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I'm not sure how long I'll be able to keep this up, but for now I'm trying to avoid trips that require getting on an airplane. Which means that if I do want to travel abroad, I look for places just across the border. So when I received an invite to visit Essen and...
I'm not sure how long I'll be able to keep this up, but for now I'm trying to avoid trips that require getting on an airplane. Which means that if I do want to travel abroad, I look for places just across the border. So when I received an invite to visit Essen and Duisburg in the Ruhr Region in Germany, I couldn't say no. The Ruhr Area is probably not the first thing that comes to mind when you're planning a city trip to Germany. But it's really worth it. What makes it especially interesting is that there are many places to visit only a short distance away from each other. Essen to Duisburg is only a twenty minute drive. And also cities like Cologne, Dortmund...
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Time for another travel vlog! In Amsterdam this time. And yes... still awkward. But as a reward for stepping outside of my comfort zone, I decided to buy a decent vlogging camera: the Canon G7 X MARK II. New gadgets always help. Apparently this is what many of...
I'm on a plane to Porto and I finally have some time to read the blog posts and travel stories that I quickly saved on my iPad before I left. This feels like the worst planned trip and I'm pretty sure Jess is feeling exactly the same. We've both been super busy...
Visiting Los Angeles reminded me of my very first trip to New York. I was so excited to finally see the city with my own eyes. Realizing that everything I thought I knew about it was through watching movies and television shows. How much is actually real? It's the...
News you don't want to get right before you go on a trip to Los Angeles: stay away from gluten for a while. And this for someone who basically lives on bread and pasta. But looking on the bright side, if you need to adjust your diet anyway, in my case LA was probably...
Yes, I did it again. Well, let's say I tried it again, because this whole vlogging thing still feels super awkward. But I always enjoy watching other people's vlogs, so it's time for me to get on board, stop feeling so self-conscious, and start talking to my phone on...
I needed a break. Starting a new role at work, moving into a new apartment, travelling and the constant flow of visitors. It was all great... But now I needed a break. So where can I fly to in Europe for the weekend without spending too much money?...
When you find yourself in Prague in December to experience a very special hotel, you could decide to stay in all day. Sleep, eat, drink cocktails and have a massage at the spa. But if you're like us, you probably want to make the most of your stay in one of the most...
In the Netherlands there's this eternal rivalry between Amsterdam and Rotterdam. They're the two largest cities in the country, but completely different. It's North Holland versus South Holland, Ajax versus Feyenoord, canal houses versus modern architecture. It...
Things that will make you feel uncomfortable in New York: walking around the city with a selfie stick while talking to yourself on camera. Yes, I've done it. I was that person. The things you'll find yourself doing as a travel blogger... But even though I was...
There's something to be said for exploring a city unprepared. You don't know what to expect, what's waiting for you around the next corner, and you'll be more excited when you stumble upon that hidden gem. I'm afraid I'm not that kind of person. I often wish I...
The biggest challenge for a travel blogger is to write about a place you know very well. That might sound strange, but it's because you lose the ability to see what makes it so special for someone who's seeing it for the first time. That feeling of...
No, the Eiffel Tower was not one of my new discoveries in Paris. I just liked the photo. But just as I'm discovering so many new places in Amsterdam this weekend, I also always find something new when I'm in Paris. Despite the rain, I loved walking around the...
The great thing about Paris is that it's close to London. The downside is that the weather will be just as unpredictable. Sure, Paris is always a good idea. But do you still think so when you're walking around the city in the pouring rain? A couple of weeks ago, when...
Looking back on my years at the University of Amsterdam, I was pretty lucky to study in interesting historic college buildings. I spent most of my time in the East India House, which was the headquarters of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) in the 17th century....
I never seem to have enough time to really explore Berlin. And this weekend was no different. But what kind of travel bloggers would we be if we didn't try to get the most out of the little time we had. I'd done my homework - I may even have created a little map...
It's great when you get to travel a lot. But flying home from New York on a red-eye flight and then leaving that same day for Vienna is not something I would recommend. After struggling to keep my eyes open during meetings on the first day, I did eventually find...
A little warning for friends and family of bloggers. Don't spend too much time reading their blogs and listening to their stories about blogging 'adventures' (drinking afternoon tea can be an adventure too right?), or you might run the risk of turning into...
The most challenging part of visiting Prague is pronouncing the street names. Seriously, you try saying Dvořákovo Nábřež or U Starého Hřbitova or Náprstkova with a straight face. Fortunately, Prague is not a big city and it's quite easy to find your way. So no...
Oh, how times have changed. When I moved to New York in 2003 I didn't even drink coffee. And because there was no Starbucks in the Netherlands back then, I thought walking the streets with a Starbucks cup (not with coffee) in your hand was the coolest thing ever....
Ah, New York... It had been too long. Four years since my last visit. It won't happen again. It's hard to explain why I love this city so much. There's just something in the air that gives me butterflies in my stomach. It happens every time. My first reaction when I...
Writing a post about Berlin in a New York hotel room. Life could be worse. It's so great to be back in New York. I can't wait to share all my photos and stories, but first: Berlin. Yes, my travel schedule is a bit crazy at the moment. But hey, I wanted to travel...so...
Most people assume that because I'm from the Netherlands, that I must be from Amsterdam. I know we're a very small country, but there are other beautiful cities as well. Such as Den Haag. Or The Hague. Or 's Gravenhage if I wanted to make things extra...
It's funny. Whenever someone asks me why I like living in London, I usually answer something along the lines of you're never done exploring this city, there's so much to do, there's always something exciting happening. When a man is tired of London, he's tired of life...
London has a lot to offer, but what it doesn't have is a beach. Not that the UK is famous for its sunbathing weather (or that I'm the sunbathing type for that matter), but there are few things as relaxing as a walk on the beach. One of my intentions for this year was...
Let's start with the most touristy photo you can take in Copenhagen, so we can tick that box. Tick! Okay, moving on. As I mentioned in my previous post the only true way to explore Copenhagen is on a bike and that's exactly what I did last Monday. The sun was...
The question for me when I started planning my trip to San Francisco was not so much what to do, but rather where to eat. Right before I left, Condé Nast Traveller dedicated a whole feature on the new foodie capital of America, and they were right. Farmers' markets,...
Walking around in sunny Barcelona was just what the doctor ordered. After so many days of rain and grey skies in London, I needed to feel the warm sun on my face again. I didn't really have a plan for how I wanted to spend the day. I'd been to Barcelona before, so I...
They say London is basically a city of connected villages. Every 'village' looking completely different from the other. And since most of the transportation happens underground, you often find yourself in a different world when you exit the station. Which also...
The last time my parents and I were in London together, I was fifteen and didn't care much about what I wanted to do, see or eat. This weekend however, they came to visit me. For the first time since I moved to the city. Expecting to have a fabulous weekend.... Oh no,...
Dubai fascinates me. The sky is literally the limit with all the luxury in the world, its new high-rise buildings and Western-style mega malls. Whatever you want to do or buy, you’ll probably be able to find it in Dubai. But for me, the city has no soul. Everything is...