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A few minutes before arriving in Tallinn, the pilot informs us about the weather. Cloudy, windy, and snowy. Not what I would typically call holiday weather. But I decided to visit Tallinn in winter because of the snow, so this announcement actually makes me smile. And...
A few minutes before arriving in Tallinn, the pilot informs us about the weather. Cloudy, windy, and snowy. Not what I would typically call holiday weather. But I decided to visit Tallinn in winter because of the snow, so this announcement actually makes me smile. And as the plane is starting its descent, I look out the window and see the most beautiful winter wonderland below me. From Amsterdam it’s less than a 2,5-hour flight with KLM / airBaltic to Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. It’s my first visit and with my new intention to travel more slowly, I’ll be staying five full days. And I can tell you already: there are more than enough things to do in...
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It’s been 30 minutes since we left our car and anything that reminds us of our hectic city life behind. Carrying a backpack that hasn’t been used in years. And pulling a folding wagon filled with food and drinks for the coming days. Any doubts about whether it’s still...
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'd been planning to visit Amersfoort for a while now. With its historic city centre, great restaurants and shops, and plenty of things to see, Amersfoort is the perfect destination for a day trip when you're visiting the Netherlands. This beautiful city is super...
The first time I visited Hotel des Indes was to celebrate my grandmother's 90th birthday. Despite having lived in The Hague her entire life, it also happened to be her first time to see the hotel from the inside. Hotel des Indes is a landmark in The Hague. Everyone...
Travel plans may have turned into vouchers for (hopefully) next year, but that doesn't mean that we won't be traveling at all. It will just be a bit closer to home. Starting with: Dordrecht, a perfect day trip from Amsterdam or Rotterdam. If I'm being honest, there...
Today, in addition to sharing some (definitely not all) of the 'The Hague hotspots' you should check out when visiting The Hague, I'll also be sharing these and more tips on a new app that gives you an easy way to collect, remember and share all the places you love....
I don't particularly like celebrating my own birthday. But I do love celebrating other people's birthdays! Unfortunately, many of my friends go through the same phase of not wanting to be reminded that they're getting older and prefer not to make a big deal out of it....
Where can you go in November that doesn't require too much traveling but is still warm and sunny? According to many 'Best places to go in November' lists that I find online, I should visit Seville in Spain. Unfortunately even a minimum chance of rain still means it...
As I cross the street from Oslo's Central Station I’m looking up to this impressive building that’s been here for a hundred years. This was once the headquarters of the Norwegian America Line ('Amerikalinjen'), a cruise ship company taking passengers to the United...
It's not the first time I'm visiting Oslo, the capital of Norway. I've been here once before with my family when I was a teenager. Which, let's be honest, is a really long time ago. I remember seeing an old Viking ship, eating lots of waffles and trying cheese with a...
If my previous post didn't convince you to visit Maastricht, then this one should do it. Because in addition to being super charming, Maastricht is also a great city for shopping and eating. So in this post, I'm sharing my favorite cafés and restaurants in Maastricht...
Maastricht is the most southern city in the Netherlands. So southern that it actually takes me longer to get here than Antwerp or Brussels in Belgium. But I love visiting Maastricht. It's a beautiful, historic city and so different from other Dutch cities that it...
With its location in the heart of Flanders Mechelen is the perfect destination for a day trip from Brussels or Antwerp. Or - in my case - a nice weekend break. When I arrive at Mechelen station, I'm surpised it takes me less than two hours to get here from The Hague...
As I decribed in my first post about St Petersburg, I'm leaving the city after six days wanting to see more of this fascinating country. I realise how little I know about Russian history except for the major events and the people who played a role in it. But visiting...
After six days in St Petersburg, I’ve only scratched the surface of what Russia is like. I am under no illusion that you can get to know a country this big and diverse by visiting just one city. But it is a great introduction to Russia and I leave hungry for more. Not...
The woman behind the counter looks confused when I apologetically respond to her question in English. It's not the first time this happens. Not that the people in Gothenburg don't speak English, which they do perfectly, but with the way I look they often think I'm a...
It's interesting how most people automatically assume I live in Amsterdam when I tell them I'm from the Netherlands. I don't mind, there's nothing wrong with Amsterdam, but it's as if the Netherlands is Amsterdam. Which is why I was so excited when Visit Brabant...
This is a story about how my family and I visited Ghent in Belgium and couldn't get ourselves to leave the hotel. If you've been reading this blog for a while you know that 1) I have a thing for beautiful boutique hotels and 2) I usually have a long list of all the...
It's my first time visiting Lisbon. You'd think that based on my previous post that eating my way around Lisbon was all I did (who could resist a fresh, warm pastel de nata?). But this city has more to offer than food. In this post I share how you can get the most out...
The timing is perfect. While everybody around me is turning up the heating in their house, storing their summer clothes to replace them with warm, comfy winter clothes, I am getting reading for a bit of extra sunshine. As much as I like autumn, when you're being...
One of my main challenges for this Lisbon city trip is to not come home completely exhausted. I always want to do too much when I visit a city for the first time. So how do you make sure you're taking enough breaks from all the sightseeing? You eat. And drink coffee....
Helsinki sure knows how to welcome their visitors. "Nobody in their right mind would come to Helsinki in November. Except you, you badass. Welcome." I actually missed the famous airport sign that went viral when I arrived in November, but it's something that I...
That's the problem with making travel plans too long in advance. Things change. But then how could I have known that three weeks after I booked my return ticket London - Japan, I would come up with the brilliant idea to turn 2 weeks Japan into a three month trip?...
I'm a big fan of Artist Residence. Their London hotel in Pimlico is one of the nicest hotels I've ever stayed in. So when Jess, Jo and I got invited to stay at their Cornwall hotel, the only question we had was: When? For those of you who don't know Cornwall. It's on...
Some people will escape the winter by flying to a tropical island. Others (that's me) fly to countries where the days are shorter and the temperatures even lower. Helsinki may not be the first city that comes to mind for a city trip right now, but I loved it. It...
It all started with a picture of pancakes. It helps that my friend Giulia - who took the picture - is also a talented food photographer, but I also trust her judgement. (Would you question an Italian when it comes to food?) So if she says the pancakes are...
Brighton is the perfect day trip from London. Only an hour by train, there's a beach, a fun pier, great food... and yet I had only been once. I was already planning another trip when I received an invite to spend the weekend at the new Brighton Harbour Hotel with some...
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 often have to remind myself to look up when I'm exploring a city. But sometimes a city's best kept secrets are hidden underground. For two years I was living right above an important part of London history: the deep-level shelters at Clapham South. Built during...
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...