I’m typing this listening to Katy Perry’s Hot n Cold, which seems very appropriate: from record highs (in California) to snowstorms (in the UK), February was full of contrasts. I started the month soaking up the sun in San Francisco and ended it watching snow cover the pretty streets of London. In between, I had… Continue reading Monthly Roundup: February 2018
Category: Amsterdam
Get your skates out: There is ice on the canals of Amsterdam!
Breaking news from the Netherlands: there is ice on the canals of Amsterdam! I repeat: there is ice on the canals of Amsterdam! This is huge: if the freezing temperatures continue – and if we’re very very lucky – the ice might get strong enough for people to get on it. Can you imagine walking or… Continue reading Get your skates out: There is ice on the canals of Amsterdam!
Monthly Roundup: January 2018
I’m sitting on a park bench. It’s 4pm and sun has just set behind the hills of San Francisco, yet it’s still warm enough for me to chill outside wearing nothing but a short summer dress that I got this afternoon for 3 dollars (we didn’t pack summer clothes as we definitely did not expect… Continue reading Monthly Roundup: January 2018
Meeting Her Majesty the Queen and Other Travel Highlights of 2017
It has become a tradition of mine to dedicate a couple of days around the turn of the year for looking back on the travels of the previous 12 months. Many of us travel so often these days that it can almost start feeling mundane, so it’s good to take time to appreciate that traveling is,… Continue reading Meeting Her Majesty the Queen and Other Travel Highlights of 2017
Monthly roundup: December 2017
December was a month of celebrations, beginning with Finland’s independence festivities and culminating in Christmas. It started in Helsinki with ten days filled with fieldwork and fun, continued in Amsterdam where I got to admire the picture-perfect city in its winter plumage, and concluded in London with a glorious firework display that we managed to… Continue reading Monthly roundup: December 2017
Amsterdam Light Festival 2017
One of my most romantic memories from last year is sitting on an old wooden boat cuddled up to my boyfriend on a cold December night, wrapped up in a warm blanket and with a hot drink in hand, while we sail by the stately canal houses and underneath the bridges in search of the… Continue reading Amsterdam Light Festival 2017
Monthly roundup: October 2017
Better late than never, right? I was planning to publish the collection of October highlights earlier in the month, but then Madrid happened and, well, here we are. However, today is actually a good day for finishing this post – it’s chilly and rainy but quite cosy, just the sort of weather one would usually… Continue reading Monthly roundup: October 2017
Cycling in Amsterdam: the Basics
If you’re planning a trip to the Amsterdam, chances are you’re going to want to hop on a bike. The Dutch capital famously has more cycles than residents, and over half of all journeys in the city centre are done on two wheels (source). In short, cycling in Amsterdam is like riding a red double-decker… Continue reading Cycling in Amsterdam: the Basics
Monthly roundup: September 2017
Colourful leaves, chilly mornings, hot chocolate and chestnuts? Not quite. September was still a full-on summer month: I got to experience some of the hottest days of the year and wear the sundresses that had remained in the closet during the colder-than-expected Northern summer. It was a busy month both for me and for the… Continue reading Monthly roundup: September 2017
Magical reality: Amsterdam in the mist
The best adventures are often unplanned. This morning, waking up in Amsterdam to a grey and cloudy sky, we could not have imagined what a treat we would be in for in just a couple of hours. Wondering downstairs for a cup of tea around 7am, I didn’t think much of the weather: sure, they… Continue reading Magical reality: Amsterdam in the mist