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Rotterdam, the capital of Cool

During my basic education years, I learned a few things about what will later become my adopted country, The Netherlands: tulips come from here (let’s face it, we all know in the meanwhile that the tulip comes from Turkey), Rotterdam is the biggest port in Europe (from 1964 until 2004 it was the busiest port in the world even), the Erasmus bridge in Rotterdam named after the Dutch philosopher Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus, considered to have been one of the greatest scholars of the Renaissance, Rembrandt and Van Gogh (the second had become over the years my favorite painter), and PSV Eindhoven, Ruud Gulith with his crazy hair and Marco van Basten (my brother was a big fan). Read more

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De Haar Castle

When Etienne Gustave Frédéric, Baron van Zuylen van Nyevelt van de Haar (1860–1934), married Baroness Hélène de Rothschild, of the Rothschild family, he had not yet inherited the De Haar Castle. This marriage was a blessing for the castle, although it will still take five years before the castle benefits from the Rothschild family’s fortune.  The Baroness fell in love with the castle and decided to restore it into a modern version. She contracted the famous architect Pierre Cuypers (who was the architect of other two famous buildings: Amsterdam Central Station and Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam).  Read more

Photo: www.bluebirdsinthebackyard.nl
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Bluebirds in the Backyard – vintage store

Vintage stores have something special. At least for me. I always imagine a story behind each product. If you are in Dordrecht, be sure to visit Bluebirds in the Backyard. It’s not just a simple vintage shop, it’s a fairytale place inside a magnificent 18th century building (Huis Roodenburch), which also has a cafe / restaurant where you can relax with a friend for a coffee or lunch (they have biological products). You can take your child with you, there is a very nice playground. You can rent a room for events and recently they opened the garden, so you can enjoy a cappuccino outdoors. Bluebirds in the Backyard is definitely on the list of hotspots in Dordrecht.

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Birminghan, U.K. – A mix of architectural styles and different cultures

I have this amazing girlfriend which lives in Birmingham. We know each other since I was 17. Our children have been a couple of years playing together, sometimes sleeping together by my home or hers, sometimes quarreling and then kissing and hugging. The good part is that now we live close by again since I am living in the Netherlands and her, in the United Kingdom. From time to time I miss her, and because of this reason, and especially for our children’s sake, we boarded an Amsterdam-Birmingham flight. Read more

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Giethoorn, little Venice of the Netherlands

Giethoorn is just like a beautiful postcard that you can’t wait to share with the loved ones. Called little Venice of The Netherlands, Giethoorn is a village in the northern of Overijssel province, mostly pedestrian. The car access is only partial, but you can visit the beautiful village walking or by rented boats and bicycles. In the old part of the village are no roads at all, and the transport is exclusively on the water, by boats. Giethoorn has 2 620 inhabitants and more than 180 bridges, giving the village a special charm. Read more

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Villa Augustus – Dordrecht

As soon as the first warm rays of sunshine and the buds emerge, I dare to step out from my winter den. I always say: I do not like winter and that’s it! Spring gives me wings, just as in a well-known commercial. Sun delights me, lures me to go out. I throw a book in my bicycle’s basket and start pushing the pedals. I pass Merwede by ferry and get lost among the small streets of the almost 900 years old town. Dordrecht is an attested city from 1220 and is the oldest city in the South Holland province (Zuid-Holland). Read more

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