from Amsterdam, it was hilarious. While the TSA has made the airport experience stressful even if you aren't doing anything illegal, this scene hysterically captures what happens when backpackers try their hand at something that ...
Scratch and sniff cannabis cards distributed by Dutch police
Nov 15th, 2010 at 11:30AM: The new government of The Netherlands has been cracking down on marijuana-serving coffee shops lately, and now it's setting its sights on marijuana cultivation.
Police are distributing 30,000 scratch and sniff cards to homes in Rotterdam and The Hague to help people identify the smell of cannabis. That's right, many Dutch people apparently don't know what pot smells like. Just because ...Calling all gingers for Holland's redhead festival!
Aug 17th, 2010 at 6:00PM: Coebergh Redhead Festival is an event in Breda, Holland, which originated in 2005 and is now a worldwide annual phenomenon. Thousands of natural -- or so they claim -- redheads from all over the globe (over 36 countries in 2009) will gather in Breda's Big Square, Grote Markt, for photoshoots, musical performances, a fashion show, lectures about the origins and significance of red hair and more.
...14-year old girl denied solo circumnavigation attempt again
Jun 18th, 2010 at 8:00AM: 14-year old Laura Dekker, who we first mentioned last year when she first announced that she hoped to circumnavigate the globe at the age of 13, has been denied permission to set sail once again. Yesterday, a Dutch court ruled that Dekker would remain a ward of the state until August 1st, and that conditions were not safe for her to set out on her journey at this time, much to the dismay of the ...16 great farmers' markets
Apr 15th, 2010 at 3:00PM:
Farmers' markets are not only a great way to sample a community's natural bounty, they're also a unique setting to experience its culture. While each farmers' market is different, a really good farmers' market brings a sense of community to the cities and municipalities where they operate. Wondering where you can experience some of the freshest produce, tastiest snacks and friendliest people ...Holland America cruise line director to Alaska: stop driving us away
Mar 17th, 2010 at 11:30AM: The very excellent USA Today Cruise Log reports on some stormy waters around Alaska.
In recent years, the state has been making the lives of cruise lines quite miserable. New taxes, fees and regulatory requirements are slowly turning ships away, and some lines have already resorted to moving their Alaska ships to new routes.
Obviously, when a state starts taking too much advantage of tourism ...Creative enough to win a free trip to Amsterdam?
Feb 4th, 2010 at 12:00PM:
The Netherlands Board of Tourism is at it again. Last year, they held an artsy contest awarding a free trip to whoever had the cleverest "what I would give up" photo entry. Now, there's a new contest: "Just be. In Holland."
By answering a Holland-themed question correctly on the website (no labor), you could win:
A monthly delivery of fresh tulips for a year
An exclusive Gassan 121 ...10 Weird Things to Watch for in Holland
Dec 17th, 2009 at 3:00PM:
Holland is a beautiful part of the Netherlands, but as you might expect, the seat of Amsterdam is a little bit kooky. On our recent trip there, we saw a myriad of weird and cool things we couldn't help but photograph. Now, in case you should be heading there any time soon, we've compiled a list of the Top 10 Weird Things to Watch For in Holland. You won't want to miss these Dutch quirks!
For ...The Netherlands' worst holiday tradition, Black Peet
Dec 8th, 2009 at 11:00AM: The history of Black Peet, or Zwarte Piet, is a subject of much disagreement. The explanation that makes the most sense to us (and seems the most likely) is that just as wealthy Dutch families once had black servants, so did Santa Claus. Rather than the elves we're used to seeing in America, Santa's helper in Holland and all over the Netherlands is a smiling, minstrel show-meets-Shakespeare-style, ...The most beautiful Pizza Hut in the world
Dec 1st, 2009 at 11:00AM:
Is it a shame, or is it fantastic? Rather than tear down a former royal building in The Netherlands' historic Den Haag (The Hague), it's been turned into a Pizza Hut. What do you think about that, National Trust for Historic Preservation? Taco Bell at Hemingway's house in Key West anyone?
digg_url = 'http://digg.com/food_drink/The_most_beautiful_Pizza_Hut_in_the_world_Pics'; Seriously, this ...Amster-done? Visit a castle
Jul 8th, 2009 at 4:30PM: In my last Amster-done? post I talked about taking a day trip to the beautiful city of Delft. Today I'm featuring two medieval castles far from the noise and pungent smells of Amsterdam, but still less than an hour away by public transport.
Muider Castle, known to the locals as Muiderslot, is a twenty minute bus ride from Amsterdam's Amstel station. Get off at the stop for Muiden and take a short ...Competitours Race - Day 3 "Amsterdam" (with video)
Mar 23rd, 2009 at 9:15AM: As part of our Gadling on the Road series, Kent Wien and his wife Linda are participating as Team Gadling in the first run of Competitours, an Amazing Race like competition taking place in three different countries in Europe. Follow along each day this week as Kent documents their progress. We checked into our 2 star hotel in Amsterdam at about 9 p.m. on Tuesday night after the 3-hour train ride ...Budget travel - Amsterdam
Jan 6th, 2009 at 11:30AM: Summary: Amsterdam may not be the first city to pop up on your wish list if you are looking for a budget destination, but the city has several great reasons to visit if you want to keep spending to a minimum. For starters, the city has one of the best public transit systems in the world, and you'll be close to a tram, bus, train or metro stop within walking distance almost anywhere in the city. ...Be on the lookout for credit card skimmers in The Netherlands
Dec 16th, 2008 at 3:00PM: Dutch public transit user Paul Wiegmans noticed something strange when he tried to purchase a tram ticket from a machine in Amsterdam; the card slot looked a little out of the ordinary. When he took a closer look, he discovered a so called "skimmer" had been placed over the original card reader. Skimmers are devices that read your credit card information at the same time the real reader does its ...Across Northern Europe: A second thought on museums in Amsterdam
Aug 24th, 2007 at 11:20AM: You should never agree with yourself too often, at least that's what I'm thinking today, so I'd like to mention a few museums that are worth all of our time. Some readers may remember an anti-museum post a little while ago, though more readers may have stopped reading after that one and are missing out on this mea culpa. There are plenty of very good museums in Amsterdam, but the three I visited ...Across Northern Europe: The Elusive Dutch Drivers License
Aug 17th, 2007 at 8:00AM: I met Ella, Hilde and Amber in a Stockholm hostel two years ago this summer just after they went to the Roskilde music festival. They were roadtripping from their home in Rotterdam, Holland and we got along famously. So famously, in fact, they invited me to drive south to Denmark with them in Hilde's sister's tiny car. It was an act of generosity, yes, but also one of convenience: I could drive. ...Amsterdam To Go Smoke-Free?
Jun 21st, 2007 at 8:17AM: Quick: When you read the word "Amsterdam," what springs to mind?
Right! All those funny little glasses from which the Dutch drink beer. Those crazy Hollanders.
Those crazy Hollanders will soon be drinking their beer in smoke-free bars, after a smoking ban comes into effect in July 2008. The ban covers all restaurants and cafes -- including the city's 300+ coffee shops, those gezellig little ...Where On Earth (Week 11): Amsterdam
Jun 8th, 2007 at 4:09PM: There were lots of good guesses in this week's Where on Earth, but only one person got it right: Richblackmon was correct in thinking that this fruit stall resides in Amsterdam. In fact, this image was captured near the Leidseplein, a popular square in the vibrant city.
In December 2000, I was traveling from Africa to the US for a month-long home leave. I hadn't been since I'd left, in July ...Would a Dutch Smoking Ban Mean the End of its Famous Coffee Shops?
Apr 20th, 2007 at 2:01PM: There's plenty of reasons to visit Amsterdam -- the people, the culture, the beautiful, walkable city -- but let's get real: the place is famous for its coffee shops, where patrons come to sit back, relax, and smoke a couple doobies. But like other European countries, the Netherlands is considering a ban on smoking tobacco in restaurants, cafes and bars -- so will this signal the end for the ...
